Davy Fitz wants GAA to copy aspects of rugby for future games

Antrim boss, Davy Fitzgerald, was embroiled in controversy after his side’s heavy 6-27 to 1-14 defeat to Galway in May.

Fitzgerald gave an extraordinary rant about Johnny Murphy, after the Saffrons’ Declan McCloskey was sent off for an incident spotted by the linesman.

The Antrim manager was hit with an eight-week ban by the GAA following his actions, and the 53-year-old has now come out to speak about the incident.

Fitzgerald believes all that the management teams want is consistency from officials, and that the GAA can achieve this by taking an example from rugby.

He said: “Some of the referees are incredible, they’ll talk to you the next day. Do you know what? That makes you feel a lot better.

“I’ve asked them questions and said, ‘I got that wrong’, or else they’ve told me what they’ve seen and I’ve said, “OK, I kind of didn’t think that’. It allows you an avenue where you can have a chat and do it.

“I’d love to see the night before or before the game that you have 10 minutes with him and he says to you, ‘This is what I’m looking for, A, B, C and D.’ There’s dialogue there. There’s chat.

He added: “In rugby, you can talk to the referee days before the game. I like it. You have an idea even what way to train the team because you’re looking at it, I think that’s sensible.

“I think the following day, if I want to ask the referee, ‘listen, that call, can you just explain to me what you saw?’, there should be a channel at least.”

The Saffron’s gaffer also feels the way coaches sit up in a box in rugby, and aren’t on the sideline, is another aspect he thinks the GAA should implement into the game.

Fitzgerald said: “Do we need to be on the sideline? Is it just to be seen? Everyone would probably think that I’d love to be in there.

“No, if it would make life easier for the referees. You look at the Andy Farrells, they have their information there and their stats teams.

“I’m trying to think outside the box and see if there’s something that would help this whole situation – communication channels opened, take management off the sideline and allow roam runners.”