LOUTH BOSS AIDAN O’Rourke has warned that massed defences will become the norm in this summer’s football championship as a response by teams towards the black card.
O’Rourke was one of the most ardent critics of the new rule at the start of the 2014 season and his views have not altered. Observing trends in recent challenge games have convinced him about what lies ahead for the summer.
“It was obvious the way it was going to go. As soon as the championship takes off over the next few weeks, the evidence will be there. Colloquial evidence would suggest from challenge games, they’d be fairly low scoring.
“In the games we’ve played, there’s been a huge number of players in defence. The reality is with the lottery of refereeing at the moment, can you afford a one on one with a quality forward inside your ’45? I’m not sure you can if players aren’t inclined to tackle. I think that’s the way it’s going to go but the championship will be the proving ground for that.”
O’Rourke disagrees that the new system has been a fantastic success due to the increase of scores and believes defenders have been ‘handicapped’.
“I’m very interested in looking at the PR in all of this. It’s been portrayed as a fantastic success. I’m not quite sure how that is judged. I hear this repeated that scores are up, therefore we have a better product.
“We have taken away the tools of the trade for a defender. In any field sport in the world, you have to have tools and the capacity to do your job. I would feel we’ve handicapped defenders considerably.
“I do agree with the ethos where the black card was going with trying to get rid of cynical play. But I just feel we’re at a basketball stage, where it goes up and down the court to see who scores the most. The game is about tackling and defending as well, we have to have the capacity to do both.
“Players are reluctant to make the tackles that they would have naturally made in the rest of their careers to date. As many people or more come to see the physicality as the capacity for scores or wonderful attacking play.
“That is part of our game and part of our heritage. So to try and fundamentally adjust the mindset at the whim of somebody, I don’t know who, is fundamentally flawed.
“I do agree with the ethos where the black card was going with trying to get rid of cynical play. But I just feel we’re at a basketball stage, where it goes up and down the court to see who scores the most. The game is about tackling and defending as well, we have to have the capacity to do both.”
That’s pure b******t. “Not inclined to tackle”. I don’t see anyone stopping them from tackling. Defend properly and ye shouldn’t have any problems
He’s talking bollox and the league has proved it. None of the rules for tackling have changed, only the punishment
Players and teams ( o hai tyrone) who used to rely on pulling their man down if he went past them are going to have to change their game or disappear, thats a good thing
mass defense that’s Ulster football every year
Counter attacking was how the 2012 team of the year was described by most pundits. They’d beaten a Leinster team that had just won its 3rd Heineken cup in 4 years to that title.
That lad needs needs to do some serious training with his 6 championship defenders! He’s talking complete ring! The black card is a very good idea it gives the advantage back to the forward and thats the way it should be,not letting the defender rip the jersey off him and get a finger wagging for it! Average forwards are becoming top forwards because of the black card and thats the way it should be! Very good championship coming up really looking forward to it!
Well paddy, yet another so called hurling man belittling football. I love both sports but can’t stand the way these people look down on football.
ive played both vinny, football used to be a great sport back in the 90s ..it has turned to utter sh1t now…contant fowling. puke television. What i cant believe is people still go to the games and dish out there hard earnd cash for it.
If you don’t like it don’t watch it. What I can’t understand is why some people can’t talk up hurling without at the same time talking down football.
Football was great in the 90s, when Galway actually won All-Irelands? Is that it Paddy?!
He has a fair point. What is the point of having defenders if they can’t defend to the high level which got them to inter county level in the first place?
Defend to a high level? By pulling down players when through on goal or shirt pulling off the ball? That’s not defending. If anythg the black card will hopefully raise the skills of defending, bring abit of honesty back into it. I’m not saying the black card will rid the game of cynical play but it’s a start I think
how could gaelic football get any worse than it already is, has anyone tried watching it after a hurling game.. id rather paint a big wall and watch it dry
I’s support the black card, but he has a fair point in this first season of it. If the defender only slips to the ground when you’re near him there’s a chance you are going off. Can’t have the game becoming a non-contact sport. But once the refs get to grips with it and use the black based on the intent as much as the outcome it should be fine…and better than the rugby tackles last year!