GAELIC GAMES:After the Cork County Board agreed to the option of binding arbitration on Tuesday night, the Cork player representatives have sought more time and clarification before rejecting or accepting the proposal from the Labour Relations Commission chief executive Kieran Mulvey.

Indications are that the GAA will give them further scope, at least until tomorrow, before seeking an answer about participation in this weekend's National Football and Hurling League. In short, last night's player meeting broke up without resolution.

"The players will understandably want to consider this in detail before responding as it did come largely out of the blue," said Mulvey. "They need time but of course there is a certain urgency to the matter."

Before anybody can begin a process of binding arbitration some ground rules must be laid out, while an arbiter (potentially Mulvey) needs to know whatever decision he arrives at is final.

The footballers' match against Dublin on Saturday night and the visit of the Waterford hurlers to Páirc Uí Chaoimh still look likely to be cancelled. If Cork do not field teams they will have waived two games, thereby incurring automatic disqualification from the national league.

While the most recent impasse deepens the dispute, it also seems some wriggle room is being afforded the 12 under-pressure player representatives. Communication between them and the county executive has completely dissolved.

Mulvey adopted the role of postman yesterday when he passed the offer of binding arbitration to the players after county delegates voted 96-13 on Tuesday night for this method of dispute resolution.

But the players were forced to discuss the process last night without ground rules or terms of reference. Binding arbitration was included in Mulvey's initial mediation document but only as a last resort if discussions were otherwise exhausted.

Speaking after the last round of talks, Mulvey said: "I feel sorry in this dispute for the way it has transpired, that personalities have taken over in some cases from what needs to be resolved."

He also indicated a compromise had been reached by the GAA director general, Padraic Duffy, and himself, only for this to be rejected by the players.

The players have unequivocally stated they will not return unless the new football manager Teddy Holland and his four selectors "are no longer in office".

On February 7th the county board stated: "It is important to note that the players during negotiations were prepared to accept Teddy Holland as coach for the year 2008, with a review at the end of the championship season."

The players have vehemently denied this. The GAA made no statement last night on Cork's involvement in the league but in theory they have until throw-in to rescue the situation.

But the chances of Cork not fielding a senior team in the 2008 championships remain very real.

The tactics used by the county board during this dispute have been criticised. They released details of an agreement brokered by Duffy and Mulvey and also claimed on radio, via PRO Bob Ryan, that Duffy was in support of the board's stance, something denied by Croke Park.

Holland is out of the country but his position remains the sticking point for the players. He was announced as football manager on November 20th despite several other candidates, including last year's manager, Billy Morgan, refusing to put their name forward.

Meanwhile, the GAA have highlighted the importance of reconvening the International Rules series in the wake of suggestions a new recruiting network would enable AFL clubs to identify Irish players from as young as 14.

"It's still not an awful lot of players leaving but the best way to regulate the flow is to maintain a relationship with the AFL," said GAA spokesman Fergal McGill.

"If there is no relationship then it is no different from players leaving the GAA to join soccer clubs in England or playing professional rugby."

GAA president Nickey Brennan was joined by Pat Daly and Anthony Tohill for talks with the AFL in Dubai last week.

"The recent discussions with the AFL were positive. Nickey Brennan will make a presentation to management this weekend," said McGill

The Dublin-born former Melbourne player Brian Stynes also spoke against the idea of Aussie Rules clubs plundering talent.

"I'm all for young kids having the opportunity to play in Australia," said Stynes. "But if we see Ireland as a huge recruiting ground and take a dozen players out of there each season, the relationships are going to end . . . This could do a lot of damage to Gaelic football in general."

• An information meeting on Sudden Cardiac Death will take place in Dublin GAA HQ, Parnell Park, next Monday at 8pm.

This is a joint venture between CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young) and the Dublin board. Dr Deirdre Ward of Tallaght Hospital will speak. Admission is free.