By Michael McMullan

GAOTH Dobhair manager Rónán Mac Niallais feels the new rule enhancements have been “positive overall” for the game but calls for consistency in their application at club level.

Speaking ahead of the Donegal side’s Ulster Senior League semi-final with Antrim intermediate Champions All Saints, Mac Niallais said benefits of entering the competition was two-fold.

Last season they used the Ulster League to blood new players and the squad were keen to enter again in 2025.

Another benefit it getting versed in the new rules ahead of the cut and thrust of domestic league action.

Much of the debate with club games is one referee versus county teams having eight sets of neutral eyes.

“The game is definitely more entertaining, there’s no doubt,” said Mac Niallais, who admitted being bored watching games despite a vested interest along the line.

Excitement and contests are now order of the day. There have been more goals. Overall, it’s a more positive game but Mac Niallais has sympathy for referees.

“They’re absolutely doing their best, but it is hard,” he added. “At club level, I think there’s going to be a lot of frustrations because refs are there on their own and they’re trying to watch everything.

“That is going to lead to a lot of confusion and frustration throughout the season. I’m sure the refs will get better at it and we’ll get better understanding as well as management and as teams.”

He likes the three v three and how it shapes the game. Solo and go the same.

As for cracking down on discipline and dissent, he is fully behind the FRC’s proposals but they must be refereed consistently.

“I do see a huge variation in how different refs interpret the indiscipline,” Mac Niallais points out.

“That’s something that’s going to frustrate teams. Some refs will allow any player to talk to them and other refs might say, no, only the captain.

“Some player might call for a free and the ref takes that as indiscipline and then another ref will allow a player to call for a free.

“There is a lot of confusion around the discipline side of things, but it’s overall positive.”

As for tweaks, he’s not a fan of the 40-metre arc on kick-outs, referencing a windy day at Gaoth Dobhair’s exposed pitches on the coast at Magheragallan.

“There’s many of the keeper won’t get the ball out past the arc, so imagine what that’s going to bring,” Mac Niallais said.

“If they even just went back to the ‘D’ (original smaller arc) with the kick-outs, I think teams will still press up because they can’t go back to the ‘keeper.

“It’ll bring a bit of variation to kick-outs. Now, 90 per cent of kick-outs are just being lumped out. Whereas, if you go back to the ‘D’, you might see teams trying to work a few shorts or maybe get the mid kick-out off.

“Whereas now, they’re just all going long. If they went back to the ‘D’, it might just give a bit more variation to kick-outs and a bit more room around the middle too.”

Two-point scores hasn’t been a factor at club level yet. Winter, a heavy ball, more testing conditions, exposed pitches and clubs not having the array of shooters county teams have.

While Mac Niallais sees the value in stamping out indiscipline, he’s not a fan of a player having to hand the ball over to the nearest opponent after giving away a free.

“If players are allowed to leave the ball on the ground respectfully and just sprint back, I think that would be a happy medium,” he said.

“Overall, it’s definitely more entertaining. Even our scores in the Ulster league, lots of goals, points are up and it’s more entertaining on the sideline.

“I think managers will just have to accept that refs are on their own. I understand how hard it is.

“I think the frustration comes when different refs interpret the rules differently. That’s where managers are going off their nut. One week it’s one thing, another week it’s another.

“That was always the case in football, but it’s more pronounced now with the new rules that the interpretation is more open than ever with certain things, so that just creates that bit more uncertainty.”

In Thursday’s Gaelic Life, Mac Niallais takes stock on the Gaoth Dobhair’s Ulster League progress.