Wicklow boss Oisín McConville believes the initial goodwill towards football’s new rules is fading fast, with inconsistencies now coming under the spotlight as the league heats up.

Brought in at the start of the year, the rule changes have been met with mixed reactions from inter-county managers. Football Rules Committee (FRC) chairman Jim Gavin confirmed this morning that further refinements are on the table, with discussions set for the GAA’s Central Council meeting on March 13th.

McConville, speaking on BBC Sport NI’s The GAA Social podcast, highlighted a major disparity in their application across the Allianz League. He pointed out that while some divisions use the hooter to signal full-time, others do not.

“It’s not a level playing field,” the former Armagh star remarked. “If we can’t get it right across four inter-county divisions, what hope do we have of rolling it out properly at grassroots? No chance.”

With every point now crucial in the race for promotion and survival, McConville feels the reality of the new rules is setting in.

“The honeymoon period is over,” he admitted. “We always knew these games would take on greater importance as the season progressed. Now that they do, everything is under the microscope. The smallest decisions can have a massive impact on a team’s entire season.”

As the GAA prepares to assess potential changes, the focus will be on whether they can ensure greater uniformity across all levels of the game.

The post McConville Calls for Consistency as Rule Changes Face Scrutiny appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Match Details:

Date: Saturday, March 2, 2024

Time: 7:35 PM

Venue: BOX-IT Athletic Grounds, Armagh

TV: Live on RTÉ

Dublin Look to Extend Strong Start to League Campaign

Dublin head to Armagh this weekend aiming for their third win of the Allianz Football League. Dessie Farrell’s men have impressed so far, bouncing back from a Round 2 loss to Donegal with wins over Kerry and Derry.

Key Performers for Dublin

• Seán Bugler led the scoring in last weekend’s victory over Derry, notching six points.

• Niall Scully struck the net in the 22nd minute, setting Dublin on course for a dominant win.

• Conor Tyrell & Lorcan O’Dell both found the net early in the second half to put the game beyond doubt.

• Con O’Callaghan chipped in with four points, while his brother Niall O’Callaghan put in a solid performance.

With new faces blending well with seasoned stars, Farrell will be eager for another strong showing against the defending All-Ireland champions.

Armagh Seeking Consistency After Mixed League Results

Reigning All-Ireland champions Armagh have had a frustrating league campaign so far. Kieran McGeeney’s side secured a commanding eight-point win over Tyrone but have struggled for consistency, with defeats to Galway and Donegal followed by a draw against Mayo last weekend.

Key Armagh Players to Watch

• Paddy Burns hit the net in the 15th minute against Mayo, giving Armagh a five-point lead at the time.

• Conor Turbitt, Rory Grugan & Ethan Rafferty have provided crucial scores throughout the league.

• Stefan Campbell was vital in halting Mayo’s comeback last weekend.

Armagh will be determined to use home advantage to kickstart their campaign and challenge Dublin for the points.

Dublin v Armagh – Recent Allianz League Meetings

2022 (Croke Park): Dublin 1-13 (16) | Armagh 2-15 (21)

2012 (Croke Park): Dublin 4-17 (29) | Armagh 1-10 (13)

2011 (Athletic Grounds): Armagh 1-11 (14) | Dublin 2-12 (18)

With both teams eager to climb the Division 1 table, expect a fiercely contested encounter in Armagh this Saturday night.

The post Dublin Face Tough Test Against All-Ireland Champions Armagh in Allianz League Clash appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

The final will be held at Croke Park on Saturday, 19th June at 5:00 pm.

It will be the only National Football League final played before the Championship begins, unless there are any changes.

The fixture will be part of the Government’s pilot testing programme and 2,400 spectators will benefit from that.

Analysis

The two sides have already earned promotions to Division Two after their impressive seasons in Division Three North and South respectively.

Derry capped off an impressive second league campaign under former Fermanagh boss Rory Gallagher with a win over Limerick.

Offaly completed the same feat with their victory over Fermanagh.

Derry will come into the game as favourites after dominating Division Three North, registering a points difference of +41 over their four games.

Their defending has looked well-instructed and orderly.

Furthermore, the pace of Ethan and Conor Doherty troubled opposition defences and will be something to keep an eye on this weekend.

Full-forward Shane McGuigan will be another threat that the Offaly defence will have to deal with.

A 2-26 (32) haul in his first four games of 2021 paints a picture of a man on a mission.

Half-forward Niall Loughlin offers a quality second option for Derry in the final third.

Derry’s blistering attack will go up against an Offaly defence that allowed 59 points across their four games.

Prone to error, the Offaly backs will have their work cut out for them if they are to contain the Derry forwards.

Their lapses in concentration against sides such as Wicklow are examples of the holes Derry can expose on Saturday evening.

Joe Maher and veteran Niall McNamee are serviceable scoring options for Faithful County.

The latter has been Offaly’s go-to off the bench and has got some important scores for the side.

However, Offaly’s chances are more reliant on their defence’s concentration.

They could find it to be a step too far against a Derry side firing on all cylinders.

Prediction: Derry by 5.

Odds

Derry 2/5

Draw 8/1

Offaly 5/2

A Twitter List by IrishScoresGAA

The post Preview: Offaly and Derry Battle For Division Three Glory appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

It will be the only National Football League final played before the Championship begins.

The GAA announced that the showdown will be held at Croke Park.

Also, the final will have 2,400 spectators in attendance.

The other finals will only take place if the two finalists meet in the 2021 All-Ireland Championship.

