SUNDAY GAME PUNDIT CIARÁN Whelan says the introduction of goal-line technology is a “no-brainer” for the GAA after a series of controversial calls went against Dublin in their All-Ireland semi-final defeat against Kerry.
Whelan was speaking on the highlights show where he was joined by Cora Staunton and Armagh forward Rory Grugan. The panel discussed some key moments which shaped the course of the game, including a first-half penalty for Kerry, the potential of a square ball for Kerry’s second goal, and whether Dublin should have been awarded a goal after Ross McGarry’s palmed effort.
Staunton felt the penalty was “very harsh” against Dublin’s Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne who was adjudged to have fouled Joe O’Connor by referee Brendan Cawley.
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Whelan added that the square ball was “very frustrating from Dublin’s perspective” as video replays showed Kerry’s Seán O’Brien was in the square when he fisted home their second goal which helped power his side to a 2-18 to 0-20 win.
“A blatant square ball,” Whelan continued. “The umpires have one job to look out for that, and it’s now prominent in our game where the big men go in on the edge of the square trying to be a distraction to the keeper. They’re getting in their face. That should have been called.”
"It's hard not to get over that human error
Cora, Ciarán and Rory discuss the controversial calls that went against Dublin in this evening's matchup against Kerry.
McGarry’s attempt at a late goal for Dublin was deflected off the woodwork and came back into play, although replays showed that the ball had crossed the line.
Staunton suggested bringing in a score assist system similar to the one that exists in Ladies Football, which allows referees 30 seconds to refer to a score before making a final decision.
Whelan added:
“It’s a no-brainer. There should be something there in goal-line technology. VAR is a broader conversation. We don’t want to be coming back for every foul, but it can be brought in for certain aspects of the game.
“And it is challenging for one referee to referee the game. He has to rely on his umpires and linesmen. But when you have seven, eight games [in] a weekend, it’s not possible to have that [goal-line technology] but when we get to semi-final stage, it’s hugely important [to have it].”
Grugan sympathised with the Dublin players after such a disappointing end to their season, and said such match-defining calls must be officiated more fairly.
“There’s so much that goes into it, nine or 10 months of preparation. You just want these calls to be fair and equal. You can see from Dublin’s perspective how frustrated they’d be. There’s a big debate. You see with the World Cup around VAR, it’s hard to know whether you want to bring it in but when you have a system like what Cora’s talking about, you can see why that would solve that issue quickly.
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“It’s hard not get over the human error. To not give the goal was a tough call on the Dubs.
“The controversy is what stands out for us now. We should be talking about the scores, but we’re coming back to this, and it’s the human error side of things. I know if I was in the Dublin set-up, you’d be gutted this evening.
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'It's a no-brainer' - Sunday Game panel call for introduction of goal-line technology
SUNDAY GAME PUNDIT CIARÁN Whelan says the introduction of goal-line technology is a “no-brainer” for the GAA after a series of controversial calls went against Dublin in their All-Ireland semi-final defeat against Kerry.
Whelan was speaking on the highlights show where he was joined by Cora Staunton and Armagh forward Rory Grugan. The panel discussed some key moments which shaped the course of the game, including a first-half penalty for Kerry, the potential of a square ball for Kerry’s second goal, and whether Dublin should have been awarded a goal after Ross McGarry’s palmed effort.
Staunton felt the penalty was “very harsh” against Dublin’s Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne who was adjudged to have fouled Joe O’Connor by referee Brendan Cawley.
Whelan added that the square ball was “very frustrating from Dublin’s perspective” as video replays showed Kerry’s Seán O’Brien was in the square when he fisted home their second goal which helped power his side to a 2-18 to 0-20 win.
“A blatant square ball,” Whelan continued. “The umpires have one job to look out for that, and it’s now prominent in our game where the big men go in on the edge of the square trying to be a distraction to the keeper. They’re getting in their face. That should have been called.”
McGarry’s attempt at a late goal for Dublin was deflected off the woodwork and came back into play, although replays showed that the ball had crossed the line.
Staunton suggested bringing in a score assist system similar to the one that exists in Ladies Football, which allows referees 30 seconds to refer to a score before making a final decision.
Whelan added:
“It’s a no-brainer. There should be something there in goal-line technology. VAR is a broader conversation. We don’t want to be coming back for every foul, but it can be brought in for certain aspects of the game.
“And it is challenging for one referee to referee the game. He has to rely on his umpires and linesmen. But when you have seven, eight games [in] a weekend, it’s not possible to have that [goal-line technology] but when we get to semi-final stage, it’s hugely important [to have it].”
Grugan sympathised with the Dublin players after such a disappointing end to their season, and said such match-defining calls must be officiated more fairly.
“There’s so much that goes into it, nine or 10 months of preparation. You just want these calls to be fair and equal. You can see from Dublin’s perspective how frustrated they’d be. There’s a big debate. You see with the World Cup around VAR, it’s hard to know whether you want to bring it in but when you have a system like what Cora’s talking about, you can see why that would solve that issue quickly.
“It’s hard not get over the human error. To not give the goal was a tough call on the Dubs.
“The controversy is what stands out for us now. We should be talking about the scores, but we’re coming back to this, and it’s the human error side of things. I know if I was in the Dublin set-up, you’d be gutted this evening.
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