LIMERICK were penalised just once for an illegal handpass in Sunday’s league win over Galway but manager John Kiely is still keen to address the issue in training.
At Pearse Stadium, Limerick All-Star Séamus Flanagan was whistled-up at one point by Dublin referee and Sixmilebridge native Seán Stack.
There had been an intense conversation on the handpass rule in the run-up to the weekend programme of fixtures.
“I think a lot of that just stemmed from what I call mad talk really,” said Kiely afterwards.
“It is a very hard one for referees to adjudicate on. I think Seán did a really good job today. He pulled Séamus for one in the second half and he was right. 100 per cent right. We’re all trying hard in training, as I am sure every county is, to really emphasise getting quality in the contact and being definitive in the contact.”
Speaking in a general context on the matter, four-time All-Ireland Final referee Barry Kelly of Westmeath commented: “You look at warm-ups before a game and none of them are being done properly. It’s being thrown.
“There’s still rounds of the league left to get some kind of clamp on it. I’m more and more inclined with the Conor O’Donovan (Tipperary) type flick it off the hurley because it has become endemic in the game now. It’s now basically just fouling the whole time.”
