No Co Committee proposal yet on O'Rourke's future

Decision to continue review process can hardly be interpreted as a ringing endorsement of manager

The story goes on. Last night the Management Committee of the Co Committee met "to discuss the ongoing scheduled review of the senior football management."

However, no decision was forthcoming from the boardroom on whether they would put a proposal forward indicating whether they were for or against O'Rourke getting a third year as manager.

In recent weeks a survey has been conducted in which the views of Meath players were collected and studied by a Review Committee.

That committee was expected to make a recommendation to the executive/management committee which would then access the information received before making a proposal for club delegates to vote on.

Ultimately, of course, the decision on whether he stays or goes was always going to be made by club delegates - and now that's likely to be at the next Co Committee meeting on Tuesday, 27th August.

Yet while delegates were always going to decide anyway on the manager's future but there was a possibility the proposal arising from last night's meeting would be put forward recommending whether O'Rourke should stay or not. That however, did not prove to be the case.

"This review remains ongoing and will be concluded in advance of the Co. Committee meeting on Tuesday August 27th," read a short statement from the Co. Committee after last night's meeting.

The fact that the Co Committee management committee/executive didn't come out and recommend that O'Rourke should stay on for another year at least could be interpreted in various ways.

Does the Co Committee's decision suggest there is a considerable number of its members who harbour reservations surrounding the manager's re-appointment for another year?

Are there further discussions between the Review Committee and the players and/or O'Rourke?

Is there some other reason why the Co Committee executive don't want to commit themselves at this stage?

O'Rourke who won two All-Ireland SFC medals and three All-star awards during his marquee playing career was a appointed to succeed Andy McEntee in late 2022. He was appointed for a two-year term with a review after the second year.

After the defeat to Monaghan in this year's All-Ireland SFC series O'Rourke indicated that if there was a feeling in the squad that he should be removed he would certainly not stick around.

"If they tell me that they feel that there would be somebody much better suited to this, I say thank you very much lads and goodbye, it was lovely to have been part of your lives for a couple of years."

The former St Patrick's CS principal and RTE pundit has stated that the rebuilding job with Meath will take up to five years and that he was going to ask the Co Committee for those five years "as a minimum."

It remains to be seen if he will get his wish.