Patience is a virtue and Tyrone star Mattie Donnelly says lots will be required as players, coaches and supporters become accustomed to the new playing rules.

The FRC’s ‘seven core enhancements’ were at the heart of the new changes implemented for the first time last weekend with the start of the Allianz Football League.

New rules for dissent and delaying frees were also brought in with Derry guilty of three such offences in the first half of Saturday's seven-point loss to Tyrone in Omagh.

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Afterwards, Derry boss Paddy Tally labelled the 50-metre penalty for such infractions as “draconian” and Donnelly feels it will take time for players to adapt.

“You’re trying to wash out a lifetime of habit for a lot of men, so there is a lot to get used to,” said Donnelly.

“But, at the same time, a lot of the training at that level is conditioned games anyway, and it’s just one massive conditioned game, so if boys do their homework and they talk each other through it, you’ll be alright.

“We’ve adapted alright to it, but it’s going to be a work in progress. There’s a lot of settling in and sorting out to do yet with teams and how they’re going to approach these new rules. That’s going to be the interesting thing over the next few weeks.

“You are, more or less, back to school, there is much learning as a bloody module in college getting through these new rules, getting through them all in the videos and the materials, but, look, there have been enough good heads around them that you have to trust that.

“You have to see how it evolves over the next few weeks but something needed to be done and I will trust the boys who have put their heads to it.”

For all the talk about the new 40-metre scoring arc, both Tyrone and League champions Derry were somewhat reluctant to take on shots from distance.

Brendan Rogers was the only man to raise an orange flag for Derry while Darren McCurry registered Tyrone’s only two-pointer in stoppage-time.

“That’s the thing - we are conditioned to be careful with our shots, and to go from your percentage areas, as the saying goes, so that’s not going to change overnight.” added Donnelly.

“Obviously the incentive with the two points is there, which makes it more appetising for boys to take on, but at the same time good decisions are still going to be key and come up trumps in this game, regardless of the new rules.

“Everyone involved, the supporters, players, will have to be patient. All of this could change by the end of the League, which is a review point, so it is hard to get too tied to them either.”

While there is much excitement in Tyrone with the appointment of Malachy O’Rourke ahead of the 2025 season, Donnelly admitted he considered his inter-county future over the winter months.

The Trillick native has won both Minor and Senior All-Ireland titles with Tyrone and is a two-time All-Star, but the 34-year-old handed O’Rourke a huge boost by committing for another year.

I am at that stage now that there is a bit of thinking nearly every year over the last few years and it was no different this year,” stated Donnelly.

“I am obviously 34 now and I had to see what way the body was, how I was work wise and then obviously stuff at home in Trillick as well, so there was a lot to think about too.

“In fairness to Malachy (O’Rourke) and the boys, they were so easy to work with in that regard and I was happy to come back in and give it a go.”

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