JIM McGuinness and Dessie Farrell have made a persuasive pitch for teams to be allowed six substitutions per game – while Kieran McGeeney has noted how many injuries squads are absorbing at this time of year.
Monaghan boss Gabriel Bannigan was another inter-county manager who echoed the six substitutes call after his side finished with 14 men in their win over Westmeath at the weekend due to an injury to Mick Hamill after he’d already replaced five of his players.
Under the new rules, Gaelic football is much faster and physically more demanding on players, with McGuinness shedding some light on the increased running metrics required in different areas of the field.
“We know from our own training the metrics that are going up, and they’re the explosive ones – they’re the ones that challenge you most,” said the Donegal boss.
The speed with which Armagh counter-attacked in their handsome win over neighbours Tyrone at the BOX-IT Athletic Grounds on Saturday night, especially in the first half, was a sight to behold.
But whether that kind of explosiveness can be sustained throughout the season, and with five subs, is a question the Football Review Committee is likely to address.
Six substitutions was floated in the early conversations relating to rule changes but Dublin boss Dessie Farrell said that it “seems to have got lost in the ether somewhere”.
Asked if there is greater importance surrounding a team’s use of five substitutions in light of the new demands placed on players, McGeeney said: “Possibly, but I still think the bench is important anyway. But that [extra subs] needs to be taken into consideration.
“There is always a big pushback about keeping 35 players and expenses and all the stuff that comes with that.
“In the modern game, you could lose three or four players in a week, especially at this time of year when you’ve Sigerson and players just coming back from the club season.”
The Clann Eireann contingent who won the county championship and reached the provincial semi-finals towards the end of November have had to be carefully managed as Armagh embark on their own season as defending All-Ireland champions.
‘Turbo’ [Conor Turbitt] is just back on the pitch, same with Barry [McCambridge], TK [Tiernan Kelly] hasn’t come back yet, young Danny Magee is with us as well and Sean McCarthy. It just takes a big panel nowadays.”
Joe McElroy, Tiernan Kelly, Peter McGrane, Paddy Burns and Aaron McKay are all on Armagh’s injury list, with Burns probably the only one likely to be close to full fitness for their next Division One outing against Donegal on February 16.
‘Geezer’ has given starts to Tomas McCormack and Darragh McMullen against Galway and Tyrone – and neither looked out of place.
“Darragh McMullen and Tomas McCormack have come in and done really well. There are a lot of young boys putting their hands up, but I’d like some of the other boys back as well.”
On the new rules, McGeeney has been generally receptive towards them but says the two-pointer from a free outside the 40m arc “doesn’t stand up to scrutiny” and feels the wind conditions in games will be more decisive than in previous times, evidenced in their games to date against Galway and Tyrone.
“I thought the rules existed for most of them – we just never implemented them,” added the Armagh boss.
“They’ve tried to change the game with the three up… I agree with the dissent rule and referees will probably enjoy that with me too!
“Everybody is trying to make the game better. I was probably one of the ones who thought there wasn’t that much wrong with it. Now we have a PR machine.
“If we’d as much PR behind the old game it would’ve been good. But, listen, the boys are trying to do a good job – Jim [Gavin] and Eamonn [Fitzmaurice] - and I suppose the best thing to do is to get behind them as best we can.”