Outspoken Sunday Game pundit Joe Brolly has joined the chorus of disapproval following the introduction of the mark.
The controversial new rule, which will give a player the option of a quick free when a kick-out is caught cleanly beyond the 45-metre line, was passed at Congress in Carlow last weekend.
Already Dublin midfielders past and present, Ciaran Whelan and Michael Darragh MacAuley, have spoken out against the rule and on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke Wednesday morning, Brolly gave his two cents worth.
“It’s a total cop out. High catching is not the problem, it’s never been the problem in the game. It’s the blanket defence that’s the problem and that’s made the game unwatchable. There’s not a problem with high catching,” said the All-Ireland winning Derry forward.
Brolly does not believe granting midfielders the time to pick a pass will make matters any easier, because the opposing defence will already be in place.
“The problem is what happens when you catch the ball. The big problem is the blanket defence and this does nothing at all to diffuse that problem.
“A team can wait for you to catch the ball, run without taking the mark, and then foul you. If you win the mark you can use that to delay the game. It’s a total cop out.
“It’s classic GAA window-dress, which is, ‘well we’ve done something, we know it’s really nothing and we know it’s not going to have any impact whatsoever on the real problem on the game but sure there you are’.”
Well, you’d be worried if he was happy. Wouldn’t you?
