Waterford "lucky" to have Gleeson back

Waterford county board chairman Paddy Joe Ryan says the Deise are 'lucky' to have Austin Gleeson available for next month's All-Ireland hurling final.

Gleeson escaped a ban for pulling off an opponent's faceguard in Sunday's All-Ireland SFC 4-19 to 0-20 semi-final win over Corkand will be available for the All-Ireland final against Galway on 3 September.

Referee James Owens told the GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee that there was no need for retrospective action following the incident with Cork's Luke Meade.

"We're fortunate to have Ozzie for the final, being honest about it. We're lucky, it's great and it's what we want," Ryan told Waterford radio station WLR.

"This rule about pulling off helmets was brought in by the medical and scientific committee of the GAA, at the behest of Con Murphy [Cork team doctor] and the players. 

"It was the players who wanted this rule brought in, that touching helmets was sacrosanct and you couldn't do it. The players have to be very, very careful."

But Ryan does not expect an appeal over Conor Gleeson's sending off for lashing out at Pa Horgan in the same game to be successful, telling WLR FM that the board cannot "work miracles".

"If the referee reports it, the rule is very specific," Ryan continued. 

"If I strike you with the hurley, or attempt to strike you, [and] I might even miss you after swinging the hurley at you, it's hard to overturn it.

"The report will be looked at. I come from the same club as Conor Gleeson. I want to see Conor Gleeson and [club-mate] Jamie Barron centre-field in an All-Ireland final but we cannot work miracles."

Photo Inpho/ Ryan Byrne

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