GAA star labelled best player under new rules: 'He's a complete cheat code'
Rory Beggan has been described by Roscommon manager Davy Burke as the best player in the country under the new Gaelic football rules.
The 33-year-old has kicked 0-54 in 12 competitive games this year, scoring many a two-pointer from long range under the new rules.
Burke's Roscommon have faced Monaghan twice this year so the Rossie boss has seen first hand the damage Beggan can do from distance.
"We played Monaghan in the third round of the league in the Hyde and we restricted Rory Beggan to no effort at all for two pointers," Burke said on the RTÉ GAA podcast. "We beat them by five or six points.
"We met them in the league final again. And we had a similar plan to restrict Beggan and I think he got four of them.
"A couple of them were balls brought up (for not handing ball back), which is ridiculous really. And kickout marks, which are gone.
"He's a cheat code. He's a complete cheat code.
"Monaghan have the No. 1 player in this new game, in my opinion. He's the biggest threat to everybody. He could kick 0-10 in a game. He's phenomenal.
"Particularly with the 50-metre rule. If you're bringing any ball up, that fella can kick the ball from 60 yards over the bar.
"In fairness to the refs, they don't give away soft frees on the top of the arc. I would imagine they're discussing it themselves.
"They don't tend to give you a soft free at the arc because most teams are playing for them, let's be honest about it. So, they don't tend to give you them, which is fair enough.
"But the ones that are killing teams are the 50m ones. You might think a free up the field, there's no jeopardy to it. But if you stand in the way and they bring it up 50m and then the likes of a Beggan or a Niall Morgan can kick it from 60 metres and it's a real, real hammer-blow."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Times
an hour ago
- Irish Times
Rory Beggan's Monaghan season ends having scored 26 two-pointers
Beggan tops Monaghan's scoring charts from goalkeeper One of the best online resources for Gaelic football statistics at present is X account @TheNumbersGael, collated by journalist John Hughes. Hughes publishes teams' statistics for the season , unearthing interesting nuggets. For example, Brian Howard, David Byrne and Ciaran Kilkenny were the only three players to start every league and championship match (14 in total) for Dublin this year. Dessie Farrell's win percentage as manager was 69.32 per cent over 88 games; for context, predecessor Jim Gavin's was an astonishing 76.69 per cent over 133 matches. Outgoing Roscommon manager Davy Burke's record, per Hughes' research, was 40.91 per cent over 44 matches. Hughes also totted up the percentage of scores contributed by a single player. Waterford's Jason Curry leads the way with a sensational 39.15 per cent of the Déise's total in 2025, followed by Sam Mulroy of Louth (36.11 per cent), Limerick attacker James Naughton (35.07 per cent), Pat Havern of Down (33.45 per cent) and Westmeath's Luke Loughlin (33.33 per cent). READ MORE What may be the most impressive stat, however, is Rory Beggan contributing 0-59 across 13 Monaghan matches, 0-54 from placed balls. That tally, including 26 two-pointers, makes him the Farney's leading scorer and surely marks the first time a goalkeeper has ever topped a county's scoring charts. Eamonn Fitzmaurice's theory does not hold water 'Galway,' opined co-commentator Eamonn Fitzmaurice 32 minutes into yesterday's clash, 'will be happy enough, they're not playing with much explosiveness yet playing for the third week in a row, it's the second half before you really get going.' That was certainly the case on the previous evening as Donegal, noticeably flat in the first half in what was their third match in two weeks, powered on after the break, winning the second half by 1-15 to 0-5, having trailed by seven. Fitzmaurice's own Kerry also backed it up emphatically afterwards but overall, results do not fully back up his theory. For example, in 2023, just a point separated Dublin and Mayo at half-time in the quarter-final but the Dubs, who'd had two weeks off, won by 12. Also that year, a rested Kerry were three up at half-time and won the second half by nine against Tyrone; Cork vs Dery was a one-point game at the midway point before the Rebels wilted, losing by four. Monaghan were the outliers in 2023 but just about – they trailed by one at half-time against Armagh, were level at full-time