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GAA

24th Jun 2025

Roscommon boss has surprising choice for No 1 player in the game

Adam Festus

He was full of praise for the Monaghan player.

The introduction of the new Gaelic football rules has benefitted particular teams and players. The new laws have seen those with goalkeepers who are comfortable on the ball, foot pass and shoot accurately be the biggest winners from these changes.

Certain rules like the new two-pointer rule and the 50-metre penalty for a kick-out foul, which has now been changed, has given rise to the roaming No 1.

Keepers are now able to strike from deeper positions to earn two-pointers, and the previous version of the 50-metre rule would allow them to use their shooting ability to earn those points more frequently as well.

Roscommon boss Davy Burke has opened up on the RTE GAA Podcast, on what it’s been like to try deal with this new challenge against a side like Monaghan.

The Rossies faced the Farney County twice in the Allianz Football League this year. They were victorious in their third round meeting, and fell to defeat in the final, but Burke had a special plan in both games for Monaghan no.1, Rory Beggan.

He said: “We played Monaghan in the third round of the league in the Hyde and we restricted Rory Beggan to no effort at all for two pointers. We beat them by five or six points.

“We met them in the league final again. And we had a similar plan to restrict Beggan and I think he got four of them.

“A couple of them were balls brought up (for not handing ball back), which is ridiculous really. And kickout marks, which are gone.

“He’s a cheat code. He’s a complete cheat code.

“Monaghan have the No. 1 player in this new game, in my opinion. He’s the biggest threat to everybody. He could kick 0-10 in a game. He’s phenomenal.

“Particularly with the 50-metre rule. If you’re bringing any ball up, that fella can kick the ball from 60 yards over the bar.”

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