IN A perhaps pivotal development in the Cork senior hurling crisis, county manager Gerald McCarthy last night cut off any further negotiations with the players who are refusing to play under his stewardship, claiming he has “done everything possible to facilitate a solution” and it was “time to move on”.

McCarthy pulls no punches in a lengthy statement in which he criticises the senior players over their continued refusal to reach some sort of agreement, but he also accuses them of pressurising the younger players not to turn out for Cork. He stresses his full commitment will be now with the development panel who have made themselves available in recent weeks.

“The refusal of the players to meet all parties, Olann Kelleher, the independent chairman, or any other independent person, simply confirms for me that there never has been any serious intent by the leaders of this dispute to try to resolve the current issues,” he begins.

“Their attitude to the independent chairman whose sole interest, as a keen follower of all Cork sport, was to broker a solution, has been offhand and obstructive. I would like to thank Olann for all his efforts to resolve the issues.

“Efforts by the county board and myself to resolve this impasse have been going on since October. We have not, as some commentators have suggested, been sitting on our hands. The player representatives who last year refused to allow Kieran Mulvey and Padraic Duffy meet with all the players, also refused a similar request by me in November. The best efforts of Jimmy Barry Murphy, Tomás Mulcahy and Dr Con Murphy came to nothing because of the players’ attitude. In the past fortnight, the players refused to meet me although I had turned up to meet them.

“A few days later, having apparently agreed to meet with me, the players then indicated they would not meet with selectors Teddy McCarthy and John Keane.

“Having changed their minds on that, they now refuse to meet under Olann Kelleher. No one on the management team, whatever our faults, has any such illusions about our own importance.”

McCarthy added it has been “one of the saddest periods in Cork hurling”. “They don’t accept that different perspectives to their own are worthy of any consideration. And when those who claim representative status for all the players don’t get exactly what they want, they walk away and reach for a placard. Does any real or perceived grievance justify the damage that has been done to Cork hurling?”

He accuses the striking players of trying to influence the younger players not to represent Cork: “I find the efforts to pressurise members of the current panel not to turn out for Cork as very hard to take. The image of senior players trying to get young players not to turn out for Cork is one that should make every hurling follower feel very uncomfortable.

“The players involved seem not only to wish to decide who their manager should be but would also determine who should and shouldn’t play for Cork.

“I am not interested any more in negotiating with last year’s panel. I have done everything possible to facilitate a solution. It’s time to move on. My full attention for the next two years will be on the players who have come forward to play with Cork.

“The Cork public needs to support them and be patient and encouraging. The young players are putting a huge effort into training for the National League and will go abroad in April for intensive training. In time they will be joined by others who want to play for their county. There will always be a welcome from me and my management team for any player who wants to play for Cork.”

Last night the Cork County Board issued a statement expressing their regret at the players’ stance and confirming their full support for McCarthy. The statement ends with a plea to the players to reconsider their position.