New Yorkers must 'watch their mouth' in new ball game

New York manager Ronan McGinley believes the new rules introduced for the 2025 Gaelic football season will pose an additional challenge for his side when they take on Galway in Gaelic Park this evening (8pm Irish time).

Tyrone native McGinley will take charge of his first game as New York manager when Galway come to town for the season opener, said his side lacks the game awareness of "how the rules are actually being played out" against a Galway side that has seven Allianz League games under the belts.

New York, restricted to in-house games due to the logistical issues of playing any competitive games before their season opener, lack "match sharpness", according to McGinley.

"It's difficult for us to grasp at the minute because we have no experience," McGinley said. "We've no games played to be able to say, 'OK, this works, or this doesn't for us.’ Right now, it's all theory."

McGinley said he is in favour of the new rules but added that they have placed an increased emphasis on fitness, with the solo-and-go significantly quickening the game.

"There's no messing. Everybody's going all the time," he said.

Similarly, McGinley said he is in favour of the 50-yard penalty for dissent but said New York’s lack of match sharpness leaves them at a distinct disadvantage against a Galway side that has had seven games to learn how to "watch their mouth".

With no official games to test out the new rules, McGinley has placed an additional emphasis on getting things right in training.

We can't make stupid mistakes and get punished. With the Galway team coming out, we're absolutely going to get punished to the nth degree

"We have [enforced the dissent rule in training]. It might be successful sometimes… but we have to try. Everything that we're doing our in-house games, we're trying to be as close to the rules that are being applied.

"We can’t make stupid mistakes and get punished. With the Galway team coming out, we're absolutely going to get punished to the nth degree."

McGinley praised Galway for a strong league campaign in Division 1 and said Pádraic Joyce’s side were one of the standout teams in the top division.

"They're taking to these new rules really well. They have the players that obviously are adapting to them," McGinley said. "The skillset that some of the players have, with these new rules, they’re really taking advantage of it."

New York and Galway have vastly different ambitions for the 2025 season, McGinley said, with the Tribesmen aiming to bring Sam Maguire back to Galway and the Exiles realistically preparing for a Tailteann Cup campaign.

"We want to go out and give a good account of ourselves… and use the game as a learning curve," he said. "They're one of the top teams in Ireland. They're going for the Sam Maguire. Our goals for the year are slightly different.

"We have to use the Galway game as good a preparation as we can get going into it [the Tailteann Cup]."

New York’s inclusion in the second tier competition has been a game changer for the American-based team, players and coaching staff said. New York first entered the competition in 2023, guaranteeing the Exiles at least one more championship game each year.

James Walsh gained Tailteann Cup experience last season

That extra game has had a marked impact on player retention, McGinley said, with more players incentivised to play inter-county football when they know their season will not end after one game, especially when some of the big hitters like Galway or Mayo come to town.

"It just kind of legitimises what we're doing out here, the fact that we have that second bite at the cherry."

He added that it was "very difficult" for players to put in months of training when they knew their season was realistically going to end after one meeting with Mayo, Galway or Roscommon.

"This year, we have 18 or 20 players in our 40-man squad that were involved last year. Consistency like that is the only way that we can build something."

Jack Carney, a former Mayo minor who has been playing with New York since 2022, said the Connacht Championship opener now affords New York an opportunity to find their feet ahead of the Tailteann Cup.

"A few years ago, you were just training all year for that one game. At least now you can train all year, try and get a good performance in the game - obviously we’re going out to win it - and at least if you get a good, strong performance in there, you can bring it into Tailteann Cup," Carney said.

James Walsh, a Kerry native who formerly represented Knocknagoshel, said New York’s inclusion in the Tailteann Cup highlights that the GAA recognises that New York is "part of the picture".

The new rules introduced for the 2025 season have introduced yet more lines to Gaelic Park’s artificial surface, which features a whirlwind of colours due to the myriad of sports played on the surface by local sports teams and students at the nearby Manhattan College. For those unfamiliar with the surface, it can take some getting used to, handing New York another element of home advantage.

Donal Hunt, who is originally from Kerry but represented Salthill before moving to the US, said the Exiles need every advantage they can get with Galway coming to the States fully primed after completing a full league campaign.

"They're going to have the jet lag, but we’ll take anything that we can get," Hunt said.

Hunt will face off against some familiar faces when Galway come to town due to his stint in Salthill and said he is relishing the unusual prospect of facing friends and former team-mates from back home.

"It’s very unique," Hunt said. "I’m looking forward to seeing them. I would have probably preferred to meet up with them for a few pints rather than trying to take the head off each other, but it’s an opportunity afforded to me based on the uniqueness associated with playing GAA out here."

Watch Donegal v Derry in the Ulster Football Championship on Sunday from 1.15pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1

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