Keeper Morgan backs new rules bar kickout change

Niall Morgan showed that there is still the potential for goalkeepers to be used as an attacking option under the new rules as he produced a man-of-the-match display in Ulster's win over Munster

Niall Morgan says he is in favour of all bar one of the new proposed football rules after experiencing them while producing a man-of-the-match display in Ulster's Interprovincial semi-final win over Munster on Friday night.

The new rules were road tested for the first time as Connacht hammered Leinster 4-21 to 1-11 and Morgan helped Ulster hold off Munster 0-23 to 2-11.

The Tyrone star's performance showed that goalkeepers can still be employed as an attacking option under the new rules as he kicked a two-pointer from outside the 40-metre arc and charged into opposition territory on numerous occasions.

“The back pass had to come in because the game had got a little bit boring. Even as goalkeepers we found that," said Morgan of the rule which prevents team-mates from passing the ball back to the keeper unless both are in the large rectangle.

“But I’m glad they didn’t completely pin us to the posts. The game has become more attractive to goalkeepers over the past couple of years and I would have hated for that to have been gone."

Morgan's only real gripe with the seven primary rules changes proposed by the Football Review Committee led by Jim Gavin involves keepers not been allowed to take short kickouts with the ball having to go outside the new 40-metre arc unless intercepted by the opposition.

"Come February time, in gale force winds in Salthill in Galway, with six men at six foot four, then it could become a case of just lumping the ball out. You would hate for the skill to be taken away from the kick out," added the Edendork man.

“That’s probably the only rule I would say that I’m not in favour of at the minute."

Niall Morgan and his Ulster team-mates had the opportunity to watch the new rules in operation for the first time in the opening Interprovincial semi-final when Connacht hammered Leinster 4-21 to 1-11

Morgan accepted the general consensus after Friday evening's two contests that a true reflection on the new rules' merits will only become apparent if they get the go-ahead to be used during the Allianz Football League in the late winter and spring.

“Hopefully the game changes for the better. I don’t know if we’re going to see that tonight and tomorrow. It’s not going to be until games are really cut throat and have something on the line," said Morgan after Ulster's 0-23 to 2-11 victory, which translated to a four-point with four points awarded for goals under the new rules.

However, Morgan expects all seven rules to be in operation for next year's League.

“I don’t think it’s a matter of which rules, I think they are all going to go through," said the 2021 All-Ireland winner.

“The group of people in charge of it are all an intelligent bunch, they’ve obviously thought things through and the rules are going to go in."

The new rules in operation didn't prevent Ulster playing keep ball in the closing two minutes of their win over Munster after their lead had been cut to two points and this led to boos from the small attendance at Croke Park.

“You could see tonight we kept the ball for 35 seconds and got booed. We used to do it for 35 minutes," smiled Morgan.

“Managers are going to find a way around them, that’s the next part, but something had to change and we had to press for it.”