No pre-season and possible new rules a challenge for new Tyrone boss Malachy O'Rourke

New Tyrone manager Malachy O'Rourke acknowledged that the abolition of the pre-season competitions for 2025 could make adjusting to potential rule changes tricky next January.

O'Rourke, confirmed as Tyrone manager on a three-year term on Tuesday, is also a member of Jim Gavin's Football Review Committee, which has proposed a suite of new rules, including awarding two points for a score beyond the 40m line and a requirement to leave three players in one half of the field at all times.

The rules are set to be trialled at four inter-provincial games in Croke Park on 18/19 October, after which Congress will vote on their introduction.

However, with the long maligned provincial pre-season competitions having been axed for the coming season, the next time the experimental rules - should they pass at Congress - will be witnessed in action by spectators will be the opening round of the Allianz Football League.

"It remains to be seen whether the rules will get through," O'Rourke told reporters.

"That is the hope. There's been a lot of work that has gone into it. The remit the group was given was to make it the most exciting amateur field game in the world to watch or play. That has been our focus the whole time.

"The first opportunity for everyone to see them will be the 18th or 19th, there's interpros and people get a good look at them. But with the pre season competitions gone, the first time they would be seen would be in the National League, so it makes it interesting.

"Sometimes challenge matches can give you a wee bit of a false sense of where you are.

"And if there are a number of rule changes, that will be a different dynamic as well. So, there will be plenty of things to think about.

"If the rule changes come in, a lot of the