GAELIC GAMES/LIMERICK HURLING:THE LIMERICK hurling panel are meeting this weekend to decide their next course of action following the exclusion of 12 established players by manager Justin McCarthy last week.

The county board were at pains to stress the incident is merely a “communications” problem between players and management but McCarthy recently indicated the need to bring “new blood” into the panel for 2010.

“The players are meeting at the weekend and that’s all the county board can really say at this time,” said PRO Helen Cross.

But asked how this situation has occurred Cross continued, “What happened was players didn’t get the text message. They have not been dropped. It is down to the method of communication. Justin McCarthy organised the text message. This has been blown out of all proportion.”

The 12 players – including Stephen Lucey, Mark O’Riordan, Niall Moran, Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Donie Ryan and Mike O’Brien, while Damien Reale has since left the panel in protest – were excluded from a general text message circulated by McCarthy for a meeting last Wednesday night in the Kilmurry Lodge Hotel. The 12 players were also not sought to attend a trial match last Friday.

Older members of the panel are believed to be disappointed with the manner in which McCarthy is going about his rebuilding process.

The county board snapped up the veteran Cork man after he fell out with the Waterford panel midway through the 2008 championship and McCarthy went on to guide Limerick to the All-Ireland semi-final where they lost to Tipperary by 24 points.

Former captain Reale has stated he felt compelled to quit the panel in response to McCarthy’s refusal to inform the 12 players they were no longer required.

The 2009 panel may now follow the path the Clare hurlers currently find themselves on, in opposition to their recently-ratified manager Mike McNamara, and the road travelled successfully by the Cork hurlers last season when they adopted strike action against the reappointment of Gerald McCarthy.

Meanwhile, Tyrone manager Mickey Harte has been ratified for a further two years, until 2012, when the county board unanimously agreed to the treble All-Ireland winning manager’s request for an extension, which will mean he will serve as county manager for a decade.

Harte led the county to a first All-Ireland title in his first season in charge in 2003, and presided over further Sam Maguire Cup triumphs in 2005 and 2008.

A statement from the board suggested that they would be happy for the Errigal Ciarán man to remain in charge even beyond the completion of the new three-year spell.

“His current term as manager was due to be completed at the end of the 2010 season. However the board are happy to endorse his request to stay on to at least the end of the 2012 season,” said the statement.