New rules not favourable for "places like Belmullet" says Mayo star

Caoimhín Rowland

Mayo GAA player Ryan O'Donoghue has called out recent rule changes set to debut in the fresher football colleges and higher education arena.

Specifically, the contentious requirement for goalkeepers to launch the ball beyond their own 45 yard line, with O'Donoghue citing an illustrative encounter from a 2021 club game that he believes points toward potential pitfalls of such a mandate.

In a press conference preceding the Sigerson Cup games, the Mayo ace took a moment to reflect on an episode at Belmullet's home pitch in Tallaght two years ago.

Recounting a club game against Knockmore, O'Donoghue painted a vivid picture of the formidable gale force winds that left Belmullet's goalkeeper, Shane Nallen, a decorated kick fada winner, unable to breach his own 45 yard line.

The crux of O'Donoghue's concern lies in the seemingly impractical nature of these rules when faced with the unpredictable weather often found along Ireland's west coast.

"What happens then? Does the referee just keep on giving 13-yard frees?"

The 25-year-old master's student at the University of Galway, O'Donoghue's stated he took part in a fresher’s game earlier in the year and that has since made him question the decision making behind the new rule.