and only won on penalties. Last year, of the four quarter-finalists playing three weeks on the bounce, Derry, Louth and Roscommon were all competitive in the first half and lost the second by five, eight and four points respectively, with Galway (against Dublin) the only ones to buck the trend. Seán O'Shea of Kerry kicks a two-pointer. Photograph: James Lawlor/Inpho Quote 'So there it is. Armagh v David Clifford. The only Kerry footballer worthy of the name ...' Columnist Joe Brolly didn't count on a Man of the Match display from Sean O'Shea ... Improving as they go along is Meath's heritage Meath, it's fair to say, have generally got better and better as this year has gone on, having toiled in Division 2 of the league. Then again, maybe it was always thus. The Royals' last win over Galway at Croke Park was the 1970 All-Ireland semi-final. Writing on these pages that morning, Paddy Downey noted Meath's 'capacity for enormous improvement in each successive game'. 'While hardly a phenomenon, it has confounded the critics many times in the past, most noticeably in 1964 when they also played Galway in a semi-final, in 1966, when the counties met in the final and again in the following year, when the team led by Peter Darby won the Sam Maguire Cup.' Meath's levels have escalated in a similar manner this year. Downey, for the record, was the only journo to tip Meath; Mick Dunne in the Press and the Independent's John D Hickey both plumped for the Tribesmen. Number: 3 Donegal wides against Monaghan; amazingly, Michael Murphy registered them all. Monaghan's Kieran Duffy and Michael Murphy of Donegal. Photograph: James Crombie/Inpho Jordan Morris leaves Cavan wondering what could have been Meath's Man of the Match, Jordan Morris, was beaming as he accepted his award after the win over Galway, concluding his interview with a rousing – and loud – 'Up the Royallll!' Ironically, the sharpshooter plays his club football just across the county boundary in Cavan. Morris began his career with the Kingscourt Stars club before transferring to Nobber in Meath in his teens. Morris scored 2-6 as the club won a long-awaited Intermediate Championship title in Meath in 2019 but transferred back to the Stars, one of the giants of senior football in Cavan, in early 2022, helping them to the Senior Championship final the following year. Breffni fans had hoped the now 25-year-old would switch county allegiances too but he quickly ruled that out (and more's the pity, says this column).
The 42
11 hours ago
- The 42
Drama aplenty as Laois, Tyrone, Monaghan and Westmeath advance to final four
LAOIS, TYRONE, MONAGHAN and Westmeath have advanced to the semi-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland intermediate championship after two of the quarter-finals went to extra-time on a weekend of drama. The 2022 champions Laois will now meet a Monaghan side bidding for their first title in the grade in the semi-finals, while Westmeath, who last won the crown in 2021, will be hoping to take a step closer to lifting the Mary Quinn Memorial Cup when they meet 2018 title-holders Tyrone. Those games will take place on Sunday, 13 July, the same day that Louth meet Longford and Antrim take on Sligo in the semi-finals of the TG4 All-Ireland junior championship semi-finals. Meanwhile, Offaly and Wicklow will meet in the intermediate relegation play-off decider after Down defeated Offaly by 1-12 to 0-4, while Roscommon ousted Wicklow by 3-13 to 1-9 in the play-offs at the weekend. Westmeath booked their place in the last four when they pipped Cavan by 3-7 to 1-12. The sides were level at the break after Grainne Byrne and Sarah Dillon found the net for Westmeath and Aisling Gilsenan, who finished with 1-7, responded for Cavan. Westmeath's third goal, scored by Anna Jones, proved to be the decisive score of the contest. Advertisement Laois edged out Wexford by 1-17 to 2-12 after extra-time. A goal from Emma Lawlor helped Laois lead by 1-6 to 0-6 at the break, but Lauren Kearney forced the game to extra-time at 1-10 apiece. Two points apiece from Mo Nerney, who finished with 0-7, and Fiona Dooley saw Laois across the line despite a goal from Tara Doyle for Wexford. Tyrone also had to go to extra-time before seeing off Fermanagh by 2-20 to 2-15. They were level at 0-7 each at half-time. Eimear Smyth got a goal from a penalty for Fermanagh and then sent the tie to extra-time with a point from a later free. Two goals from Sorcha Gormley in a haul of 2-4 as