New rules leaving time and space and players are loving that - Termon ace Daire McDaid

Daire McDaid was simply a joy to watch on Saturday evening at the Burn Road as he notched a brilliant personal tally of 1-13 in a seven-point win over Naomh Muire.

McDaid has just turned 30 so he’s hardly an oldtimer but he admits he’d have loved to see the new football playing rules come about a few seasons earlier.

READ NEXT: Division 1 champions Termon make it three from three against Naomh Muire at the Burn Road

Last term, the Football Review Committee’s shake-up had a real impact on the Donegal SFC as Termon, and other upstarts like Four Masters, took some real cuts and, at the same time, scalps, at the business end of the SFC.

Caolan McDaid’s team eliminated champions St Eunan’s and came agonisingly close to seeing off another big dog, eventual winners Naomh Conaill, in the last eight.

Having also lifted the Division 1 crown in 2025, the reigning league champions have set an encouraging early pace in their defence of that title as they made it three from three at the weekend.

Still, McDaid says Termon, as a unit, still very much feel like they are an emerging force and the early target for the side isn’t lofty.

“We set out at the start of the league looking to hit five wins as soon as possible,” admitted McDaid. “I’d say most sides target that early on.

“So it’s three from three so far, so we are really pleased with that start. We’re going pretty well after suffering a defeat to Gaoth Dobhair earlier in the Comórtas.

“We regrouped after that and, thankfully, it’s been really encouraging since”.

He added: “We’ve a lot of young players coming in, we have a lot of injuries as well so we probably have had about half a dozen fringe lads getting chances because of that.

“So to tick that kind of box and to be picking up points is sort of an added bonus. They have shown really well so that, hopefully, is a sign that we are already showing a small improvement in 2026.

“It’s still so early on in the campaign and, even for the group as a whole, there is so much road still in front of most of these lads.

“So, trying to be better than last year… for us, that’s adding to the panel, getting more experience at this level and just sort of improving on the small mistakes we feel were there in 2025.

“It’s a pretty broad sort of thing. You just can’t pinpoint it completely on results. I mean, last year against Naomh Conaill, we were four or five up with five minutes to go.

“We let them back into it. Maybe that was down to inexperience on that day. So there are learnings that are obvious too, going forward as we go further into the campaign”.

With the FRC rejig making life much more enjoyable for forwards, McDaid says the new direction Gaelic football has taken is one for the better.

He just wishes all that change had come around a little bit sooner.

“The new rules are just brilliant. It’s man on man and there just is that wee bit more space.

“Now, what you’re learning also is that there are some brilliant one-to-one defenders and it’s bloody hard to get out in front at times.

“But for the younger lads coming into adult football, this is just a whole new experience I’m sure.

“When I came on the scene, I’m 30 now, but even up until last year, it was 15 men back behind the ball every single game and it just was a hard slog, and an unenjoyable slog at times.

“Of course, I’d have loved to have seen the changes come about a few years earlier but no one is complaining.

“Everyone looks forward to league games at the weekend, crowds will increase, I think as the fare on offer is much better. So it's all really positive".