CONOR NEVILLE: Careful what you wish for with consistency

The cry ‘consistency’ has become an unlikely clarion call in recent years.

All the intercounty Gaelic footballer asks for is some consistency from referees. All he craves is a regular, impersonal, robotic application of the rules. Is this a big ask? In the context of Gaelic football it is a rather tall order.

For one thing, absolute consistency is an impossibility. Referees are not robots and thus don’t see every incident exactly the same way. Not every example of inconsistency arises from a wilful misapplication of the rules.