Paudie Palmer: Open discussion on Cork hurling manager's job is hugely important

I WAS going to scribble a few words about one of the top gigs in Irish hurling, the position of bainisteoir for the Cork senior hurling team.

Or even the performance of the county footballers in the seagull conservatory in Croke Park.

Maybe a little later, but the Armagh-Galway game on Sunday surely merits a mention. The contest was a classic but I would like to mention is the abuse of the word cruelty!

Penalties — what a cruel way to lose! I always thought that a real sporting contest would have an element of cruelty built in. Obviously, I assumed incorrectly that those in know would realise, why penalties were introduced in Gaelic games as a means of the winner on the day policy.

In case, somebody has forgotten, to bring certainty to a fixture programme which would have the benefit of improving the lot of the club player. Now don’t get me wrong if the GAA can facilitate the introduction of replays for All-Ireland quarter-finals and semi-finals without extending the season, away with them.

But if they were to do that, what about the qualifiers, or are they a lesser species?

I heard one TV pundit inform us that, during a recent penalty shootout, he had to go out into the garden simply because of the element of cruelty involved! I must check, how does he view all the other sporting events where penalties are part of the decision-making process?

Did the oval ball brothers call in the cruelty counsellors when Munster were sent packing by Toulouse in a recent European Cup tie? In the opinion of this corner, the benefit from the cruel penalties far outweighs the modicum of cruelty involved.

CHAOS

Do we want to revert back to the chaos associated with fallout from a plethora of replays?

Can we also mention this narrative of penalties being a lottery, really, so should we get rid of them altogether and replace them with 13- or 20-metre frees? There is no end of skill in scoring and in saving them.

I would go so far as to say that the four scored by Galway on Sunday were as good as I have seen across all codes this year. By God, they were serious belters.

But if cruelty, is now the new concern, did anyone mention the cruelty that was going to attach to the Galway goalkeeper if the Tribesmen had lost. The westerners were the better team and had this game won when Armagh adopted the most un-Ulster tactic known to them, sending in a few high hopeless ones.

Two mistakes by Conor Gleeson and the three Kierans were joyous. For the maroon keeper, I am quite comfortable with the fact, that his team didn’t lose.

Of course, the melee was unsavoury and all that and yes it was Armagh’s second such event this year. However, a wee perspective may be required.

The guy who did the gouging was caught in the act and the full rigours of the GAA disciplinary system will be brought to bear on him and you can also be assured, there will be no appealing this.

Also, he did receive a haymaker for his troubles, the last time I witnessed such a wallop was when the late Paidí Ó Sé decked Dinny Allen a few moons ago.

In terms of those participating, I would think that there were far more in peace-keeping mode. For any of you, who, ever had no to step in from a sideline with peaceful intentions, you will understand, that a transition to full battle alert can happen quite easily.

Having teams departing the pitch through the same exit at the same time has to have potential health and safety issues involved and Croke Park with dressing rooms on both sides of the pitch should ensure that this scenario is addressed.

Many will be demanding lengthy bans but from the camera angles that brought the pictures to TV land, the authorities will have difficulty with the identity parade.

Finally, the Galway captain, Sean Kelly who was red-carded for contributing to a melee should, have the said card rescinded and be presented a specially minted peace medal.

VACANT

Last week, we mentioned the views of some of the Cork hurling supporters in relation to the vacant Cork senior managerial position.

Shortly after submitting this column, we are informed that Kieran Kingston was really annoyed with some media individuals who introduced the succession agenda. Unfortunately or otherwise, this is part of the territory and unless I am missing something, these pen-smiths were within their journalistic rights to put such thoughts on paper.

Filling blank pages doesn’t come easy. There is always some discussion as to when such issues should be addressed, does a period of time pass?

The point should also be made, that there is a difference between addressing succession during a manager's term and discussing it when the term has terminated.

Next, we were informed via The Irish Examiner that the Tracton man was offered a one-year extension by a Cork GAA official. Despite our efforts to get Coleen Rooney on the case, this has yet to be confirmed.

You would have thought some degree of consultation with the interested parties would have to proceed before granting an extension but maybe we need to be up-skilled on such a process.

You do remember the Kerry saga that followed last year's defeat at the hands of Tyrone?

Despite Peter Keane receiving positive soundings from a player representative body, it didn’t prevent Jack O'Connor from ascending to the throne.

For some of us who like to live in a simple black and white world, appointing a team manager is a tad more complicated than one might think.

For example, we are constantly reminded of the importance of the coaching staff not to mention the other supporting personnel.

Hopefully, the Cork Executive will get this situation sorted as soon as possible.