Weekend’s Inter-Pros will be a fascinating watch - Kevin Cassidy  

Kevin Cassidy admits the weekend’s trialling of the Football Review Committee’s (FRC) new Gaelic football rules will make for fascinating viewing. 

The two-time All-Star hopes that the FRC’s blueprint towards a more open and entertaining spectacle catches the imagination of all stakeholders - but especially management and players. 

The Gaoth Dobhair clubman expects an open-minded approach to the four games taking place at Croke on Friday and Saturday and all four provincial outfits and their management doing their utmost to embrace the spirit of all seven core rule enhancements. 

“I think the GAA deserve real praise for their approach to this,” he said. “How many times in the past have they just dropped a rule in without anyone actually seeing it in action first? 

“At least we all get an opportunity to watch these seven proposals in action and sort of form an opinion over the course of the four games this weekend. 

“A lot of reports from these so-called ‘sandbox’ games are good, I’ve been told they’ve been high-scoring and end-to-end.

“So I’m just like everyone else, I’m really looking forward to sitting down and seeing just what it looks like in action.

“We’re getting four games on Friday and Saturday and I think the two on the Saturday will have a little more bite to them as lads get to grips with things a little better. 

“I mean, the likes of Oisin Gallen - players like him are going to be given the chance now, that’s the real hope, to go and light the place up. That’s what inspires young lads, the likes of watching a player like that in full flight.

“Imagine a young Michael Murphy playing in this kind of new system? So it’s all really exciting”. 

Cassidy believes the real acid test for any change of direction won’t arrive until championship as managers keep their plotting under warps during the NFL. 

Still, he has huge faith in the Jim Gavin-led FRC and he’s confident that panel will have given real thought to any type of cynical bending or attempted manipulation of the new rules set. 

“It will take some time to settle and for players and coaches to grasp what they’re actually up against,” he added. “In relation to the spirit of the rules, I think managers will try to test these rules, test the waters so to speak. We all know something had to give in relation to the game as a spectacle. 

“And all seven of the rules might not get through. But some of them will. And the FRC, the people involved there, I’m sure they’ll have approached this with all that in mind. 

“They’d have looked at every type of scenario to make sure they aren’t changes that can easily be bent. 

“Managers might look to outfox the changes but I’m confident the panel that was put in place will have made provisions for all of that. 

“I think sides will have to strike a real balance now between running the ball and kicking. It’s going to be a faster product because of that, I feel. 

“I’ve read through the document but we’ll all only really know when the action gets going. It’s a big change too for referees. Neither they nor the players have had that long to get on top of this. 

“So it’ll really only be when they get back with their counties and down to business for 2024 that it starts to really stick in the head”. 

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With the shift in direction having the potential to be a seismic one, Cassidy admits the decision to suspend pre-season competitions like the McKenna Cup was made in haste. 

“Managers are going to need as many opportunities as possible to get up to speed  And we’d be silly to think that we’re going to get this closed month in their absence. 

“All we’re going to get now is more training sessions and quiet challenge games behind closed doors for inter-county teams. 

“The decision to bin them was probably taken too early. With what’s happening now, they’d probably love to have the extra competitive games to just get to grips with what’s a new direction. 

“Imagine the crowds that would come to McKenna Cup games this year to see the games if we do get this more open and exciting product”.