Lack of defined tackle upsetting Niall Carew

Sligo boss Niall Carew has hit out at the lack of a defined tackle in Gaelic football.

Carew was furious at the dismissal of defender Brian Curran in their narrow defeat to Limerick (0-14 to 1-9) in Sunday’s Division Three league opener in Kilmallock. Curran was shown a yellow and then a black card by referee Conor Lane and Carew believes players and officials are struggling due to lack of clarity in the rule book.

Carew said: “If you don’t have a definite tackle, I can’t coach a tackle, because there isn’t a tackle. There is a different interpretation every week. Unless they bring in the Australian Rules football tackle, which is release the ball when you are tackled and then everyone knows if you don’t release the ball it is a free against you. Unless they do that, you are going to have lads like me giving out every week.

“Games are so tight in all these divisions it will come down to a few decisions by a referee. The sending off was definitely a turning point. I’d say we probably had two shots on goal after that.”

The sending off came when Sligo led 1-8 to 0-8.

“Brian Curran is a big player for us and is one of our leaders. We struggled then against the extra man. I don’t know what Brian is supposed to do, let him through? Just open up and say, ‘sure, go ahead there’.

“Daniel Maye (corner-back), was another one who did very well but he was on a yellow and a tick. That was my point with Conor (Lane). He is generally a good referee. But we were getting yellows and ticks. Limerick were putting in the same tackles and they were getting yellows and ticks as well. What happens then, it mightn’t look bad at the time, but you end up getting two yellows or a yellow and a black, and then you are off.”