Next week’s interprovincial football series will be a key showcase for the FRC’s new rule ‘enhancements’ according to Jim Gavin, who said they will serve to allow the body to present the evidence of their work to the GAA’s decision-makers.
Speaking after the latest ‘sandbox’ game between Kildare and Cavan in Mullahoran on Sunday, Gavin told Shannonside FM that the matches, which will be hosted in Croke Park, will be vital in convincing the relevant stakeholders to rubber-stamp the most comprehensive change to the sport’s rules since its inception.
“The challenge we all have is, when you put a rule in isolation, you try and see it conceptually. You try and see in your mind’s eye how it would work in the current game,” Gavin admitted.
“That’s the importance of testing it in an environment like this.”
“That’s why we need to showcase these (enhancements) in the interprovincial games, so that they people who will make the decision…it’s not our job to convince them. It’s our job to present the evidence.”
“We’ve done a body of work. We’ve come up with these proposals. We had over 7,000 responses to the survey – which is phenomenal, double the amount they got in 2014.
“Over 5,000 bits of individual texts, be it in letters or emails. And the top five things people want to see – which is no surprise – are: kicking passing, high fielding, long range scores, goal scoring and one to one contests.”
Cavan won the game on Sunday, played under the proposed rule ‘enhancements’ by 2-21 (29 points) to 3-14 (26). Played in intermittent drizzle and soft underfoot conditions on what Gavin called “not a great day for football”, the teams had 40 shots on goal between them in the second half alone.
Gavin also stressed that despite the ambitious nature of the FRC’s proposals, there was no element of negotiation in their approach.
“We’re not putting 10 forward to get six over,” he stressed. “But I’m not going into the meeting saying, ‘you’ve got to vote for them all.’ That wouldn’t be fair either.
“We’re very clear in what we’ve been asked to do. Do our body of work, present rule enhancements. I don’t have a vote. Obviously I defend the work we’ve done.
“We believe they stand up as a package when you see the game. Their huge interdependencies and they stand up for each other as a package.”
The GAA today confirmed arrangement for the games. On Friday October 18 Leinster play Connacht in the first semi-final at 6.0 which is followed by the meeting of Munster and Ulster at 8.0.
The following day will see two more games take place; the two defeated provinces meet at 5.30 and the winning teams play at 7.30.
Tickets for the games are on sale from usual outlets priced at €15 for adults and €5 for children and provide entry to all four games over the two days.
The managers for the games have also been confirmed.
Connacht will be coached by Pádraic Joyce. Dessie Dolan will look after the Leinster team. John Cleary manages the Munster selection and Kieran Donnelly takes charge of Ulster.
All four games will be televised with the two games on the Friday covered by TG4 and the two Saturday fixtures broadcast by RTÉ.
Long term GAA partners Allianz have been confirmed as series sponsors.