Mac's View: Feedback from games with new rules not overly encouraging

The new season is almost upon us and it's good to see that a few counties have played challenge matches open to the public last weekend. However, the feedback from those games is not great. It seems that a lot of spectators were not overly enamoured with the new rules.

Much of the feedback has been centred on the difficulty in following all the new rules and it was hard to know what the score was at times. I suppose it will take a bit of getting used to, both by the players, referees and spectators.

You have to have pity on some players and referees that are preparing to play  and officiate at Sigerson Cup football under one set of rules and then being asked to go out the following day and play under the new rules, which will be in place for the upcoming National League. I think they should have made the switch to the new rules for the Sigerson as well and that would also have been a good place to trial out these new rules.

The two challenge games which got most of the attention at the weekend were Kildare against Galway in Newbridge and Mayo against Monaghan in Castlebar, which were both open to the public. I read that Player of the Year Paul Conroy was top scorer, kicking four 'two-pointers' in the game.

There was talk that Donegal played Louth in a challenge game but I didn't hear any details. Much of the speculation in the press last week centred on Michael Murphy being used as a goalkeeper in one game, and also that he had a hamstring injury. But at this time of year reporters are just looking to fill pages. I can't imagine Michael Murphy being used as a goalkeeper especially as we are very well equipped in that position already with Shaun Patton and Gavin Mulreany. 

With not a lot happening, they must have been short of news.

It was a pity that the club championship All-Ireland semi-finals were called off on Sunday but they have been refixed for this Saturday and I'm looking forward to seeing them on TG4. Good luck to our neighbours, Coolera-Strandhill from Sligo as they take on Cuala of Dublin in Breffni Park while Ulster champions Errigal Ciaran face Dr Crokes in the second semi-final in Portlaoise.

The Sligo and Connacht champions have a good Donegal connection with former Aodh Ruadh and Donegal underage player Sean Taylor playing full-back for them while their captain Peter Laffey's mother is a sister of the Carr twins from Carrick.

It will be good to see some action because there is only so much soccer you can watch.

Last weekend was a good weekend for the Naomh Padraig club in Muff as they were too good for Tara in London and are now through to the All-Ireland Junior championship final this Sunday.

They are down to meet a Cork side, Kilmurry, a club I have never heard of but being from Cork and being Munster champions, they will be a tough nut to  crack. Good luck to Naomh Padraig and hopefully they will have another day out in Croke Park should they be successful on Sunday in the semi-final in Parnell Park.

Good luck also to the Donegal teams taking part in the MacRory Cup quarter-finals this weekend. It is a great honour for Donegal to have two teams in the last eight. Donegal Southwest are up against Omagh CBS on Friday night in Healy Park while Abbey Vocational School, Donegal Town meet St Colman's of Newry on Sunday in the Donegal Training Centre in Convoy at 2 p.m. It is important that Donegal supporters get out and give these two teams their full support.

I see that the annual Ulster GAA Convention is on this Friday night in Garvaghey and it was interesting to note the comments of secretary, Brian MacAvoy in his report, especially his criticism of the Gaelic Players' Association (GPA) on their stance in opposing the playing of the provincial tournaments normally held in January like the Dr McKenna Cup and O'Byrne Cup.

The GPA had voted against them being held this year being held because of player welfare but MacAvoy said that the GPA had been very quiet on the fact that county panels were back in training long before the permitted dates and he wondered why.

I have to agree with the Ulster secretary. This year, in particular, would have been perfect for the provincial competitions to trial the new rules and in relation to player welfare, I do agree that county players should have their periods of rest also.

Brian McEniff was in conversation with Peter Campbell