GAA Fans’ Reactions

Fans of Offaly and Derry reacted positively to the news that the game was going ahead.

Well done. Proper order to play a final rather than the nonsense of joint winners.

— lazlopuskas (@lazlopuskas) June 13, 2021

Some have made their feelings known about the concept of joint-winners in the league.

Divisions One, Two and Four will be shared by the two semi-final winners unless those sides meet in the Championship.

The finals would have taken place a week before the Championship begins.

Offaly and Derry made their feelings known about this and were able to get the Division Three final on their schedules.

Imagine county’s deciding if they play a final or not it’s a shambles from the @officialgaa ffs they should had planned it better it’s a disaster from a Pr situation !!

— Dayno (@dayno1) June 13, 2021

Other fans criticised the GAA for its scheduling as it was that which led to their initial decision to overlook league finals this year.

In particular, one Twitter user described the situation as a PR disaster for the sport’s national organisation.

However, negative reactions followed after the announcement that the final held at Croke Park will have 2,400 fans in attendance.

Many questioned the logic behind the small number as Croke Park can house over 80,000 at full capacity.

This is actually a joke. One of the biggest stadiums in Europe.

Bigger attendances at vaccination centres. https://t.co/5GzAiHnImE

— Scatman J (@ScatmanJohn5) June 15, 2021

The 2,400 in attendance will only make up 2.9% of the full capacity.

Many fans have criticised this as they do not feel it will gather enough data to help analyse the position the country is in.

Therefore, the use of it as a pilot fixture for the return of spectators is unusual.

Furthermore, it is a very safe choice to allocate only 2,400 tickets for the game in one of the biggest stadiums in Europe.

However, what matters is that Offaly and Derry have got what they want and deserve.

Kick-off is at 5:00 pm, per the press release above.

A full list of upcoming GAA fixtures on TV is available here.

The post GAA: Offaly v Derry Fans Reaction appeared first on SportsNewsIreland.

Conor McManus grabbed a Farney county goal after just 42 seconds. He got on the end of a pass from Ryan McAnespie before dashing past Michael Fitzsimons before finishing to the net. Dean Rock had a Dublin point from a free by 4 minutes, then Dublin hit a scoring drought for 19 minutes. They didn’t score till the 23rd minute. Monaghan however made up for that.

A goal after only 42 seconds for Monaghan’s Conor McManus against Dublin. Live updates: https://t.co/NxYUUkxtV0 #AllianzLeagues #GAA pic.twitter.com/aJVUjkTCbi

— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) February 8, 2020

Monaghan reeled off seven points with Ryan McAnespie and Michael Bangan knocking over two points each. Dublin lost Paddy Andrews through injury on 12 minutes also. Dublin finally broke their duck with a 23rd minute point from Dan O’Brien. Rory Beggan responded for Banty McEnaney’s charges with a long range free on 28 minutes, while Conor McCarthy added to that two minutes later. Monaghan in full control and 10 points ahead of the All-Ireland Champions. Dean Rock kicked a point for Dublin before the break to leave it 1-09 to 0-03 at the break.

Paul Mannion was brought on at half time to some impetus to the Dublin attack. Monaghan were reduced to 14 men after Darren Hughes picked up a black card and was sin binned. Dublin powered into the game with Rock and Kilkenny pointing. However, Monaghan weren’t going to let them back into the game with scores from Rory Beggan and Conor McManus both from frees.

Dublin’s late rally earned them a point against a Monaghan side that had dominated the first half and looked to be hanging on deep into added time!

But it was this Kevin McManamon goal on 69 minutes that proved crucial for the Dubs #DUBvMON #RTEGAA pic.twitter.com/1O6MrSH1IR

— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) February 8, 2020

Monaghan retained a 9 point lead up to the 60th minute. However, from here Dublin reeled them in outscoring them 1-06 to 0-01. Dessie Farrell’s subs worked a treat with them posting 1-04, Kevin McManamon netting on 70 minutes after some good work from Sean Bugler. Bugler incidentally kicked a brace of points, before Davy Byrne proved the unlikeliest of heroes with a last gasp effort.

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Laois beat Armagh 0-16 to 0-10 in Portlaoise. The win means Mike Quirke’s side now top Division 2 after an impressive 6 point win. Mark Barry top scored for the hosts with six points.

Armagh were heavy favourites coming into the game on the back of a massive win over Cavan on the opening weekend. However, the first half here was all Laois. Evan O’Carroll and Rian O’Neill swapped frees to open the scoring for each side. Laois though kicked the next two scores through Mark Barry and Michael Keogh as they led by 0-03 to 0-01. Niall Grimley cut the gap with a 20th minute point. Then came a Laois purple patch knocking over five scores in a row. Evan O’Carroll getting two, Brian Byrne, Kieran Lillis, Mark Timmons all pointing to give Laois a 0-08 to 0-02 lead the break.

Kieran McGeeney obviously wasn’t happy with his side and they came out playing much better football at the start of the second half. Mark Barry landed a free for the hosts but then came the Orchard’s purple patch. They kicked four in a row. Rian O’Neill landed three frees while Conor Tubritt scored from play. With 30 minutes left the gap was down to three. However, Mark Barry steadied the Laois ship. He knocked over a couple of frees, while O’Carroll registered two from play to Laois 0-13 to 0-08 ahead with 55 minutes played. Mark Barry and Jamie Clarke traded a couple of frees at the end but Laois weren’t going to be denied here as they went on to beat Armagh by 6 points.

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