Tyrone's Cathal McShane believes that players should be able to claim full expenses for all training sessions, regardless of the number.
The GAA and GPA are currently at loggerheads over the former’s bid to essentially cap the number of gatherings that inter-county squads hold on a given week by only paying the full mileage rate for four sessions/matches, with the relevant county board having to cater for anything outside of that.
The players’ body insists that there should not be a specific number attached to the amount of times a squad comes together and that at times it may be more or less than four.
McShane said: “I think it just depends. The players don’t choose when we’re going to train or what sessions we’re going to put in in the week but I guess too there’s lots of different players in different situations within a camp.
“You might have your younger guys that are at university and they’re at university four or five days a week and they’re obviously trying to play inter-county, they’re focusing on clubs and their unis as well so they’re probably finding it probably slightly more difficult as well.
“You have other guys that maybe are not in the team so they might have to fit in their own sessions per week. Say for example you have guys that want to put on a bit of size, they might have an extra gym session that week within the county.
“People’s at different levels but I do feel that if you’re in a situation where you have to attend a session then you probably should be getting covered for that and that’s the talk out there but, again, whether it’s three sessions, whether it’s four sessions, whether it’s five.”
Players declined to engage in media interviews around last weekend’s Allianz League games as a form of protest and the same is expected to happen this coming weekend, though McShane and Galway hurler Conor Whelan spoke at a media event today to mark Allianz’s 30-year sponsorship of the competition.
McShane explained: “From what we're made aware of, it's a media ban for matchday only. It affected last week, I don't know is it going to affect any other arrangements or whatever but it was a matchday ban. That's what I was taking from it.”
Back in 2017, McShane’s teammate Ronan McNamee hit out at Tyrone players having to pay £15 to the county board for foam rollers and resistance bands while adding that there were “constant issues with mileage”.
However, McShane said he was happy with his lot in Tyrone.
“Generally enough, it’s always been good. I think now it’s covered by the GAA; there’s a system in place where before it used to be through the county board.
“So, it’s just a matter of having it in in time and you would obviously get your expenses paid out. I do recall there was a few issues back then but my involvement wasn’t much in it then.”
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