Daly backs move to end amateurism 'word play'

ANTHONY DALY has backed the proposed review of payments to intercounty managers, as was declared earlier this week by GAA director general Páraic Duffy.

The Dublin hurling manager described the current rules on amateurism as “word play” and suggested payment to managers was the best way forward as long as it was structured and capped.

“They have to put some structure on the thing,” he said. “There are loads of full-time coaches all over the country. In Dublin alone there must be six or seven of our panel who are coaches. It’s all word play. It’s just a matter of putting a structure on it and putting a cap on it.

“Everyone knows every pundit is getting paid to be on the Sunday Game to talk about hurling. What am I doing in training only talking about hurling?”

Speaking on Monday, Duffy suggested the GAA “establish a committee to bring forward ideas on this and initiate a debate on the issue”.

Daly agreed, and pointed to the situation with Tipperary football manager John Evans, who doubles as a full-time director of football in the county – although the GAA say this is in breach of their amateur guidelines.

“The John Evans thing,” said Daly, “a retired guy, and they wanted to put him as director of football. Then, from Croke Park, that he couldn’t be the manager of the football team. What’s that, only word play? Tipp are trying to compete in Division Two, and they are starting to compete, and they tell him he can’t do it. It makes no sense.”

The whole issue of payments to managers has never gone beyond the stage of Chinese whispers, but Daly outlined some of his demands as Dublin manager, which involve almost daily trips from his home in west Clare.

“My day revolves around a seven-hour round trip. It’s not easy, and obviously my expenses are going to be a bit higher than the fella who’s travelling from 20 miles over the road. They need to put some bit of structure on it. I’m still training Clarecastle Under-21s on Saturday for an Under-21 semi-final the following week.

“It does take a lot of time. I have to sit down tomorrow evening and watch our game, and watch Cork and Waterford. Then we have to do individual clips with the lady (the video technician), chat to someone who gives us a hand with psychology, to see about a few lads who need a bit of talking to this week.”

Dublin’s league campaign has been disappointing, particularly compared to last year, but bar disastrous results in their last three games they should survive in Division One, assisted somewhat by the crisis in Limerick. Nevertheless that task continues on Sunday with Cork at Parnell Park.

“It’s been a learning curve for us,” said Daly. “Other teams are better prepared now, because last year we were favourites to go down. The Galway game, maybe they were a bit flat.

“We beat them by 12 points and, sure, we weren’t 12 points better than Galway. No more than we’re nine points better than Tipperary this year or 13 worse than Waterford. The league at times can be like that.

“There’s days driving home disgusted and days driving home when it’s not too bad. On Sunday (against Kilkenny), at least we performed. If we played like we did on Sunday, no disrespect to Offaly, but we might have won that match too. It’s an evolution for these guys, being able to cope with being favourites on a given day, and we just didn’t seem to handle it.

“It’s about trying to maintain Division One for us, three games left. We might need two wins, you’d imagine one win might do, but we need a win somewhere. No better day to start than on Sunday really.

“I’d be good friends with Sparrow (Ger O’Loughlin) and he was up in Antrim with Clare scraping through. At the same time we were playing against Kilkenny on a good day in front of a good crowd. We want to be there, and that’s no disrespect to Antrim. But we want to stay in Division One.”

On another issue – the wearing of helmets – Daly suggested the addition of names onto the players’ jersey may help raise their profile, given so few of them are recognisable off the field anymore.

“Everything else nearly has their name on it now. Your name is on your kit bag and everything. I suppose that it would be a viable thing to do.”

Tonight

(all 8pm)

Ulster Under-21 FC Quarter-finals – Antrim v Monaghan, Casement Park; Armagh v Donegal, Brewster Park; Cavan v Down, Kingspan Breffni Park; Derry v Fermanagh, Celtic Park.

Saturday

(7.30pm unless stated)

NFL Division One – Derry v Cork, Celtic Park; Dublin v Galway, Parnell Park; Tyrone v Kerry, Omagh. NFL Division Two – Donegal v Meath, Ballybofey; Laois v Kildare, Portlaoise. NFL Division Three – Antrim v Louth, Casement Park; Cavan v Offaly, Kingspan Breffni Park. NFL Division Four – Carlow v Leitrim Dr Cullen Park, 2.30pm; Limerick v Kilkenny, Gaelic Grounds.

NHL Division Three A – Kerry v Armagh, Tralee, 2.30pm; Mayo v Derry, Castlebar, 2.30pm; Meath v Derry, Páirc Tailteann, 2.30pm.

Women’s Football: Division One – Kerry v Monaghan, Firies, Kerry, 5.30pm.

Sunday

(2.30pm unless stated)

NFL Division One – Mayo v Monaghan, Castlebar. NFL Division Two – Armagh v Tipperary, Crossmaglen; Westmeath v Down, Cusack Park. NFL Division Three – Fermanagh v Sligo, Brewster Park; Roscommon v Wexford, Dr Hyde Park. NFL Division Four – Longford v Clare, Pearse Park; Waterford v Wicklow, Fraher Field.

NHL Division One – Dublin v Cork, Parnell Park; Kilkenny v Galway, Nowlan Park; Offaly v Limerick, Tullamore; Tipperary v Waterford, Thurles. NHL Division Two – Carlow v Clare, Dr Cullen Park; Down v Laois, Portaferry; Westmeath v Antrim, Cusack Park, 12.45pm; Wexford v Kildare, Wexford Park. NHL Division Three B – Fingal v Tyrone, Swords; Sligo v Donegal, Markievicz Park; Wicklow v Roscommon, Arklow. NHL Division Four – Leitrim v Monaghan, Ballinamore; Fermanagh v Longford, Irvinestown; South Down v Cavan, Ballela.

Women’s Football: Division One – Cork v Laois, Cork IT, 2pm; Dublin v Tyrone, Naomh Mearnóg, Portmarnock, 2pm; Galway v Mayo, Milltown, 2pm. Division Two – Tipperary v Donegal, Golden, 12.30pm; Armagh v Sligo, Armagh Harps, 2pm; Clare v Meath, Cooraclare, 2pm; Down v Kildare, Down, 2pm. Division Three – Fermanagh v Waterford, Kinawley, 2pm; Westmeath v Longford, Kinnegad, 2pm;

Wexford v Roscommon, Naomh Eanna, Gorey, 2pm. Division Four – Antrim v Kilkenny, St Joseph’s, Glenavey, 2pm; Louth v Leitrim, Dowdallshill, Dundalk, 2pm; Limerick v Offaly, Mungret, 2pm.