With the proposed new playing rules having a definite aim of speeding up the game of Gaelic football, Éamonn Fitzmaurice is hoping that the emphasis on speed won't lead to a wider gulf between counties, in that it's his expectation that teams will let the ball do the work in transitioning up the field.
Over the weekend, Croke Park trialled the 'seven core enhancements' set out by the Football Review Committee, with the return of the interprovincial series giving the wider public a chance to see the proposals.
While some of the players and managers involved are not convinced by all the proposed rules, committee member Fitzmaurice was satisfied with what transpired over the four games, with Ulster running out winners after edging Connacht on penalties in the decider.
"I was delighted with the weekend, particularly Saturday," he told RTÉ Radio's Morning Ireland.
"I wouldn't say we were nervous [beforehand] because we had seen seven games previous to that where we had been trialling the enhancements, trying to improve them and road-test them as we were going. We were anticipating it more than anything else in general, and hoping that the whole country would get to see what we had been seeing over the course of the summer.
"I thought that you could see straight away, even within the 24 hours, the way the players and coaches were starting to grasp the enhancements and put little nuances into them. The second game on Saturday probably gave a great portrayal of what we are trying to do and the potential of these proposed enhancements."
Higher levels of fitness, without doubt, will be required if the proposed changes are implemented. "It's a good complaint", said Fitzmaurice, when asked whether such a requirement could lead to more
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