The football league action dominated over the weekend but it was off-pitch that was generating much of the headlines with Tom Parsons saying the GPA were prepared to take further action in the players’ stand-off with the GAA over expenses.

However, Dick Clerkin, who joined Will Slattery, Sinéad Kissane and Donnchadh Boyle on this week’s Throw-In podcast believes that a conversation over player welfare needs to take precedence over expenses first.

“What are the GPA looking for in terms of a sustainable model for the intercounty game?” he asked on the show.  “Because I don't think anybody could agree that it should be ok that a county team should be asked to train seven days a week around the Championship season and that can be funded carte blanche because that's effectively what Tom Parsons was saying.  If it is the case with the county teams now that it's the norm to be asked to train five to six times a week, that's not sustainable, that's not fair and it's not sustainable.”

Back to on-pitch matters, Dublin finally got their first league win of the year with a victory over Tyrone in Omagh, albeit against a very poor Tyrone performance and it begs the question will the defending All-Ireland champions even get out of Ulster at this rate?

In Tralee on Saturday night, Kerry edged out Mayo with a last-minute free but the panellists were predicting this could be the dress rehearsal for something bigger in Croke Park come the summer.

Meanwhile, in Division 2, Cork’s footballers are staring relegation in the face after another defeat, this time at the hands of Meath, and the question everybody is asking is, what has happened to Cork football and how can things improve?

Every Monday the Throw-In brings you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action.

Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from.

For more visit the show page at:
www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/

The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.

The football league action dominated over the weekend but it was off-pitch that was generating much of the headlines with Tom Parsons saying the GPA were prepared to take further action in the players’ stand-off with the GAA over expenses. However, Dick Clerkin, who joined Will Slattery, Sinéad Kissane and Donnchadh Boyle on this week’s Throw-In podcast believes that a conversation over player welfare needs to take precedence over expenses first. “What are the GPA looking for in terms of a sustainable model for the intercounty game?” he asked on the show. “Because I don't think anybody could agree that it should be ok that a county team should be asked to train seven days a week around the Championship season and that can be funded carte blanche because that's effectively what Tom Parsons was saying. If it is the case with the county teams now that it's the norm to be asked to train five to six times a week, that's not sustainable, that's not fair and it's not sustainable.” Back to on-pitch matters, Dublin finally got their first league win of the year with a victory over Tyrone in Omagh, albeit against a very poor Tyrone performance and it begs the question will the defending All-Ireland champions even get out of Ulster at this rate? In Tralee on Saturday night, Kerry edged out Mayo with a last-minute free but the panellists were predicting this could be the dress rehearsal for something bigger in Croke Park come the summer. Meanwhile, in Division 2, Cork’s footballers are staring relegation in the face after another defeat, this time at the hands of Meath, and the question everybody is asking is, what has happened to Cork football and how can things improve? Every Monday the Throw-In brings you the best insights and analysis from all the weekend GAA action. Listen and follow on Apple, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts from. For more visit the show page at: www.independent.ie/podcasts/the-throw-in/ The Throw-In is in association with Allianz.

Join Michael Verney every week for a breakdown of the biggest talking points in the GAA world. Join us for interviews, club action and inter-county debates, with football analysts including Pat Spillane & Dick Clerkin and hurling insights from John Mullane, Pat Ryan and more from the Irish Independent family.

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The football league action dominated over the wee…