Joe Brolly

[Jinxy]

While I think something needs done I doubt this is the solution - this will make the role of midfielders so pivotal to the game - if you have one overly dominant midfielder who will have a huge influence on the game and will be very difficult for the opposition to combat. Take for an example a inter-county midfielder playing in junior game - he'll absolutely rule the roost - small quick teams will be thing of the past as you need a good big midfield.

It also ruins the art of winning the breaking ball - a skill of the game in itself, some great half forwards have a real knack for this

I fail to see the problem.

[stringbean]

While I think something needs done I doubt this is the solution - this will make the role of midfielders so pivotal to the game - if you have one overly dominant midfielder who will have a huge influence on the game and will be very difficult for the opposition to combat. Take for an example a inter-county midfielder playing in junior game - he'll absolutely rule the roost - small quick teams will be thing of the past as you need a good big midfield.

It also ruins the art of winning the breaking ball - a skill of the game in itself, some great half forwards have a real knack for this

I fail to see the problem.

You risk becoming like basketball or the qb in American football - one player can make a team!

[fearglasmor]

If you are up agin a very domininant high fielder you can bring you mfs to th edge of your 45 n bring yiur hf back inside your own 45 and still have all the rootin for breaking ball you like.

[mylestheslasher]

I could see small fast midfielders being more prominent than big high fielding one if this rule came in. Sure you have the whole 45m to 45m by the width of the pitch to kick the ball into. It would be more man markers that would be in there. I think maybe allow 4 v 4 would be a better situation.

[rrhf]

It's a copy of my idea posted some weeks ago.  I obviously am in full agreement.  #savingourgamesfromkerrymuck

[DuffleKing]

Myles is right - kicking it straight out the middle makes no sense. It'll be totally cluxton style to utilise the space.

Not saying that's a bad thing but if you expect this to be a godsend for high fielders you'll be disappointed

[BennyHarp]

You Tyrone boys take offence easily. If I am not mistaken Clonoe are managed by former Derry manager Damien Cassidy.

As for his suggestion. Could it not only be introduced for senior football. This would stop problems for underage players not being able to take it far enough. There could also be a contingency that if a genuine attempt is made to kick it 45 metres on a day of adverse weather it is deemed to have travelled that distance.

Funnily enough, Joe doesn't mention this in the article and the majority of southerners reading it will be unaware of that. He could easily make his point without coining a new buzz phrase like the "Clonoe Conundrum" and besmirching the name of one of Tyrones top clubs. I most likely am paranoid by now, but the majority of his articles seem to have this sort of casual anti Tyrone bias.

With regards his rule change, I agree with Miles, we'll have runners in midfield and directed chest high balls will be the norm, no team is going to kick the ball down the middle unless they have a dominant big fella. Who will get toasted by a runner working the space left in the middle, so it's highly unlikely a team will have a big man in there anyway. By the way, its's not a Tyrone thing why I don't like this rule, I just think there is no "one simple rule change" that will cure the game and more thought it needed, but of course Joe would like us to believe, as usual, he has the solution to the problem.

[Zulu]

I don't understand why you don't like this suggestion though Benny. It's a very good and simple one and well worth a try. Football has only one real problem and that is a crushing negativity of mind. The game is largely fine as a sport but we have started to play it in a way that is more about not losing and less about going out and winning. Brolly's solution would help prevent these mass defences and put the emphasis back on going out to win the game.

[BennyHarp]

I don't understand why you don't like this suggestion though Benny. It's a very good and simple one and well worth a try. Football has only one real problem and that is a crushing negativity of mind. The game is largely fine as a sport but we have started to play it in a way that is more about not losing and less about going out and winning. Brolly's solution would help prevent these mass defences and put the emphasis back on going out to win the game.

I must admit, my first reaction to a suggested rule change is always a fairly sceptical one. I try to consider how the change would play out. My initial thought is that it would lead to runners in midfield and instead of encouraging high fielding we would make it less of a viable option. A runner utilising the space will destroy a big man -this isn't necessarily a bad thing though. It's suggested in the article that it isn't artificial but it clearly is and will slow down the game as players are forced back into position. I envisage a line up of players on each 45 like a rugby league game.

But, I still maintain that a defensive strategy is for the opposition to break down, not for a committee to overcome in a board room. But, if it was to come in, I'd like it to be fully trialled first, perhaps at Sigerson level or the like, for two seasons, see how it works, give managers time to adapt and see what results before making it a full rule change.

