GAELIC GAMES THE DISCIPLINARY PROCESS:IN THE wake of GAA president Nickey Brennan describing the current disciplinary process as "ultra-fair", Marc Ó Sé goes before the Central Hearings Committee tonight seeking to overturn the red card, and subsequent four-week suspension, arising from last Sunday's Munster final.

But a troublesome anomaly has become apparent in the convoluted four-tier process. The Central Competitions Control Committee can ask a referee to review video evidence and upgrade the severity of an incident in his report but they are not permitted to ask referees to downgrade a decision, like, say, Ó Sé's dismissal for the collision with Cork's Seán O'Brien.

As a result, the first arm of the process has become defunct in the Ó Sé case.

Despite widespread opinion, with the benefit of replays, that the current "footballer of the year" did not deserve a straight red card from Longford referee Derek Fahy, an automatic, minimum, one-game suspension still stands.

"The overall thing I would say on discipline is that I am satisfied that our association is tackling the discipline problem," said Brennan yesterday. "The various organs of the GAA at various levels are doing their job in the appropriate manner.

"Where misdemeanours take place, players are being punished and if somebody is being unfairly dealt with, well, there are mechanisms in the system for dealing with that as well. We think it is ultra-fair and that's the way it should be."

The inability of the CCCC to seek a review to downgrade an offence seems, however, to contradict Brennan.

The Dublin footballer Collie Moran goes before the Central Appeals Committee tonight seeking to overturn a four-week suspension arising from the CCCC request to the Armagh referee Pádraig Hughes to review his yellow card after a collision with Dermot Bannon of Westmeath. The review led to suspension.

These two cases, and that of Kerry's Paul Galvin, who is awaiting an audience with the Disputes Resolution Authority, have been highlighted at length in the media, leading to a accusations of "trial by media" in the context of high-profile matches.

Brennan was asked yesterday whether the GAA would consider a formal citing commissioner, as used in most field sports, including the upcoming International Rules series, to eradicate any suggestion of imbalance.

"I just want to make it clear the members of the CCC are people of the utmost integrity. There is rarely a championship game when members of the CCC are not present. They are not dependent on The Sunday Game to tell them what is going on."

Introducing a citing commissioner would, of course, guarantee a presence at every game.

"There are incidents referred to referees for review which are never mentioned on The Sunday Game or even in your own columns for that matter and referees deal with them and the CCC will take what's said and that's the end of it," said Brennan.

"Certainly, The Sunday Game seems to have taken on a new line in various things but you're not whiter than white, lads. Every Monday morning we buy the newspapers. You guys, as part of your job - and I'm not critical, by the way, this is a reality - you're commenting on incidents as well. People read newspapers also.

"It is the way the game is being analysed and dissected. You all want to get the edge on one other. It is a competitive business out there but it can be maybe tough at times . . . the crudeness of how the analysis is done."

Another suggestion put to Brennan was for more transparency - again as in the International Rules series - whereby each incident examined by the CCCC would be made public.

"I'm not so sure we would go that far. If the business of CCC has to be conducted in the public arena - lovely for everybody in the media, but I think in fairness we are entitled to carry out, and I hate using these words, due process in a confidential manner. In fairness, we don't make issues out of anything that is referred to referees for review and we have no plans to do that. I certainly wouldn't be in favour of it."

But would greater transparency not remove the basis and justification for much of the criticism, analysis and speculation on television and in newspapers?

"Look, at this time of the year something new crops up that gets everybody excited," said Brennan. "I think we just need to all take a deep breath. Look, there are incidents in every match that you guys don't even talk about that our CCC are dealing with behind the scenes in the proper manner."