Aoife Horisk took her tally to 0-8, including five frees, was enough to book Tyrone's semi-final spot. Monaghan led Clare by 1-7 to 1-5 at the break thanks to a goal from Eabha Sherry, but a goal from Megan Downes kept the Banner County in touch. Sherry took her tally to 1-6, five frees and a point from a penalty, as Monaghan advanced by 1-14 to 1-8. TG4 All-Ireland intermediate championship quarter-finals Laois 1-17 Wexford 2-12 (aet) Tyrone 2-20 Fermanagh 2-15 (aet) Monaghan 1-14 Clare 1-8 Westmeath 3-7 Cavan 1-12 TG4 All-Ireland intermediate relegation play-offs Down 1-12 Offaly 0-4 Roscommon 3-13 Wicklow 1-9 TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship Group A Louth 2-12 Sligo 0-14 Derry 3-11 Kilkenny 3-8 Group B Antrim 8-16 Carlow 3-7 TG4 All-Ireland Intermediate Championship semi-finals To be played on Sunday, 13 July Laois v Monaghan Tyrone v Westmeath TG4 All-Ireland Junior Championship semi-finals To be played on Sunday, 13 July Louth v Longford Antrim v Sligo. ****
The Irish Sun
12 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Lots of fight' – RTE GAA pundits react to Sean O'Shea's ‘very interesting' interview after Kerry dethrone Armagh
SEAN O'Shea made it clear Kerry's panel drew motivation from how they were largely "written off" ahead of upsetting Armagh. The Kingdom showed 2025 may see them rule Gaelic football once again with a statement performance while dumping the All-Ireland champions out at the quarter-final stage. 2 The 26-year-old was the driving force throughout as they ground Armagh down Credit: @TheSundayGame 2 Lee Keegan acknowledged it was a 'very interesting' post-match interview Credit: @TheSundayGame O'Shea led the way from the start and wound up being their top scorer with a haul of 12 points. Afterwards during his Player of the Match interview he made a point of how their dominant second half showing only came as a surprise to those on the outside looking in. The Kenmare clubman emphasized: "We were written off. People weren't giving us a hope, even down home (in Kerry). "But we've a really tight group. Nobody knows what goes inside there in our dressing room. As fellas we love each other. We're a really tight group and I think that showed there today. Read More On GAA "We'd asked the Kerry crowd to get behind us today and they really did help us out there during that second half." He was then asked had their more fringe players proven they're up to the task of being potential All-Ireland winners. The three-time All-Star noted that today's contest enforced another case of "next man up" on them when star defender Tom O'Sullivan was forced off with a muscle injury. He added: "People have probably talked about our squad and said that we don't have strength in depth. Most read in GAA Football "But we showed today that we do. Look at Evan Looney coming in for Tom O'Sullivan after 10 or 15 minutes. "In only his third or fourth Championship game I thought he took it to like a duck to water. Nothing phased him. 'So much integrity' - RTE viewers hail Stephen Cluxton for 'principled stand' Dublin GAA icon took during Parnells saga "So we've full faith in our squad, we see the standards in it every night in training. We just can't wait to get two more weeks out of them." When the camera threw back to Joanne Cantwell and the punditry team of Lee Keegan, Tomás Ó Sé and Derry midfielder Conor Glass, they were struck by its forthright nature. While it wasn't exactly Kieran Donaghy "Well Joe Brolly what do you think about that" levels of score-settling, host Cantwell noted how fired up he clearly was. KINGDOM COMING She summarised: "Lots of fight from Sean O'Shea, not only on the pitch but in his words as well." Mayo great Keegan then chipped in: "That was a very interesting interview I have to say. Interesting hearing say they'd extra energy from morning to night. "And they clearly threw off the shackles. But as well as that their work-rate and intensity (was the number one factor). "Enda McGinly on commetary was right to call it a statement performance. "They did everything right today. To score 32 points that is some return in a game like that. So listen, it was a deserving victory and he in particular was awesome." Kerry will face another familiar Ulster foe as they were drawn against Tyrone while Donegal and Meath will square off in the other semi-final after the Royals Those games will play out across July 12 and 13 with exact fixture details to be confirmed by the CCCC on Monday.