[INDIANA]

I don't understand why you don't like this suggestion though Benny. It's a very good and simple one and well worth a try. Football has only one real problem and that is a crushing negativity of mind. The game is largely fine as a sport but we have started to play it in a way that is more about not losing and less about going out and winning. Brolly's solution would help prevent these mass defences and put the emphasis back on going out to win the game.

Benny shoots everything down because Joe has described what Tyrone club football is like.

They have trained the next generation of footballers in Tyrone to play like the Black Death.

Anything that reduces their defenders to actually have to defend of put a premium on accurate score taking renders them redundant.

Their is a clear and concerted policy of certain counties to shoot every proposal down because they are scared of the alternative.

The alternative is Gaelic Football as we know it

[INDIANA]

I don't understand why you don't like this suggestion though Benny. It's a very good and simple one and well worth a try. Football has only one real problem and that is a crushing negativity of mind. The game is largely fine as a sport but we have started to play it in a way that is more about not losing and less about going out and winning. Brolly's solution would help prevent these mass defences and put the emphasis back on going out to win the game.

I must admit, my first reaction to a suggested rule change is always a fairly sceptical one. I try to consider how the change would play out. My initial thought is that it would lead to runners in midfield and instead of encouraging high fielding we would make it less of a viable option. A runner utilising the space will destroy a big man -this isn't necessarily a bad thing though. It's suggested in the article that it isn't artificial but it clearly is and will slow down the game as players are forced back into position. I envisage a line up of players on each 45 like a rugby league game.

But, I still maintain that a defensive strategy is for the opposition to break down, not for a committee to overcome in a board room. But, if it was to come in, I'd like it to be fully trialled first, perhaps at Sigerson level or the like, for two seasons, see how it works, give managers time to adapt and see what results before making it a full rule change.

Benny stop trying to promote this shite of opposition teams breaking down defensive structures.

I've been in coaching 35 years and you cannot coach physics in a confined space of the pitch.

We all know the reason why you want this to remain because your county is incapable of producing players who can score like they used to.

[BennyHarp]

I don't understand why you don't like this suggestion though Benny. It's a very good and simple one and well worth a try. Football has only one real problem and that is a crushing negativity of mind. The game is largely fine as a sport but we have started to play it in a way that is more about not losing and less about going out and winning. Brolly's solution would help prevent these mass defences and put the emphasis back on going out to win the game.

Benny shoots everything down because Joe has described what Tyrone club football is like.

They have trained the next generation of footballers in Tyrone to play like the Black Death.

Anything that reduces their defenders to actually have to defend of put a premium on accurate score taking renders them redundant.

Their is a clear and concerted policy of certain counties to shoot every proposal down because they are scared of the alternative.

The alternative is Gaelic Football as we know it

I wish my comments wielded as much power as you suggest Indiana and I don't profess to be able to compete with Joe on the publicity stakes. I know my words don't hold as much clout as ex-all Ireland champions like Joe and of course, yourself  . I'm merely expressing my view as I see it and I'm not part of some Tyrone publicity machine designed to shoot down every possible rule change.

[BennyHarp]

I don't understand why you don't like this suggestion though Benny. It's a very good and simple one and well worth a try. Football has only one real problem and that is a crushing negativity of mind. The game is largely fine as a sport but we have started to play it in a way that is more about not losing and less about going out and winning. Brolly's solution would help prevent these mass defences and put the emphasis back on going out to win the game.

Benny shoots everything down because Joe has described what Tyrone club football is like.

They have trained the next generation of footballers in Tyrone to play like the Black Death.

Anything that reduces their defenders to actually have to defend of put a premium on accurate score taking renders them redundant.

Their is a clear and concerted policy of certain counties to shoot every proposal down because they are scared of the alternative.

The alternative is Gaelic Football as we know it

Ok, fair enough. Bring in the rule change. In fact bring in every rule change that every pundit suggests and make sure you don't trial it either because that is just wasting time. The alternative however, is Gaelic football as we know it.

[Zulu]

I would absolutely agree that any significant changes should be trialled as that's the only way we can see if it works. But I also agree with Indiana, there is no way of breaking down a massed defence using attacking principles.  To beat a massed defence you keep your half backs in place and you patiently pass the ball around probing for gaps or getting soft frees but that is awful to watch most of the time.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Zulu, what do you actually want to see at a game, scores? Scoring averages are on the up, as high or higher than they have ever been, so are you now talking about rule changes purely from an aesthetic perspective?

For the record, we have fallen victim to the blanket defence as much as anyone, though INDIANA still hasn't come to terms with the Donegal annihilation in last year's semi.