Earley admits Rules future at stake

Ireland’s new International Rules manager, Paul Earley, admits his team enter this October’s tests mindful that the future of the series is at stake.

The former Roscommon star, who was appointed last week, is aware the identity of the compromise game has yet to solidify itself, having ranged from violence-marred clashes to tepid affairs in recent times.

However, for the sake of the players, he said they must do everything in their powers to maintain its existence as Croke Park admits it’s entering a crucial phase over the next two series.

“It’s not the World Cup in soccer or rugby, it’s different. It’s an opportunity for our elite players to represent their country.

“There is an onus on us to make sure or to try as much as we can to make the game as attractive and as appealing to ensure it has a future.

“I’ve always been very supportive of it because it is the only opportunity for our elite players to play a meaningful game for their country.

“This is a chance to play a slightly different game against professional athletes and so far they have done the country pretty proud over the years. Don’t deny them that opportunity because there is no other one to play a meaningful game.”

Earley acknowledges Australia’s inexperience made the 2011 series Down Under a one-sided contest but senses they will bring a seasoned squad in eight months’ time. He points out they have won six of eight series contested here. A member of the Football Review Committee which has called for the mark and the direct pick-up to be introduced to Gaelic football, Earley argues both games have gleaned a lot of information from each other via the International Rules.

“The AFL have said that they have learned a lot from Gaelic football over the years. It’s amazing that the game over there is much less physical than it was. The two games have developed in parallel over the last 10 or 12 years in that they’re both now possession games.

“It’s no coincidence that the International Rules has had an influence on that. The Australians would have looked at Gaelic football an awful lot closer in the evolution of the series.

“We have to be constantly looking at ways to be tweaking and improving the game. Let’s face it, the most similar game in the planet to Gaelic football, even though they play with an oval ball, is Australian Rules.

“We have learned from it and we should continue to learn from it and take things from it but only if it’s for the benefit of Gaelic football.”

Earley will put together his backroom team over the next couple of weeks and hinted he won’t necessarily follow the example of predecessor Anthony Tohill and recruit a coach from each province. Training, as expected, won’t begin until August and he said he won’t stipulate to players that they must play in this year’s series to be included on the 2014 trip to Australia as club commitments could rule them out.