Returning Boylan defends Rules series

GAELIC GAMES NEWS:SEÁN BOYLAN'S return for a third stint as Ireland manager ahead of the 2009 International Rules series is an immediate boost for the hotly-debated experiment.

"It was a very easy decision in one way but having won the series it would have been easy to walk away," said Boylan yesterday. "I feel this year we worked very well, the Australians and the GAA. It was an honour to be part of it all.

"If we can bring the same buzz back to it next year it would be a great achievement, regardless of the result."

Don't believe him. The Meath herbalist has always been about winning, just ask any die-hard Dubliner forced to watch his Meath teams do what the Munster rugby team have perfected in the modern era.

His Ireland charges beat Australia in the reconvened hybrid game this autumn; a less than enthralling series it was generally agreed with the locals bemoaning the lack of physicality, due to stricter rules, that ensured the smaller amateur Irish possessed too many advantages.

The compromise code is far from safe in the long term with Tyrone's three-time All-Ireland winning manager Mickey Harte the most high-profile critic.

Seeing it as an obstacle to the promotion of Gaelic games, Harte reiterated this point on last week's All-Star tour in San Francisco when dismissing his own players defence of International Rules by classing it as little more than a holiday.

"Mickey has his own opinion and it must be respected but for me I could just see what it meant to players from his own county once the right environment and right spirit was created," counters Boylan.

"I can't change Mickey's opinion but we have to recognise the game has evolved. Football was nearly all hand passing for a long time and the Australians seemed to be learning more off us than we did off them but being forced to kick has come back into it now.

"For those who have branded it only a junket they should have seen the lads out there in Australia.

"They took it very serious, they were professional in their approach and we're not professionals, remember."

On announcing the reappointment of Boylan at last Saturday's Central Council meeting, a GAA statement added: "Discussions are continuing with the AFL in relation to recruitment of Irish players."

The question that lingers is whether the GAA executive can really do anything to stymie the player drain?

"As Seán Cavanagh said, young players are going to do what they want to do. Sure, just look at how well (professional rugby player) Niall Ronan (a Meath native) is doing down in Munster. He was a great Gaelic player.

"There are so many lads like that who have gone into other sports. It doesn't make them less Irish. The whole idea of Gaelic games was to bring the people together.

"It doesn't mean we have to stop playing or being interested in other sports. International Rules is the newest football sport in 100 years."

So what parameters would he suggest to at least protect those seeking a professional career in the AFL?

"Look at the professional rugby lads; it can be all over after 10 years and they can find themselves lost in society. Education is the most important thing. If the players going over are sent to college it immediately becomes more attractive.

"Look at Graham Geraghty who went to Arsenal as a teenager. Now he thought the whole experience was fantastic but there was an extraordinary loneliness attached to his time over there. He was glad to come back but he was glad to have tried it."