It’s probably not a major surprise that the Man of the Match in the first televised fixture of the new season is happy with the Football Review Committee (FRC) experimental rules, which got their first competitive road test at the weekend.
Galway’s Cillian Ó Curraoin was an uncontentious choice for the accolade having scored 0-5, including the evening’s first two-pointer, and getting fouled for the penalty that reset the match against All-Ireland champions Armagh.
Shortlisted for Player of the Week on the GAA’s website on Monday, the corner forward from Micheál Breathnach’s looked on his way to making the sort of impact at senior level that many have forecast over the past year or so. He explained how he has been excited by the new rules since the FRC started to trial them, and went to last October’s interprovincial tournament in Croke Park, the first to be played under the experimental rules.
“For an inside forward they are unbelievable. I was looking forward to it for a long, long time. I went up and I watched the interpros and I was really licking my lips. So it was great to just come out in front of a crowd and just play. It’s great. Enjoyed it, everyone did.”
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He is in the unusual position of having been competing simultaneously in different competitions being run under different rules as the Sigerson Cup, in which he played for the University of Galway, opted this year to stick with the old playing regulations.
“It’s kind of interesting. I was actually saying to one of the lads today that we went from the old rules Wednesday night to the new rules today. Even the last few weeks of Sigerson we were going from the old rules to the new rules. It’s a massive contrast. You’d love coming back to Galway training sometimes, you’re so frustrated playing Sigerson because of the old rules. Great contrast.”
Although the rules oblige teams to keep three forwards in the opposition half Ó Curraoin felt that Galway were slow to exploit the possibilities in a stilted first half when they dominated possession but with just a couple of minutes left in the first half had scored just one point.
“In the first half we really focused on getting the two points instead of bringing it in. There’s this kind of pocket in the ‘D’ that we weren’t using. Armagh were pressing out and we were taking on crazy shots – including one I took myself – but in the second half we played the elements. We were bringing it in, bringing it out, worked the scores, got it to the kickers. That was the difference in the end, I suppose.”
By consent the decisive difference between the teams was Galway’s ability to kick two-pointers – from outside the 40m arc – which they did three times in as many minutes in the second half to secure the result.
“We’re blessed with kickers in Galway, and we always were. I suppose the last few years with blanket defences it was hard to use kickers, it was hard to use skilful players. But I think this is a really good chance for the likes of Conroy, for the likes of Shane Walsh, any other forward in that dressingroom, to really express themselves and use that two-point arc.”
The FRC had originally proposed that a goal be revalued at four points but on review reverted to three, which it has been argued creates an imbalance in scoring with two-pointers now available. Does that create the danger of fewer goals?
“I never really thought of it that way, but if everyone is so focused on the two-point arc they forget about a goal. But it’s gas as well, if you keep on going for the two-pointers it leads to an acre of space inside for a goal.”
Although the match between last year’s All-Ireland finalists was portrayed as an opportunity for Galway to gain a measure of redress for the disappointing defeat, Ó Curraoin denied there was any such motivation. “We weren’t planning on avenging anything or getting revenge or anything. That wasn’t our focus in the game. We really just wanted to start off the league with two points. Mayo next now.”
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