DRA

[Loughers]

What's the story with this? It can't be helping preparations for the semi-final with this handing over the players heads.

[Nippy corner forward]

As far as I know they're due to meet Wednesday to sort this mess out once and for all. We must beat Wexford now.

[Bord na Mona man]

Hopefully the DRA will be made up of clear thinking people.
My slight fear is that they will opt for a replay, as some in the GAA seem to view this a 'please all' option. It's like the 'hop ball' in a match. If the ref is not sure what to do, it's a great opt out.

Cute-hoorism and gombeenism (as advocated by the empty vessels that infest places like hoganstand) would see a decision made based on:
a) The fact that Kildare were hard by with the Sligo 6 sub incidents - therefore they deserve a good turn.
b) Offaly got a replay in 1998 - therefore we should suffer something now.

If Offaly aren't ambushed by this brand of gobshite-ery and committee room politics, then Kildare's case will be correctly booted to touch. By it's very definition, the DRA should make their decisions on merit.
You would rather have independent legal people looking at the cold facts rather than some future GAA presidential candidate doing a bit of winking of nodding and making sure the lillies are 'looked after'.

[Lone Shark]

With it being comprised of a solicitor, a barrister and one GAA person, you'd like to think that the standard idea of justice for dodgy calls several decades ago would be thrown out for the hogwash it is.

A question though - if different sanctions are possible for the same offence, as in this case, does anyone know whether or not the DRA can rule on the sanction, or is their duty just to determine whether or not the rules were broken?

[Bord na Mona man]

A question though - if different sanctions are possible for the same offence, as in this case, does anyone know whether or not the DRA can rule on the sanction, or is their duty just to determine whether or not the rules were broken?

And if the DRA were to judge against us, would the Leinster Council (if they were in charge of the sanction) be panicked into calling a replay instead of a more appropriate slap on the wrist fine?

[Lone Shark]

I'd say that would depend on the tone of the verdict. After all the DRA you would assume would give a little bit more flesh to their announcement than just a yay or nay.

If they say that Offaly sought to gain an advantage then the pressure will be on for a replay. If they make it clear that even if there was a transgression, no advantage was sought or garnered, then I'd say Ollie will be getting the cheque book out.

[The Biff]

The DRA was not in existence when either of BnMm's two "precedents" were adjudicated. As they have a firm legal basis, I would expect that the DRA would adjudicate on this in a firm "by the book" basis. So the key differences over those precedents could just as easily render them inadmissible.

I know that this decision could go against us, but given all of the facts and evidence now available to us, I can see no grounds for such an outcome. There is only one logical decision - the result MUST stand. We did not break the rules as they are worded in the Official Clár so there can be no punishment accruing.