Gavin favoured retention of handpass rule January 27, 2019





Dublin manager Jim Gavin. ©INPHO/Tommy Dickson. Dublin manager Jim Gavin. ©INPHO/Tommy Dickson.

Jim Gavin has taken a swipe at inter-county managers who led calls for the restricted handpass rule to be ditched for the Allianz League.

The Dublin manager believes the contentious rule should have been given a chance to prove its worth in the GAA's second most important inter-county competition.

"If the governing body decides to change the rules of the game, I don't think managers should have a soap box to change them either way," Gavin told RTE after the All-Ireland champions' surprise defeat to Monaghan this afternoon.

"I made my feelings known on behalf of the team to the county board and they then represented the county of Dublin. From my perspective, I've no issue with them.

"The only thing I would have said is maybe just get on with it and have the rules in for the championship.

"Some of our players have to go back and play Sigerson competition on Wednesday and then play with a different set of rules with club fixtures in the coming weeks. It's a little bit confusing for them."

Gavin had no complaints about today's result, adding: "Overall Monaghan fully deserved the win. They're always strong this time of year and they carry that strength right throughout the championship.

"Two black cards went against us. That's the way the game goes. It was a great challenge for our guys.

"That game today is worth a couple of weeks in training. Now we focus on a really tough game against Galway next weekend."

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