The striking Cork players have rubbished suggestions they are now willing to play under Gerald McCarthy if the current selectors are replaced. The panel, who are due to meet club chairmen later today, insist they will not return while McCarthy is still in place under any circumstances.
Blarney delegate Alan White claimed at Friday’s county board meeting that, according to his sources, the players would be prepared to play under McCarthy were his backroom team to be replaced.
White repeated that assertion on RTE Radio yesterday while a report in the Evening Echo claimed the players had discussed the matter following a training session on Saturday morning and agreed to return.
But a number of players have since dismissed the notion out of hand.
“We never agreed to come back and play under Gerald McCarthy,” John Gardiner said. “I read an article and the journalist said that it was confirmed by the 2008 panel up at Na Piarsaigh.
“But I can assure you that no player from the 2008 panel spoke to any reporter.”
Midfielder Tom Kenny described the news as “total rubbish” while Donal Og Cusack believes the story was floated by people “cynically trying to take advantage” of talks held between the players and GAA officials on Thursday.