High stakes no excuse for low standards

On Gaelic Games:Poor old Dublin. On Sunday they reeled off a first three-in-a-row for over a decade. In doing so they emphasised that their dominion in Leinster is impressively comprehensive by dusting off the county that has almost monopolised under-age success in the province over the same period.

Yet the main recognition for the county has been the usual cries that the team is over-hyped and for variety a national swoon at the misbehaviour of certain players and their in-your-face goading of opponents.

It's a consensus view that the showboating and goading are unedifying but from a Dublin perspective it's easy to understand a sense of irritation at the Leinster champions' sudden arraignment in the court of good taste given that such behaviour is commonplace and has been a feature of games for a long time.

Former Dublin player and Gaelic Players Association chief executive Dessie Farrell made an interesting point when suggesting that the hand-waving and finger-pointing might well be a sublimation of reactions that were previously more commonly administered off the ball.

Few people pay attention to all that players go through in the company of their markers. It might not excuse the ugliness of the gestures but it's at least circumstantial evidence of deeper-lying problems of sportsmanship.

The roots of the problem are frequently in verbal abuse. It's a virtually undetectable offence and when deployed by an expert at the right time can have a satisfyingly incendiary effect on even the most even-tempered players.

You cannot defend the practice just because it's hard to detect, and players have to know that just as surely as they can't afford to thump someone who's been fouling and hurting them all afternoon; they can't allow verbal provocation to cause them to lose their focus and discipline.

This bland and general prescription might be more easily stated than observed but when added to the list of sacrifice and self-denial that is the lot of modern intercounty players, it should not be unbearable.

Sportsmanship is an intangible quality and must struggle for oxygen in the modern climate of ultra-competitiveness and gamesmanship. It's difficult to define and most people are more comfortable identifying breaches than proactive observance.

The GAA has attempted to articulate in rule a provision governing sportsmanship but it is directed at the lamentable - and thoroughly modern - phenomenon of players feigning injury or diving in order to win frees and get opponents into trouble.

More relevant, a provision to deal with abusive and provocative language and gesturing has been on the books for a long time, 20 years at least, but like so many other disciplinary provisions the rule is - to understate it - inconsistently applied.

Speaking to this newspaper, the experienced referee Paddy Russell frankly admitted the rule was not always enforced but emphasised the provision was there to be used.

In the circumstances the comments of the Leinster chair, Liam O'Neill, in relation to Sunday's expressive use of hand gestures were curious. In fairness to O'Neill, he made clear his unease at getting too involved in the issue given that his county, Laois, were the beaten finalists at the weekend. He was careful not to target his observations at Dublin.

But the context hardly helped.

Commenting on the possibility of further action being taken, O'Neill said, "It wasn't under our (Leinster Council) control - the CCCC (Central Competitions Control Committee) control the senior championship while we look after minor, under-21 and intermediate.

"I know there's a rule governing ungentlemanly conduct which would come under the heading of 'discrediting the Association' but I don't know what action they will take, or even if they will take any."

For all that the chair was careful not to weigh in on the topic, any reasonable observer would have to note a few points.

Firstly, the rule isn't as vague as O'Neill suggests; it's an actual playing rule, 5 (20).

Instead of getting too worked up over the carry-on of pumped-up players, the GAA (on whose Management Committee O'Neill sits) would be better off instructing referees that yellow cards are in future to be shown to those breaching the rule.

Secondly, the involvement of the CCCC with the Leinster championship has already been controversial for the failure to deal with Graham Geraghty's slaps during the drawn Dublin-Meath match. On that topic the provincial council was silent.

Thirdly, on Sunday we had the preliminary spectacle of the minor final, which turned out to be a gripping affair in which Carlow nearly recovered from a large deficit and ran the hot favourites, Laois, all the way to the wire.

On one level the council could take great satisfaction from the development work done around Leinster that has played its role in getting Carlow to hurling and football provincial finals in successive years.

But it should not be forgotten that the Carlow-Louth semi-final featured an astonishing brawl involving nearly every player on the field. You didn't have to be a genius (this column forecast as much within three days) to sense some fairly outsize special pleading would take place in order to stymie any fair punishment that would weaken Carlow for the final.

Probably all of us were partially content to look away as the decision was taken - not by Croke Park but by the Leinster Council - to allow Carlow field at full strength. But what was the more important message for the provincial council to deliver: that skill, hard work and practice can get you to a Leinster final or that self-control and discipline are vital aspects of Gaelic games?

And on the broader stage what matter is of greater concern for the Leinster Council: the admittedly unsavoury lapses of sportsmanship evident not just at Croke Park but also in Clones and the previous week in Thurles or the message that it sent to young, developing players that it's acceptable to flout rules by indulging in a free-for-all and that such misbehaviour will be swept under the carpet if the stakes are high enough?