Cork boss Ben O'Connor takes aim at RTÉ and referees

Cork manager Ben O’Connor has accused RTÉ of twisting his post-match comments following the League win over Galway last weekend.

It was an answer where he claimed that “manliness” is being taken out of the game by those in power. It was an answer where he claimed that hurling had gone the way of soccer, which he claimed was subsequently “twisted and turned”.

Speaking after Cork's seven-point win over Tipperary, the Cork manager was asked if he was satisfied with Liam Gordon’s handling of the 30-player row that broke out just before half-time.

The referee yellow-carded Alan Connolly and Willie Connors, and sent off Shane Barrett and Jason Forde.

“I'm not blaming Liam Gordon for anything. I'm blaming the GAA officials,” O’Connor began.

“Last week, my words got twisted and turned. I was speaking to ye above in Galway, and RTÉ had something on, I wasn't even watching it, something above in Dublin on Sunday night about one of our players. My comments were twisted and turned.

“What I'm on about is, and when I say soccer, red card, yellow card, technical areas, you can't go onto the field, can't get a message in. So where are we getting all this from? We're getting it from soccer. That's where it's all after coming from.

“They're trying to cleanse the game. And when I say cleanse the game, something like that is just something stupid, a little tap like that.

“We've got two fellas sent off outside, we're after seeing it below on the screen. Two of them below are pulling jerseys. Two fellas that are training for the last six months, and that's the way they're treated.”