Leinster manager Seán Boylan argues the Interprovincial Series is a valid way of helping curb the recent spats of indiscipline at inter-county level.
In bringing players from rival and neighbouring counties together under one team, the four-time All-Ireland winning boss reckons the competition creates harmony among players.
"Couldn’t be more important, couldn’t be more important," he repeated when asked if he believed inter-provincial camaraderie can help prevent violence in the inter-county game.
Boylan sees the Interprovincial Series as a release valve for inter-county players as well as an opportunity to appreciate one another better.
"When it’s representative like that, you’re nearly allowed to express yourself in a different way. The true spirit of the game goes on, do you know what I mean? Sometimes it’s good for players to get that release because the players love to play but this is different and it’s a once-off opportunity.
"If you take that away from them then you nearly end up that you wouldn’t be talking to each other and that’s not good."
Boylan will only see his players for the first time on the morning of the game but said every player he contacted accepted his invitation into the panel.
"That was the decision we made — not to do that," he said about not staging any training sessions. "It wouldn’t be fair — you’d be pulling them all over the place just for the sake of doing it. That wouldn’t be right.
"They are good players. This is a different competition. They can express themselves not just with the normal team plans. Other people go out and play the guitar for fun, they go out to play football for fun and enjoyment. I don’t want to have them until Sunday morning."
Former International Rules boss Boylan would like to see the panel for the tests against Australia chosen on the basis of the Interprovincial Series. He also sees the competition as an ideal opportunity for the GAA to try out experimental rule changes.
"If this takes off again, some of the rule changes that have been brought in over the years, a competition like this would be a great place to try them out with the best.
"It can be hard enough to make changes when things are going right, let alone when things aren’t going right. When lads are fighting for their place and there are new rule changes — it throws everything all over the place.
"In competitions like this they love the challenge of trying something different.
"No better competition to give them the chance to do that, even if you wanted to try two referees or whatever you wanted to do."
Flanked by selectors Ciaran Whelan and Ciaran McManus, Boylan is relishing the chance to once again be at the sideline in Parnell Park against Munster on Sunday after overcoming his fight with cancer and two knee replacements.
"If you said to be three years ago that I’d be managing a football team again, there wasn’t a hope in hell.
"When your oldest boy is 16 and your youngest child is just five, there are six kids — you start to think ‘what am I putting on the family?’
"I’m able to stand now and look most of you in the eye when before I was nearly on my hands and knees. It’s a joy and a huge pleasure and a marvellous honour."
Competition sponsor Martin Donnelly is aware of GAA President Christy Cooney’s remark that this year is a "test case" for it but wants to see the Association get behind it and is encouraged by director general Páraic Duffy’s efforts.
"It’s easy to say judge it but if you don’t lift a hand to help it and you put obstacles in the way, you can’t judge it.
"We have to give it a couple of years and we have to give it a plan. And if we do that, it can succeed."
Leinster hurling manager Joe Dooley also reported every player he and his selectors John Conran and Derek Lyng got in touch with were willing to be included.
They face Munster in Nowlan Park on Sunday with 13 of the Kilkenny team that won last year’s All-Ireland final, Eddie Brennan (retired) and Henry Shefflin (injured) the only absentees.
"Every player that I contacted, they were delighted to get the phone call," said Dooley. "Similarly with the county managers, Anthony Daly, Ollie Baker, Brian Cody, absolutely no problems whatsoever, they would row in with whatever we were doing which is great."
a d v e r t i s e m e n t
This appeared in the printed version of the Irish Examiner Tuesday, February 14, 2012
