EXCLUSIVE: Galway hurlers ‘set the record straight’ over Anthony Cunningham in explosive letter

Poor coaching, bad man management and what they consider to be the "disjointed tactical approach" are the reasons behind the player heave against Anthony Cunningham by the Galway hurlers, according to a letter seen exclusively by SportsJOE.

Cunningham stepped down as Galway senior hurling manager on Monday night following a prolonged goodbye with the western county. His decision came hours before a County Board meeting where he was expected to be ratified for another year in charge, despite losing the support of the players. The players have since sent a lengthy letter to the county board, which has been obtained by SportsJOE, in order to "set the record straight" following intense criticism in some quarters of the media. The lengthy letter (which can be read in full at the bottom of the page) outlines the reasons for their lack of faith in Cunningham, as well highlighting poor coaching, bad man management and what they consider to be the "disjointed tactical approach from Anthony and his management team" ahead of crucial fixtures, specifically this year's All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary. The letter addresses three core issues:

1. The perception that it was a minority of players that were unhappy with Cunningham's management – The letter insists that four players met with Cunningham on September 27th. At that meeting Cunningham was informed that the "vast majority of players had no confidence in him". This ultimately led to a secret ballot on November 15th in which 26 players answered 'No' and six players answered 'Yes" when asked if they had confidence in Cunningham. When asked if they would play for the current team in 2016, 23 answered 'No' and nine answered 'Yes'.
2. That this show of player power needs to be suppressed – In the letter, the players deny that this is an exercise in player power and that their aim is the same as the County Board delegates - to win the Liam McCarthy Cup in 2016. The letter states: "The players' view is that the county is not best placed to win the All Ireland next year if Anthony Cunningham continues to be team manager.” It continues: “We ask delegates whether it is improper for players to express our views? We think not. Instead of being improper, is it not the case that this is information that delegates ought to have before they make a decision on who will manage the Galway team. Rather than being an exercise in player power, it seems to us that the players would be open to justified criticism if they did NOT make their views known."
3. That all the unrest arises from a poor final 30 minutes in the All-Ireland final defeat by Kilkenny – The players strongly deny this suggestion. The letter states: “The players absolutely accept and acknowledge that Anthony invested considerable time and effort in the performance of his duties” and “deserved praise for that effort and commitment.” However the players go on to say that: "We [the players] have, to date, avoided any washing dirty laundry in public because we do not want to embarrass anybody or to make the process of moving on from this impasse any more difficult than it needs to be. Dissatisfaction with Anthony's management does not arise simply because the team played poorly in the second half of the All-Ireland Final. Almost all points of dissatisfaction pre-date the All-Ireland final and most issues have been ongoing and growing over the course of the last two seasons.”

A last ditch effort at mediation between management and players failed last week and Cunningham decided that his position was untenable and stepped aside from his role as manager. On Monday of this week, Cunningham fired parting shots at some members of the panel, claiming his ousting was a "kangaroo court decision" and that it was not in the best interests of Galway hurling. Cunningham went on to claim that the players' decision was pushed forward by a core group who were "motivated by a desire to unjustly extend their lifespan as inter-county players". The Galway players have remained quiet throughout the whole drama, saying little except to voice that Anthony Cunningham no longer had their support. Until the release of this letter, that is. The rest of the letter from the players to the County Board can be read below...