THE CRISIS in Limerick hurling, which had lain dormant for the past week or so, has erupted again with news that four more senior players have walked away from the intercounty game.

The move re-ignited the controversy that flared when team manager Justin McCarthy announced he wouldn’t be re-calling 12 of the 2009 panel.

Brian Geary, Wayne McNamara, Dónal O’Grady and Séamus Hickey are the latest hurlers to withdraw. Geary is one of the most experienced players in this year’s panel, having been playing for the county for the past decade, and Hickey was an All Star nominee this year.

When the original cut was made, former captain Damien Reale and James Ryan also walked away in protest. Included in the original 12 omissions were some of Limerick’s best-known hurlers: former All Star and Young Player of the Year Mark Foley, Stephen Lucey, Niall Moran and 2007 All Star Andrew O’Shaughnessy.

During the past three weeks county chair Liam Lenihan has been engaged in talks with players to try to find some middle ground, a task now rendered even more difficult by the latest developments – although McCarthy has let it be known he is available to talk to the players.

It is believed, however, the players do not wish to accept this invitation to discuss matters with the manager.

On Wednesday night the county management committee met to consider the situation, and after lengthy discussion decided unanimously to back the manager.

“The meeting ran from 7.30 to 11.30,” according to county press officer Helen Cross. “They went through everything and just felt that they needed to support Justin McCarthy as manager. We knew about the withdrawals earlier yesterday, having spoken to the chairman.”

It had appeared as if the hostility to the original omissions had abated recently, but the departure of this week’s quartet re-opens the issue and suggests that players may be using phased withdrawals to keep the issue alive.

“It’s a pity that things like this have to happen but hopefully it will be resolved, because these situations can take a while to recover,” said Cross. “The meeting was told that Justin will leave his door open for any of the players and is willing to talk to them.”

McCarthy had been confirmed in the post by a full county committee meeting last month. There was surprisingly little debate at the time given that the veteran Cork coach’s first season had ended in a massive All-Ireland semi-final defeat against Tipperary.

The meeting were obviously also unaware of the disgruntlement of players, which didn’t crystallise until the 12 players were cut adrift. To what extent were the delegates caught on the hop?

“You’d wonder,” says Cross. “After the performance in Croke Park you would have imagined that they’d have come out with all guns blazing, but maybe time is a great healer and dissatisfaction was not as prominent as might have been expected and the clubs ratified the appointment at October’s meeting.

“The county chairman did mention that at the end of the match in the dressingroom Justin had thanked the players for their efforts and hoped to see some, if not all of them, in the future.”

Two weeks ago Damien Reale was outspoken in his criticisms of fact the players had not been properly informed about the decision to let go the players.

“I’m sure Justin’s looking at re-building the side,” according to Cross. “We don’t always say things in the proper fashion and maybe what was said wasn’t said as well as it could be.”

In the meantime, McCarthy and his selectors, Brian Ryan and Liam Garvey, have been organising trial activity before the players will break until the start of the season with the Munster Cup in January. One trial took place in Martinstown last Friday night and another is planned to take place this day week.

When contacted, McCarthy declined to talk about the players’ withdrawal.

“I’ve no comment to make on the situation. Myself and the backroom team are looking at things as we go along. We’re in the close season and have had a trial game a couple of weeks ago, with another on Friday week.”