IF TWO-POINT SCORES had existed in 2024, Galway would be All-Ireland champions and Paul Conroy would have a medal to go with his Footballer of the Year award.
The veteran midfielder kicked three scores in last year’s final loss to Armagh that would be considered two-pointers this year, while Rob Finnerty booted another.
It’s no surprise then that Galway have taken full advantage of the rule this year with eight two-pointers in their two NFL Division 1 games so far. Conroy scored one of those as well as four more in a challenge game against Kildare.
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“At the moment now you almost get, I wouldn’t say a licence to shoot all the time, but you have to look at the risk/reward in it,” said Conroy, who was speaking at the announcement that Solgar is an official partner of the GAA Museum and the new vitamin partner of the GAA/GPA.
“If you can put over a two-pointer it is a big reward. Before, it was all about percentages and working it into zones and where you’d kick from whereas now, if you take a couple of two-pointers and they don’t go over, well, if you do get one or two of them you’re still coming up with maybe four points from five shots.”
But while Conroy said football is more enjoyable under the new rules, pointing to how ‘boring’ things had become for armchair viewers, he predicted one tweak to the two-point scoring system around long-range frees.
“I think that could be one that if there was one to change, I don’t know will that stay,” he said of teams being awarded two-points for frees kicked outside the arc.
“For example, the infringement where you don’t keep your three players in the half, the referee brings the ball in for a 21-yard free that you can then bring back out (of the arc). I’d say that could be one that might change.”
Within the rules as they stand, Conroy has predicted more innovation around long kicking. Galway’s kick-pass to hand-pass ratio in last year’s All-Ireland final was just one to six.
“I think more kicking will become more evident as the months go on,” he said. “As players get more used to it and as the weather dries up, you will have to use the foot a bit more.”
Another stat from last year’s All-Ireland final is that Galway hand-passed the ball 347 times. At one stage, they hand-passed the ball 22 times in a row. Some commentators have suggested a restriction on hand-passing should have been included in the new suite of rules.
“I don’t have a massive issue with it at the moment, maybe it’s something that will appear more as the league goes on but it doesn’t strike me as something I’d say has to be changed instantly,” said Conroy.
On the personnel front, a fully fit squad has allowed Galway to hit the ground running in 2025. Damien Comer is the only high profile absentee as things stand.
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“He is back doing a bit of running and stuff,” said Conroy of the powerful full-forward. “Hopefully he will be back later in the league.”
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Conroy: Football is more enjoyable under new rules - though one tweak is needed
IF TWO-POINT SCORES had existed in 2024, Galway would be All-Ireland champions and Paul Conroy would have a medal to go with his Footballer of the Year award.
The veteran midfielder kicked three scores in last year’s final loss to Armagh that would be considered two-pointers this year, while Rob Finnerty booted another.
It’s no surprise then that Galway have taken full advantage of the rule this year with eight two-pointers in their two NFL Division 1 games so far. Conroy scored one of those as well as four more in a challenge game against Kildare.
“At the moment now you almost get, I wouldn’t say a licence to shoot all the time, but you have to look at the risk/reward in it,” said Conroy, who was speaking at the announcement that Solgar is an official partner of the GAA Museum and the new vitamin partner of the GAA/GPA.
“If you can put over a two-pointer it is a big reward. Before, it was all about percentages and working it into zones and where you’d kick from whereas now, if you take a couple of two-pointers and they don’t go over, well, if you do get one or two of them you’re still coming up with maybe four points from five shots.”
But while Conroy said football is more enjoyable under the new rules, pointing to how ‘boring’ things had become for armchair viewers, he predicted one tweak to the two-point scoring system around long-range frees.
“I think that could be one that if there was one to change, I don’t know will that stay,” he said of teams being awarded two-points for frees kicked outside the arc.
“For example, the infringement where you don’t keep your three players in the half, the referee brings the ball in for a 21-yard free that you can then bring back out (of the arc). I’d say that could be one that might change.”
Within the rules as they stand, Conroy has predicted more innovation around long kicking. Galway’s kick-pass to hand-pass ratio in last year’s All-Ireland final was just one to six.
“I think more kicking will become more evident as the months go on,” he said. “As players get more used to it and as the weather dries up, you will have to use the foot a bit more.”
Another stat from last year’s All-Ireland final is that Galway hand-passed the ball 347 times. At one stage, they hand-passed the ball 22 times in a row. Some commentators have suggested a restriction on hand-passing should have been included in the new suite of rules.
“I don’t have a massive issue with it at the moment, maybe it’s something that will appear more as the league goes on but it doesn’t strike me as something I’d say has to be changed instantly,” said Conroy.
On the personnel front, a fully fit squad has allowed Galway to hit the ground running in 2025. Damien Comer is the only high profile absentee as things stand.
“He is back doing a bit of running and stuff,” said Conroy of the powerful full-forward. “Hopefully he will be back later in the league.”
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FRC GAA Gaelic Football Galway New ball game Paul Conroy