John Mullane backs calls for all county panel members to be allowed attend matches

Limerick boss John Kiely started the debate following the Treaty’s Munster final win over Mullane’s home county last Sunday, saying he was "offended" that 10 of his squad were sitting at home in Limerick while the 26-man matchday squad were playing at Semple Stadium.

Kiely also revealed that he held off on presenting medals to the squad on Sunday, instead waiting until training last Tuesday when all panel members would be present, and appealed for “the authorities at government level, at national level, to end this nonsense and allow the panels across all the county teams to be together.”

Galway forward Cathal Mannion backed Kiely’s position on Tuesday, adding: “Everyone is putting in the same amount of time, the same training, and for lads to not be allowed go on matchday is obviously very disappointing.

“Every team is obviously in the same boat, they have their extended panel not allowed to go to games, but I think there is no reason why everyone shouldn’t be allowed to go.”

Mullane was singing from the same hymn sheet on this week’s The Throw-In, Independent.ie’s GAA podcast in association with Bord Gais Energy, when asked about Kiely's comments.

“He's 100% correct. I mean, how can you go in on a Tuesday and a Thursday night and have 36 lads train but yet you go play a match on a Sunday and those 36 lads can't travel? You can only bring 26?” he queried. “So I think he's 100% right, I think that has to change.”

Despite Kiely's plea and the fact that at least three other inter-county managers are believed to have made representations to the GAA through its Covid-19 Advisory Group and the Gaelic Players Association, there has been no indication to date that the authorities are prepared to move from their position.

But with over 200 people in the stadia for each game when media and various others are taken into consideration, Mullane said he was struggling to understand what difference another ten would make given their contact with the matchday panel during the week.

“An awful lot of non-GAA people will probably be saying; 'Well, who are they to be saying what we should and shouldn't do' but I think he's 100% correct,” he continued.

“I just think a bit of common sense has to prevail. It doesn't make sense where you can have 36 lads training on the Tuesday, and probably a Thursday or Friday night, but yet they can't go with you to a match on the Sunday.”

While Kiely’s Limerick will now enjoy a week off, this weekend will see both Mullane’s old team Waterford and Mannion’s Galway in action against Clare and All-Ireland holders Tipperary respectively as the race for Liam MacCarthy reaches the quarter-final stage.

And Mullane finished off by predicting progress for both sides to join Limerick and Kilkenny in the semi-finals when the dust settles after this weekend’s action.

“I'm gonna go for Galway and while I'm sceptical and worried about Clare, if our lads bring to the table what they brought against Limerick I think we'll be good enough to get over the line,” he concluded.

“I think it will be tough and it could go down to the wire. But I'm going to go for Waterford and Galway.”