Horan hits out at GAA over squad declaration rule

Horan could not call on a full matchday squad of 26 players as he lost one to injury and one to sickness after he had to submit the panel to Croke Park on Thursday morning.

Sat, 11 Jun, 2022 - 20:35

John Fogarty

Mayo manager James Horan has hit out the GAA’s squad declaration rule after he was forced to pick from a depleted panel against Kildare in this evening’s All-Ireland SFC qualifier.

Horan could not call on a full matchday squad of 26 players as he lost one to injury and one to sickness after he had to submit the panel to Croke Park on Thursday morning.

“We’d a player that got sick this morning and couldn’t come, and we had a player that got injured on Thursday,” he explained. “The GAA rule is one of the craziest rules that ever existed.

“We had a game last weekend against Monaghan, and we trained Tuesday and Thursday. I’ve to submit a 26 on Thursday morning by 9 am. If anyone gets injured, or hurt, or anything after that, you can’t add anyone to the panel.

“I’m not sure if people know or understand that, it’s one of the stupidest rules that I’ve heard of. So we arrived with 24 players today, and in a game like that, that cuts your options.

“So why can’t it be a day before, or whenever? To have to do it a couple of days before a game doesn’t make any sense, and then people give out about the team not starting that was on the programme. I’ve to submit a team but we might have a fitness test for four players.” Having been down six points early in the second half, Horan expressed relief that Mayo progressed to the quarter-finals. “The objective for the day was to get into a quarter-final and we did that. You’d like to do it very differently. We stuck at it and got through it so I’m delighted with that, the character that the lads showed as they always do.

“Hugely satisfied with how we ground it out playing so poorly, but our first half, the energy and intent was non-existent. So to go five or six down in the second half, they had a goal chance and Enda Hession got a big block (on Daniel Flynn).

“There was a couple of big plays in the second half that turned the whole momentum of the game – it gave us that bit of energy we needed to push Kildare back a bit.”