GAELIC GAMES:The continuing Cork crisis over the impasse between county players and officials has taken another turn for the worse, as it emerged that Croke Park has abandoned further attempts to mediate the dispute.

Although hardly a surprise after the events of last week, this disengagement is a further indication of the general pessimism surrounding the receding prospects of Cork taking part in this season's National Leagues.

Headquarters' sources told The Irish Times yesterday "There is no further role for Croke Park in this".

In the light of this development, tonight's county board meeting in Cork will, realistically, be the last chance to initiate any movement ahead of the weekend, all of which makes prospects of the county's participation in the coming double series of National League programmes virtually non-existent.

The Cork executive met last night, and whereas there was no statement on their deliberations it is believed there emerged no new initiative to bring to tonight's meeting.

Last week Kieran Mulvey, chief executive of the LRC, and GAA director general Páraic Duffy went to Cork to try to resume the mediation process, started by Mulvey two weekends ago.

Despite extensive talks last Tuesday and Wednesday the core issues could not be resolved. Players still refused to return to training while the new football management of Teddy Holland and his selectors remained in place, and whereas the county board rejected any suggestion Holland should go.

The situation was exacerbated on Thursday when the county board released a statement disclosing selective details of what had been discussed and claiming that the players would return should Holland remain as long as his selectors were replaced.

This triggered a heated denial from Cork players, who said they were "furious at the spin and misinformation put out by the board" and described the suggestion as "totally and utterly untrue".

Last Sunday that stance was affirmed, as the hurlers voted to continue to support the protest and the joint panels voted to reject the memorandum of understanding as a basis for the footballers agreeing to go back to play under Holland.

Nonetheless, the county board have continued to insist that the statement of last Thursday was true and that the players had been willing to accept Holland in return for the appointment of a new team of selectors - despite Mulvey's confirmation on RTÉ Radio last Thursday that Holland's position remained the crux of the dispute.

"I think we made an extraordinary amount of progress," he said. "There is an outstanding issue and one that has not been resolved."

Asked did this refer to Teddy Holland's appointment, he replied, "Yes".

Ironically, a forfeit in both football and hurling would spell the automatic end of the county's 2008 NHL campaign, whereas the footballers would still have a chance of surviving, given that failure to play the opening fixture against Meath was not regarded as a forfeit and the fixture was refixed for the weekend of March 9th at the latest.

In the circumstances, however, it is very hard to see the footballers reaching agreement to fulfil their NFL campaign, considering that the hurlers voted unanimously last Sunday night to continue to support the footballers whose difficulties with the county board have been at the centre of the dispute.

It is also difficult to see other counties agreeing to further hold-ups.

Already Meath footballers have expressed their discontent at the postponement of their first league match, and although Kilkenny hurlers were supportive in offering to play last weekend's scheduled fixture at some time in the future, the impact of Cork's non-appearance is causing increasing problems.

Dublin footballers are due to play in Cork on Saturday and are at present awaiting an indication as to whether they should organise transport and accommodation for what is an evening match.

There are also indications the disruption to NHL Division A will not result in a redrawing of the fixtures in the event of Cork's withdrawal. Should that happen, it would mean hard luck for Dublin and Antrim, who are both due to play Cork at home.

Exacerbating the situation is that each of the counties was drawn to have only two matches at home, so Cork's absence would reduce that to just one. Were that to be the case, Dublin have already played theirs in defeating Antrim at the weekend.

Antrim's home schedule will consist of next weekend's home fixture against Wexford.