Queens University Belfast manager Conor Deegan is ready to go for the upcoming Sigerson Cup campaign with or without the new rules. The GAA Higher Education Board decided not to introduce the new rules because they had not been practised for the league campaigns.
Deegan and his team were prepared for whatever outcome was going to be implied. However, as they played some challenge matches with the new rules, he gave his thoughts on the positive and negative aspects of Jim Gavin's new proposals.
“We did a few in-house because we didn’t know what was happening until we got confirmation on that there was going to be, we were sticking to the old rules,” Deegan said at the draw for the Electric Ireland Higher Education Championships.
"There is a couple of ones that stand out to me. I think to do them all together was an awful lot to take on. I think individually they all add something. The one that stood out during our little trials was the three up, that is going be the hardest one for players to get used to staying because it is just built into them now that they have to track back.
You will be screaming at them on the halfway line screaming at them not to come back over the line. Automatically, their default is now to come back, which is honest and good stuff in many ways. The ball was definitely moved forward quicker, and the guys up front could win it a bit easier. My concern would be for weaker counties and weaker panels.
Physically, I think it will add an awful lot of running. If you kick a ball, and you have to chase the follow up ball, you have to put the head down for 40,50, 60 yards. That is a lot of work, whether your wing backs or wing forwards can keep doing that. It is very demanding, but it does but a great emphasis on using the ball properly.
Moving the ball with the foot, which is great. The one that sticks in my craw would be taking the mark inside. where you are allowed to play on, kick it wide and come back for a free. I think if you're given enough advantage, that should be enough.
Things had to change, they couldn’t stay the way they were. It wasn’t attractive to watch at times. We have a hell of a good sport, we just need to believe in keep pushing and promoting it. We have to look after it.”
11 December 2024; In attendance at the draw of the Electric Ireland GAA Higher Education Championships at Croke Park today is Queen's University Belfast football manager, Conor Deegan. Through its #FirstClassRivals campaign, this season Electric Ireland will continue to celebrate the unique alliances that form between county rivals as they come together in pursuit of some of the most coveted titles across Camogie and GAA. Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
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Balancing different rules at Sigerson / inter-county level
Deegan and numerous colleges have also highlighted the difficulties for intercounty players who will have to balance playing the new rules with their counties while referring back to the old ones when they play midweek Sigerson games.
“We’ve highlighted it, yes,” he said.
That is the difficulty. They’re going to go away and train and be drilled, and I imagine they’re going to have to be drilled very intensely. It’s a seismic shift from what has been going on on the field. Prior to it, we tried it in-house to see how we could come out with it.
It’s not easy to change to that degree. It will definitely open the game up, it’s definitely going to keep that aspect of it. The players themselves are going to have to be incredibly fit. But I think the fact they’re coming back to us and playing the older rules will be a bit easier than the other way.
They’re coming back to what they’re used to, before it gets too embedded in them. I’d say about six months down the line it might be a very different situation. We’ll beat them new rules out of them!”
Park the bus football lovers will have a few more weeks of 15 men behind the ball, at least in 2025, before it will be a distant memory.
