Time for GAA to consider video referees in wake of Eoghan McLaughlin incident

TYNAN'S TAKE: By Stuart Tynan

It was one of Mayo's best ever days at Croke Park.

Truly raging against the Dublin machine after performing like a broken down old car in the first half, they hit the turbo and blew the Dubs away on an evening that no one in attendance or watching at home will ever forget. Unfortunately, there is one aspect of the game that has left a sour taste in the mouth and that is the performance of referee Conor Lane.

I am rarely one to criticise referees in any sport, never mind GAA, as their job has almost become an impossible one given how fast many sports have become and they have a spilt-second and a certain angle to make a call.

In games of this magnitude, the man in the middle needs to maintain some sort of control and it was clear Lane was struggling to do so. Dublin's John Small and James McCarthy were very fortunate to be still on the pitch for well-documented incidents, with Small's collision in particular on Mayo's Eoghan McLaughlin coming in for strong criticism in how Lane, as well as linesman Maurice Deegan, failed to stop play, nevermind issue a card of any colour.

But we do need a sense of perspective with Lane's performance. As mentioned, they have one chance to make the right call while the rest of us have numerous replay and angles to watch. I must admit watching the game in real-time that I thought it was a hard hit, but a fair one as it seemed shoulder to shoulder. Obviously, that wasn't the case when we got to see replays of the collision.

So why can't match officials have a second look? We have seen how technology can help, not hinder, a referee's performance, whether it is TMO in rugby, VAR in soccer (it has had it's issue but more in the way officials are using it) and Hawkeye in GAA, which has proven very effective for umpires to see if a score is in between the posts or not.

Kerry legend Marc O'Sé summed it up perfectly.

“Can you imagine if there’s a situation where Conor Lane is in a bit of bother and he says, ‘Can I just go to the TMO there, can you review that one for me there again? Because I’m thinking it’s this.’ You’re able to get another fella’s opinion and bring it in.

“It’s really important that we make the referee’s job a bit easier. That was a tough game to ref the last day. Fair enough he had a poor game, but it was a tough game to ref. I think we need to make their jobs easier. Bring in TMO and the referees to be mic’d up.

“And I think that’ll make it a lot easier because the training that goes on all year long, and for it to come down to little decisions like this, and Eoghan McLaughlin to miss out on an All-Ireland final as well. It’s a tough one.”

It's time for the GAA to help their referees out and ensure that the unacceptable abuse that Lane has received never happens again. In other words, bring in a video referee.

*You can read Stuart's full column every Tuesday in our print edition.