WATERFORD HURLER SHANE O’Sullivan will stand before the DRA next week in a last gasp attempt to overturn the red card received in the recent league relegation play-off and make himself available to face Cork in the Munster SHC on May 25th.
The Ballygunner man received a straight red from referee Johnny Ryan after 27 minutes of the relegation play-off against Dublin on March 30 after connecting with the helmet of Michael Carton.
Manager Derek McGrath confirmed last night that they will support the midfielder in pursuing his case just days before their championship opener.
His one match ban was previously upheld in the Central Hearings Committee and the Central Appeals Committee.
“We owe it to Shane as a management to back him to the last and any path that he wants to take and he is entitled to go that particular path. We would feel that he presented himself alone a very strong case to both the hearings committee and the CAC and lost both cases.
“He spoke powerfully and really was passionate about an injustice being done. We would strongly feel that there was an injustice done. The implications of being sent off in your last league game are huge given the fact that you miss your first championship game given the new rule of Congress.”
O’Sullivan’s appeal creates a selection dilemma for McGrath.
“There’s an ambiguity to it because we are trying to plan almost as if Shane might not be involved and we might be thrown a curveball with the DRA given that it’s an independent council. Several cases have been overturned at DRA level.”
Waterford already have a serious injury crisis with several players out. Philip Mahony (broken leg), Stephen Molumphy (hamstring), Stephen Daniels (knee), Maurice Shanahan (back) and Jamie Barron (ankle) have all been ruled out while Jake Dillon is a huge doubt with a knee injury.