GAA's Central Competitions Control Committee (CCCC) chairman George Cartwright has rejected the suggestion that media coverage influenced their decision to impose a 12-week ban on Dublin forward Diarmuid Connolly.
Connolly was given the suspension for 'minor physical interference with an official' after pushing linesman Ciaran Branagan in the shoulder in Dublin's Leinster SFC quarter-final victory over Carlow.
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Dublin manager Jim Gavin railed against coverage of the incident following Dublin's dismissal of Westmeath yesterday, restricting broadcast interviews and saying that "people really went after Connolly", singling out Sunday Game pundits Pat Spillane and Colm O'Rourke for their analysis.
Sunday Game analysts Dessie Dolan and Joe Brolly also suggested last night that the programme's coverage had played its part in the ban for the St Vincent's man.
In case you missed the panel discussion on the Dairmuid Connolly incident from the weekend, you can watch it here. #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/HROyQm8Bny
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 5, 2017
However,Cartwright insisted that media coverage has no bearing on any decision to propose suspensions.
"I would refute that totally," he told RTÉ Sport before this morning's qualifier draws.
"The Sunday Game has no bearing or influence on the GAA disciplinary system.
"The CCCC review all games on a Monday that have been played on Saturday or Sunday and take action if need be."
