Waterford's aspirations of challenging for the Liam MacCarthy Cup appear to be unravelling before the championship even begins as team captain Paul Flynn and Eoin Kelly are potentially facing 12-week suspensions.
The two players received straight red cards in consecutive weekends, Kelly against Offaly on April 9th and Flynn in Sunday's National Hurling League quarter-final defeat to Limerick at Semple Stadium.
Both dismissals were for striking with the hurley, although this has yet to be confirmed by the referees' report. The Easter Bank Holiday weekend and upcoming annual Congress in Killarney ensures both players must endure a nervous wait.
"We have had no communication from Croke Park as the staff would not have been working today (Monday) or Friday," said Waterford PRO John Jackson. "There is no immediate rush anyway as both players receive an automatic one-month suspension arising from a red-card offence of any nature."
Flynn's swipe at Mark Foley must have enraged Waterford manager Justin McCarthy as the incident occurred in the dying seconds of the seven-point defeat to Limerick. McCarthy's opinion was unavailable as he retreated to the Waterford coach on Sunday evening, refusing to comment on what had just transpired.
This is the third disciplinary incident involving a high-profile Waterford player in recent times. Last year's captain, Ken McGrath, has only recently returned from a six-month suspension, arising from an altercation with a referee while playing for his club Mount Sion.
Waterford have no competitive outing until June 4th, when they play the winners of Tipperary and Limerick in the Munster championship semi-final. If Kelly picks up the mandatory suspension for striking, he will be out until July 3rd, while Flynn would return the following week. The Munster final takes place on June 25th.
The Central Disciplinary Committee (CDC) will have a new chairman when both players' cases are dealt with, as Con Hogan's one-year tenure ends this weekend and incoming GAA president Nickey Brennan must select a replacement.
Several members of the CDC have two-year terms so some form of continuity does exist. The committee becomes defunct if new disciplinary systems are adopted at Congress.
Ironically, the new rules, up for vote at Congress but not to be introduced until 2007, might have proved beneficial to both Kelly and Flynn as striking with the hurley is divided into two categories: one- and three-month suspensions. Both players may come under the lenient one-month interpretation.
An announcement on Brennan's new committees are not expected until May 1st, although the ongoing nature of disciplinary matters should ensure movement early next week. Wicklow's Jimmy Dunne will replace Tony O'Keeffe as GAC chairman, while Christy Cooney from Cork will head up the Games Development Committee.
Michael "Babs" Keating was another hurling manager to sidestep the media despite Tipperary's victory over Offaly on Sunday. Selector Tom Barry did confirm Benny Dunne had suffered a knee ligament injury: "He got it last week (in training). It depends how he recovers now, but he is out for the next couple of weeks anyway."
Hugh Maloney was an able replacement for Dunne, even scoring a point against Offaly from left half back. Tipperary play Kilkenny in Thurles on Sunday in the league semi-finals, while Clare face Limerick at the same venue with throw-in at 1.30pm.
Meanwhile, Seán Kelly hosts his last official press briefing as GAA president in Croke Park tomorrow when he is expected to confirm Paudie Butler as the first ever director of hurling.
