THE FAILURE to adequately combat burnout of the GAA’s best young players, who serve multiple managers, may restrict the career of arguably hurling’s greatest natural talent, Joe Canning.

The 20-year-old admitted yesterday that a groin injury surrounding the pubic symphysis (a rupture of the muscle off the pubic bone) requires up to a year of rehabilitation to fully heal, but Canning’s commitment to four teams – the Galway seniors, under-21s, Portumna and Limerick IT – means any consideration of rest and sustained treatment have to be shelved.

Canning finally graduates from the age-grade ranks after this season (he captains Galway against Clare in the All-Ireland under-21 semi-final in Thurles on Saturday), and has another year to run with LIT in the Fitzgibbon Cup. But his admirable commitment to Galway hurling at inter-county level and the seemingly constant success with Portumna GAA club means the only brief lull comes in December.

The GAA burnout task force, chaired by Dr Pat O’Neill, were responsible for bringing in a blanket ban on intercounty training in November and December, but Canning’s club duties would be increased during these months.

Speaking in his capacity as a Bord Gáis Energy (under-21 sponsors) ambassador in Dublin yesterday, Canning revealed he’s been carrying the injury for 12 months.

“I still have it. It’s a year going now. I had it this time last year. It does (hamper you) a small bit, but it’s not enough to affect my performance or anything like that, so I wouldn’t use it as any excuse.”

Asked about medical advice he has received, Canning responded: “I need a year off, basically, but unless I get dropped or something I don’t think I am going to have that anyway.”

Would the current All Star and championship leading scorer be prepared to take the necessary time off to recover?

“I don’t think so. You only have a couple of years. You don’t know what is around the corner. It’s not threatening my career at this stage anyway.

“Unless it would threaten my career, as in I wouldn’t be able to hurl next year or whatever, then maybe. It is okay at the moment, I am able to get by.

“I play the matches all right and then the day after I would be sore and then it will clear up with a small bit of rest.”

The immediate concern it that Canning, like other less well known players in a similar predicament, is simply ignoring medical advice and possibly worsening the injury in the long term.

“Well, any guy that had it before, they’ve taken six, eight, 12 months away and they seem to be okay now.

“That seems to be the only remedy, but I don’t know. It’s not an option in my book. I want to play as much as I can at the moment. I am lucky enough that I am able to play. I am just looking at the positive side more than anything.

“It just hampers me turning and taking off sprinting and that sort of stuff, so it just catches me a small bit.”

A number of issues have been recommended by the burnout taskforce, including an under-19 age grade to replace minor and under-21 that would have reduced two intercounty grades to one. This was rejected at Congress. The November through December ban on intercounty training was passed but has been heavily criticised by intercounty managers.

GAA director of games Pat Daly was on the burnout taskforce, and he says players in the “college, club, intercounty” triangle should be doing the minimum training, just playing matches. Despite burnout being treated as an overall player welfare issue by the taskforce, Daly believes a distinction should be made.

“This is not a burnout issue. This is a player welfare issue. The two issues shouldn’t be confused. The injury he is suffering from may be a by-product of playing colleges, club and county at both levels, but if the guy has an injury it has to be attended to. That’s a health and safety issue. And the first person who has to take responsibility for his own welfare is the player concerned.

“It is just too easy to say ‘I’m accountable to this person and that person’, but he is accountable to himself and his own well being.

“A 19- or 20-year-old must be guided by medics instead of team managers. It’s not for me to say he is being irresponsible, but he is doing himself no favours.

“There is no way these injuries will heal themselves, and the big danger for players trying to play their way through them is that they will do further damage.”