DEREK MCGRATH MAY not have seen the incident that resulted in Tadhg de Búrca’s sending-off for Waterford today but he was well aware of what a potential setback it could be for their hopes at the All-Ireland semi-final stage.
The Clashmore-Kinsalebeg club man saw red with five minutes of normal time remaining and unless Waterford mount a successful appeal, he stands to miss their next outing in Croke Park in August.
McGrath has invested plenty faith in de Búrca and been rewarded as he has established himself as one of the cornerstones of this Waterford side.
His loss would be hugely detrimental to their hopes of reaching the Liam MacCarthy Cup decider in September.
“(I’ll take the) Arsene Wenger approach,” stated McGrath in the post-match press conference in Páirc Uí Chaoimh.
“I didn’t see it. What I will put on record is that Tadhg has been central to everything we have done well over the last four years.
“(He) made his debut at wing (back) in 2014 and has been hugely central to how we play and what we have done.
“He is a purist, an absolute purist in his approach. I will have to see it and then we will leave due process take its course.
“It would be massive. It would be a huge blow, it would probably change things.
“I probably haven’t thought about it in terms of what has happened. I didn’t speak to him about it.
“I just got word from the fourth official that it was a possible red. That was the transmission coming through the radio on the sideline.”
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Must be hard for him considering he hasn’t marked anyone in three years!
@Quad Quad: Second post you’ve commented this on but by God I’ll give it another thumbs up, comment of the day for me!! Hashtag F**k the Sweeper system.
Is it just me but why is it that the system just seems to be there to be appealed. As my father always said to me “If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime”
@Séamus Tierney: Well what exactly did he do seamus ?
@Noel: sent off for pulling a face guard, if it’s a red card offence then it’s a red card offence
@Séamus Tierney: I know it’s a separate issue, but I never understood why that was a red card offence. Unless you actually remove his helmet and put him in danger of serious head injury, I don’t see the sense in it.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: Declan Fannings ear might tell you why it’s a red card offence. Think that’s the reason it came in.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: In American Football, interfering with the face mask carries their highest yardage penalty and a second infringement can see a player ejected from the game! The helmet coming off is more desirable imho because the wrenching of the neck otherwise would be dangerous. It has to be a red card offence. From the scanty video footage I’ve seen, I don’t think de Burca did anything malicious but he does seem to catch the face guard when grappling with the Wexford player.
Doesn’t matter if he is central to all things good that Waterford do, or when he made his debut etc, his reaction told it all when the red was produced, no qualms with it, interference with faceguard/helmet carries automatic red card, bitter one to swallow for management but all inter county players know the rules so I do feel for him etc, but he has cost himself a big day out in a few weeks time
The linesman was 3 or 4 yards away and clearly saw the incident. That will surely be in the refs match report so the quality of the tv footage should’nt mean a thing. No way can it be overturned, if it is, they may as well tear up the rule book.
@The don: How do you make out the linesman clearly saw the incident? The Wexford player had his back to the linesman which would make it difficult and from the replays you can see that the linesman didn’t raise his flag or call the attention of the ref until after the Wexford player drew his attention. If DeBurca pulled the strap intentionally with the power evident in the video then he would have pulled the helmet clean off his head. To me it looks unintentionall. Also I’ve never seen DeBurca react badly when penalised, he seems like a decent player who respects the decision of the officials.
@Tom O’Brien: agree that he is a decent respectful player, but nobody would’ve known anything about this only for the linesman. He obviously saw enough to bring it to the refs attention. Intentional or not, the ref enforced the rule, does’nt matter what you or I think.
@The don: The Wexford player told the linesman and that’s why he brought it to the attention of the ref in my view. Watch it back to see the reaction of the linesman during and directly after the incident. He was happy to let the play go until the Wexford player went over to him to show the strap on his helmet was open. If it was accidental then I think it’s harsh. I’m not sure what the rule is. Is it a red card, unintentional or not? Not sure of the small print in the rules. Davy has said the Wexford players said it was unintentional, not sure if their views will be taken into account
@Tom O’Brien: Are you actually serious? You think that de Burca was sent off coz the Wexford player told the linesman what had happened? Have you ever played or seen a game of any sport where the ref sent someone off based on what one of the opposition players told him?
@Hugh Jass: Perfectly serious, I’ve see linesmen giving sidelines one way and then change their mind and give it the other way when harassed, I’ve seen umpires give points and then wave wide. The linesman couldn’t have seen what happened as the Wexford player had his back to him. I’ve watched the video over and over and it’s impossible for him to see what happened.
@The don: The linesman only saw the latter part of the incident, if any of it. He certainly didn’t see the Wexford player grab de Búrca around the shoulder/neck/head/helmet area first, with both hands. That can be clearly seen from the positioning and direction in which the linesman is looking for most of the incident.
@Tom O’Brien: if you look at the replay, the linesman goes to his comms unit to talk to the ref straight away before any player spoke to him. He must have seen it otherwise he would not be so sure.
@Ray Breen: If as you say, the linesman went to his comms, it’s possible he did so to draw the refs attention to the Wexford player obstructing DeBurca. It was a foul on DeBurca initially so it would have warranted going for his comms. Unless of course the linesman was going to ignore the initial foul. In my view, the linesman could not have seen the helmet incident as the Wexford players back was to him.
Didn’t look deliberate from the replays and as a result he will probably get off on appeal. It’s completely different to the manner in which Stephen Bennett clearly meant to pull the face guard and was correctly suspended.
Feeel sorry for him but red card needs to stick.if it gets overturned then it sends the wrong message out.
It’s doesn’t matter cork will win Waterford are really poor this season