Kieran Donaghy thinks the GAA's return-to-play protocols make it harder to break into a team

Intercounty training resumed this week around Ireland, with just a month to go until the championships get underway.

With the GAA eager to see the tournaments played through without disruption, the organisation drew up a number of protocols for intercounty teams to follow, with a view to limit the threat of coronavirus.

But are those protocols realistic? And will they be followed by the counties?

"The games are going to come thick and fast, so I don't think the 32 [player limit] is a major issue," said Kieran Donaghy, speaking on Inside The Game.

"It would be [an issue] if there were more trial games or in-house games, and you pick up a few injuries and you're down to 29, and you can't play a proper game. But I think the way that teams are going to be getting ready for this, there'll be a lot of tactical stuff. It will be hard to fight your way into a team. You'll find it hard to get into a team unless there's injuries, because you don't get many places to prove yourself, only when you come off the bench."

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The former Kerry forward highlighted players being unable to shower onsite as potentially problematic.

"Showers at that time of year, in rural counties where people have to travel an hour and a half home [from training]. It can't be realistic that a guy is going to come off a pitch in October or November, and the sleet is after hitting him on the side of the head, and he's supposed to get into his car freezing cold and drive home," he argued.

"I find it hard to know how they're going to stick to that. You have to look at it, 'I've got to get into the shower, I've got to get warm. Why? Because I don't want to get sick and miss a training session.'

"If you have a flu, can you be around the group? Very quickly, you'll be forgotten about. So that's the major one I see an issue with."

The players' view

Conor McManus returned to Monaghan training this week, and has accepted the guidelines.

"None of them are going to hinder us majorly," he outlined. "Obviously the big one is dressing rooms and showers and things like that, particularly at the time of year we're coming into. You're coming off a training field, and the weather is not good, the first thing you do is jump into a shower and get yourself freshened up. And that's the big thing.

"We've been restricted by the amount of sessions we can have per week, you're allowed have three sessions per week. Obviously panels have been cut to 32. But I think the biggest ones are the use of dressing rooms, and if we can get used to dressing rooms, which I think is a fairly basic requirement, a lot of other things will look after themselves."

"I think they're realistic," added Peter Canavan. "They're something that had to be addressed, and if we could settle for that, it's something I think most county teams would be very happy with the protocols there."

Watch the full discussion on Inside The Game. You can catch up on this week's episode on the Sky Sports YouTube channel.