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Lar Corbett predicts a player drain next summer unless GAA chiefs get their act together and repair the broken club fixture situation.
Former Tipperary hurler Corbett has observed how, once Tipp exited this year’s championship, Ronan Maher got much more club game time when he headed to the US than if he had stayed at home.
Corbett believes others will follow suit as summers pbad them by with little or no club action of note.
(Image: Sportsfile)
The 37-year-old’s comments follow Kilkenny supremo Brian Cody’s dire weekend warning that intercounty players are being “slaughtered” under the new round-robin system – while clubs are in danger of dying out thanks to a senseless fixture programme.
“The club scene in Tipperary at the minute, it’s too strong of a word to say it’s a joke but it’s not working,” said Corbett, the former Hurler of the Year who still lines out for Thurles Sarsfields.
“There are weeks and weeks go by where there are no games and it’s very, very hard to keep the club man interested.
“It’s okay for the likes of me, retired, going back to the club, delighted to be training at 37.
“But for the new guy coming – the fella who is 18, 19 – there’s no proper platform to express himself at club level, for the inter-county manager to say, “Yeah, he’s a guy for the future”.
“The whole summer, there’s no game. So we had Ronan Maher this year, when Tipp got beat, he went to America. I don’t think he missed an important game.
“So next year, if they keep this same system going, you’re going to see that guys finishing up playing with Tipp, playing with Waterford, will say, ‘Ronan Maher went last year’.
“You’re going to see a load of lads go to America for the summer where they’re getting very well looked after.”
Corbett claims that club players in Tipp were “left in limbo” for three months because the county board expected Michael Ryan’s team to go further in the championship.
Instead, they lasted just four weeks in Munster.
“They told club players there’d be no club stuff in July,” he said. “Then when they do decide to play, they play five weeks in a row.”
The two-time All-Ireland winner added: “It’s gas. In America, Ronan Maher was playing every week! That’s the way it should be for club players in Tipperary, you should be playing every second week.
“We had probably one of the best summers of all time – we had no matches. So you’re training away. It’s not fair on club players.
“If you’re ambitious as a 19-year-old, I’d love to know how an inter-county manager is actually able to see you playing. There’s no chance.
“Just say you want to play club hurling, be a club player – there’s no place for you to play.
“Two of Clonoulty’s top players decided not to play halfway through the year because there was no matches.
“Now, Clonoulty still went and won it (the Tipp final). But I’m saying you’re going to see a lot of lads drop off because they’re wondering what are they going to do for the whole summer.
“I don’t know what it’s like in Kilkenny or Waterford – I’m hearing different things what it’s like. It’s a dangerous place to be playing around it.
“There’s lads in limbo, they actually don’t know what to do. It’s definitely not working, but I don’t have the answer.
“If people start going playing soccer or rugby, just if that tide turns, you won’t get it back”.
Former Tipperary hurling goalkeeper Brendan Cummins in attendance at the launch of the Tipperary v Kilkenny: The Legends Return a benefit match for Amanda Stapleton. Henry Shefflin, Tommy Walsh, Lar Corbett, Eoin Kelly and a host of current stars will line out for this fantastic cause on November 3rd in Borrisoleigh GAA, Co Tipperary get your adults tickets for just 20 in Centra or on Tickets.ie
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