LIMERICK HURLING manager Justin McCarthy has insisted he won’t be resigning over the continuing exodus of his most senior players, and instead reiterated his determination to see out his two-year term in charge.

In his first public comment on the apparently worsening crisis, McCarthy said the door was still open to all those players not making themselves available, although so far they had refused to “come face to face and discuss anything”.

The Limerick hurlers are due to play a challenge against Wexford this Saturday, before their opening game in the Waterford Crystal Cup next weekend. But, as things stand, McCarthy has only six players from last year’s panel of 30 – most those opting out being the most experienced.

Yet McCarthy is adamant there are no real grounds for their departure, and that if they did have the best interest of Limerick hurling at heart then they would return.

“I was given a two-year term, and as it is I’m in my second year,” McCarthy told RTÉ radio’s Drivetime, “and while the county board are there backing me, and the delegates, and I’ve a squad of players, I’ll keep going.

“That’s the job I have been given. I’m looking to the future for Limerick. I can see prospects for the future. And Limerick have to think of the future, and younger players have to come in to spice the whole thing up.

“I’d love to have the older players back. The door is open. We’ve tried to discuss things with them, and they wouldn’t answer our calls, or come face to face and discuss anything. That’s just a pity.”

The crisis started when eight players walked away from the squad, evidently in protest at the manager’s decision to axe 12 others from his new panel. They eight were Damien Reale, James Ryan, Brian Geary, Donal O’Grady, James O’Brien, Wayne McNamara, Seamus Hickey and Brian Murray.

Earlier this month, four more followed suit: Gavin O’Mahony, Tom Condon, Dinny Moloney and Stephen Walsh.

Late last month, the county board backed McCarthy, giving him a 70-54 seal of approval at a specially meeting in Claughaun. However, the issue was set to be raised again at last Tuesday’s county board meeting, but that was postponed a week due to the weather.

In the meantime, it’s full steam ahead as far as McCarthy is concerned: “We’ve a panel of 26 training with us for the past three weeks, and, I must say, with their enthusiasm and application and their desire to become intercounty hurlers, I can see great prospects there,” he added.

“And from the backroom team around me as well. Liam Garvey, has a great knowledge of hurling. Brian Ryan has been with the under-21s and minors. And I’ve brought in John Touhy, who has been involved with Bruree, and Patrickswell.”

When it was put to McCarthy that last year’s disappointing championship exit to Tipperary, on a score line of 6-19 to 2-7, gave some credence to the players’ claims that progress wasn’t being made, he effectively put that down as a once-off result.

“Naturally, that was very disappointing. No doubt about that. I mean, there were three simple mistakes made in the first half. That was nothing to do with intensity or training or advice or anything. These were hurling mistakes that were made, which can happen in a game, and when a good team sees those mistakes happening they capitalise, and go to town.”

McCarthy also denied the player exodus was down to a lack of communication, even though those players who have left claimed it was partly over the way the panel had been initially culled without consultation.

Later, players complained about poor training sessions, fitness issues, poor man-management and communication skills.

“It’s not about communication,” claimed McCarthy. “I think that was a good excuse, initially, but I think as far back as last August some of the players were trying to get rid of us, and didn’t want us on board, because they had their own agenda, really and truly.

“From the point of view of trying to get through to players, sometimes, when they’re after five or six managers in seven years, it can be hard to get through to people, when they mightn’t have an open mind about things.

“My track record is there over the years, and certainly the teams and players I’ve been involved with over the decades have had great communication, and with the advice and coaching to try to bring them on to another level.

“Somebody has to be charge. When you’re given a job for two years, you can’t say all of a sudden the job is not there for you. I’ve been passed by the county board, the delegates voted, in a proper procedure, and now we have a panel of players on board who want to play with Limerick. It’s all about playing intercounty hurling at the end of the day, and whoever is in charge, the players should want to play for Limerick, and should want to be out there trying their very best to become the stars of the future, and win trophies.

“Irrespective of who is in charge.

“I think this nit-picking of managers here and there has gone overboard, personally, and I think players should just get on with it, face up to it, that we have a job to do. We have one job, and he has another job.

“And I have a backroom team where we discuss all possibilities. It’s not a one-man show. Those men are very capable too. And we discuss things in detail.”