Davy’s entitled to question refereeing double standards

WEXFORD’S REVIVAL under Davy Fitzgerald has lifted hurling. While he has faced many days of destiny both as a player and manager, the past two Sundays have shown that being up amongst the superpowers brings its own challenges.

Victories over both Dublin and Offaly secured their knockout passage, but defeats to Galway and Kilkenny have by no means signalled a crisis.

Still, we are now at a decisive juncture of the summer, as we will be pitched into a potential banana skin preliminary quarter-final against either Carlow or Westmeath from the Joe McDonagh Cup.

There’s no doubt that the new hurling format has attracted huge interest, but it has also tested the resolve of players, particularly those who have had to play on four successive weekends, with some of the counties unable to withstand the pressure of having to play four games in the space of 21 days.

The facts speak for themselves. Of the counties who had to play on four successive weekends, Wexford was the only one to survive, a remarkable statistic.

The others - Tipperary, last year’s beaten All-Ireland finalists Waterford (whose fourth is next Sunday), and Offaly - no longer maintain an interest in the title race. They have a long idle summer ahead of them, with the players now free to return to their clubs, no doubt disappointed and disillusioned at what has transpired.

While the new format has attracted praise for the drama provided, now is the time for the G.A.A. to act on the inconsistencies of refereeing decisions and the standards that have been set during the round robin series of games.

Having attended so many games, and watched the televised matches, one could not but be amused at the refereeing standards set were it not for the seriousness of their decisions, which impact on the players, team management and the travelling supporters who go to such expense to follow their county.

We had the Alan Kelly call which kept Tipperary in the title race for a further seven days, but, while accepted by Waterford on the day with little grumbling, that infamous goal certainly impacted on the players as they bowed out of the championship with defeat to Limerick, never hitting the same highs achieved in that Tipperary game.

It is the inconsistency of the refereeing that is troublesome. We had the steps call ruled so differently by referee Paud O’Dwyer during the Tipperary versus Clare game, one of many performances that infuriated players, management and supporters.

As one team profited from the steps call, the other side was penalised. Like so many calls it should not be wholly difficult to have consistency on the steps issue. T.J. Reid has also mastered this, following in the footsteps of former star D.J. Carey. It would be interesting to reflect on Reid’s movement with ball in hand, forcing frees following serious extension of the three-step rule.

One was not surprised to hear Wexford manager Davy Fitzgerald suggest that he is wasting his time. When a team is in such control, winning so much possession, yet awarded just one free inside the Kilkenny ‘45, no defence could be so consistent with its tackling inside the rules while being under so much pressure.

We had the instance of a Paul Morris point being disallowed after referee James McGrath consulted with his umpires. Morris was on the receiving end of heavy defending from Paddy Deegan, yet was penalised for protecting himself.

It would be interesting for McGrath to have to explain why the Wexford defence was penalised so often, while at the opposite end the Kilkenny defending led to some serious questions that needed explaining. How he deemed some of the challenges to be within the confines of the rule book is beyond me.

Defeat may have been our lot in Kilkenny, but one would have to credit the host county for their hospitality shown on big match day. Without doubt it’s the friendliest county grounds in the country.

On arrival I was given a car parking space under the Ted Carroll Stand close to the main entrance, with the Wexford team bus just a short few metres away, and yes, this was a Leinster Council fixture.

There was no hiding behind who has jurisdiction of the game, unlike in Innovate Wexford Park, where local media have been informed that parking is only practicable should space be available, the criteria for all games according to recent correspondence. Well done Kilkenny County Board and stewards.