Ryan: No rift behind Corbett exit

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• Tipperary manager Declan Ryan speaks to RTÉ's Brian Carthy about Lar Corbett's withdrawal from the county hurling panel.

by James McMahon

Tipperary manager Declan Ryan has denied there was any rift with Lar Corbett in advance of the star forward quitting the county panel.

Corbett’s decision has shocked the hurling world, with the player citing work commitments as the reason for his departure.

The Tipperary panel trained on Tuesday night, 24 hours after Corbett informed his manager that he was quitting the county scene.

Speaking to RTÉ Sport’s Brian Carthy on Morning Ireland, Ryan rubbished any suggestions about a disagreement within the camp. He said: "We hold Lar in the highest regard and we value the contribution he has given to Tipperary hurling over the last 11 years.

"As I said to the players at training, his record over the last three years would be the envy of any forward.

"He had an excellent year in 2010 and last year he again hit a high standard. He may have been disappointed with the way things ended up, but he is not alone there."

Ryan met with Corbett on Monday evening for a half an hour, where he asked the player to reconsider his decision.

"We had an amiable meeting and Lar said that quitting the county panel had been on his mind for a while.

"Obviously, people in Tipperary are hoping he will change of heart over the coming weeks and that we’ll see him in the county set-up again."

When asked whether pressure was put on Corbett to reconsider, Ryan added: "We will have to respect Lar’s decision for the time being and give him the space he requires.

"He has been a fantastic servant to the county; fully committed, and he now intends to give that commitment to his business.

"I think it’s only fair we give him the time to assess the overall situation."