Reigning All-Ireland winner Connaire Mackin has blasted all the proposed rule changes to Gaelic football and labelled them a ‘load of nonsense’.
Friday and Saturday has seen the return of the Railway Cup to Croke Park as the four provincial selections test out a range of sweeping rule changes proposed by the Football Review Committee, headed by Jim Gavin.
The major changes brought a new look to the game on Friday evening when Leinster breezed past Connacht at GAA HQ.
While many feel that the changes are necessary, Mackin is not in the camp. Despite nine of his Armagh teammates taking part in the Ulster side, he will play no part.
Speaking to RTÉ, the All-Ireland final winner picked apart the rule changes and feels the sport is being ruined for the individuals.
‘What an absolute load of nonsense, there’s no need to completely change the game,’ he said. ‘Good luck watching Dublin play someone from Division 4 in Leinster and putting 60 points on them with the new scoring.’
‘I was asking boys who were playing in the trial games last week. Niall Morgan, who has possibly the longest kick-out in Ireland, boomed out a kick-out and it landed on his own 14-metre line…
‘Opposition teams are just going to set up around that arc anyway for kick-outs and that’s taking away the art of kicking for keepers too.
‘There is so much more running involved in it too, the lads were saying it was manic, so they want us to get fitter, faster and stronger yet train less. And they talk about injuries?’
‘They’re trying to turn it into an individual sport, full-backs having to stay back defending all the time and the likes. There’s no poor footballers anymore. Why should a defender have to stay back all the time?’
Mackin also feels that the rule changes will hoist too much responsibility onto the officials, who already have a lot to contend with during play.
‘You’ve asking a referee in a club game who can’t see you getting the head beat off you to keep an eye on the likes of the 3 v 3?’, he continued.
‘If they’re looking more scores, I don’t see why they don’t bring in a shot clock.’