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Dungannon really missed a good forward in the championship game against Omagh, main reason they lost. Paul Donaghy will make a massive difference to that club, dungannon already on the rise but he will give them an even bigger boost. Him and Paddy Quinn playing inside will be a FF line with a serious aerial threat.

not too far off the ball with this one

Anyone see intermediate semi-finals on Sunday? Again we are blessed with an exciting championship.
Edendork held off a very spirited Tattyreagh comeback to book their final spot. Same with Gortin, who dug deep in extra time (again) to get over the line against neighbours Greencastle.
Gortin have probably had the tougher side of the draw, and will fancy their chances, but hard to look past Edendork as favourites in the final!

I have to give credit to the tatts for a very spirited come back from 13 down, cut the lead to 4 and even missed a goal chance and a few point opportunities. Very impressed with their never say die attitude against arguably one of the best intermediate teams the county will ever see.

Heard Ryan Grey has been called into the Tyrone senior squad, he played some McKenna cup last year?

Thats strange if true. If he wasn't called up for this years mckenna cup it would show that harte wasnt impressed enough with his club season last year. You'd have to wonder why or what warranted his call up now during the middle of the league... its not like Harte has been going and watching trillicks pre-season friendlies.

however, he is an excellent player nonetheless just strange/suprising circumstances

Player burnout has been put forward as a massive issue in the GAA but being honest, when you're that age you're able to play for a number of teams at once, the body can handle it and you just want to play as much football as possible.. but I could be very wrong here because the games has changed quite a lot since my younger days

There is a misconception regarding burn out. It's not so much the games from a young age. Youth football is less stressful on the body by its very nature, now that's not to say it doesn't contribute - it's not ideal, but they are well capable of handling it - the body at that age is a remarkable regenerative machine.

The real problem comes with every manger on every team making these players train the same night after playing a school game that day or vice versa. Now if it's just shooting or basics, fine - it's still not ideal nor near it, but it's not overly stressful. The problem is they usually make them do the long, outdated running so they do what the rest of the team does, that is the road to ruin and I'm sure something that will resonate with fellas in and around my own age.....old enough to remember when it wasn't a big deal.....young enough to still be playing taking longer to loosen up.

We need to educate our youth managers better - sometimes at clubs it's just whoever will take the job, which of course is a nonsense but I know in my own club there isn't exactly a queue to do it either so what do we do? They don't really buy into new training techniques so fill up the training by mindless running, running breaks the body down.

good post, didn't realise some managers would expect a lad to play/train twice in one day. That would definitely take a toll on the body

That backroom team is a lot of volunteers who love being out all weathers when we are at home at a big fire.They are what the gaa is about.

Yes, various volunteers involved with match statistics/analysis, sports massage/physio/doctor, equipment management etc. good to see so many willing to give up their free time to help with the success and development of the young red hands

Player burnout has been put forward as a massive issue in the GAA but being honest, when you're that age you're able to play for a number of teams at once, the body can handle it and you just want to play as much football as possible.. but I could be very wrong here because the games has changed quite a lot since my younger days

looks like a complete new mayo team though bar a few
Galway are pretty much through so they could rest a few, I wouldn't rule out Mayo pulling it out

can't see them resting players against Mayo, too much of a rivalry and they need one more win to basically guarantee a final place. They'll want to do that against mayo rather than having to try and do it against dublin in the final league game.

Looking like a washout Saturday.Pomeroy on standby apparently be some culture shock for the Blues.

Some culture shock is right. How would their entourage fit in those changing rooms?

a club senior team can barely fit in the changing rooms and often have to move half the lads into another changing room to get togged out, and then bring everyone into the one room for the team talk. I would guess the majority of the dublin lads have never experienced anything like that before... and i would think pomeroy might pull the old trick were the electric for the building has suddenly stopped working, leaving the changing rooms with no source of light 

also worth noting that the warm up is done on a tiny area of the back pitch that is literally surrounded by parked cars, it would make for an interesting spectacle.

Truly hope the game goes to pomeroy

Whats the time frame on Richie Donnellys return? Could use him around the middle at present.
McKernan, Hampsey and Kilpatrick have to come in against Dublin, Cassidy as well.
With McShane gone again, is there any chance of Peter Harte pushing into the full forward line? Might get more from him in there.
I wont hold my breath but I Would like to see:
Morgan
Hampsey McNammee Rafferty
Cassidy Brennan McKernan
Kilpatrick Burns
Meyler Sludden McCurry
Bradley Harte McGeary(suspension lifted hopefully)

i think mckernan will need a bit more time to get back up to the pace, no doubting his quality but just didnt look like himself in the galway game.

Wheres M Cassidy? V hard done by

Injured I think? Could be wrong.

Was named on the bench Sunday.

Brian McGuigan tweeted on Sunday "Bad day for Tyrone mad worse by McShane and Cassidy going off injured"
Did he get on? Injured in the warm up?

Did he not include a picture of an Arsenal player suggesting that particular player looked like Michael Cassidy??? 

yes, it was a tweet basically showing that Cassidy looks like Sead Kolasinac

Tyrone to get the house in order come the summer, make the super 8s and an all-ireland semi but no further than that. I wouldnt be very surprised if harte was offered a year or two extension then, same as the last time he was supposed to leave.

Surely, surely not

Like everyone else i think a new man in charge has been needed for the last few years... but if they do well this year, there is always a chance he could stay on.

Tyrone county board unpredictable at the best of times.

Tyrone to get the house in order come the summer, make the super 8s and an all-ireland semi but no further than that. I wouldnt be very surprised if harte was offered a year or two extension then, same as the last time he was supposed to leave.

Does every club have floodlights

No. Infact very few do.

i was thinking about this also, does this mean there will be no friday night championship games this season... I can't see the use of the athletic grounds being a go-to option

Not an overly big shout by including Dungannon in top four, surely their aim? Just off it last year, no county panelists, added Paul Donaghy from Edendork, playing in Ulster League at the moment so you would expect they'll be flying out the gates like last year.

Very true. Not affected in starred games and an additional forward added. Any departures from there squad last year?

you just told me to get a taxi and now you're agreeing they will be flying. must have forgot to switch accounts

had clean forget about your fella donaghy jumping clubs. Who put 50p in you hai

haha have some free time on my hands today, making the most of it.

not an overly mad outsider call from myself saying dungannon, i know they done well last year but this will only be their second year back in division 1 and the top 4 has been dominated by the same 5/6 teams over the last number of years. So i would still class them as a dark horse... at least until they become more established in the coming years.

for example some people would say donaghmore as a dark horse and theyve been in the same position as dungannon were last year, on a number of occassions.

Not an overly big shout by including Dungannon in top four, surely their aim? Just off it last year, no county panelists, added Paul Donaghy from Edendork, playing in Ulster League at the moment so you would expect they'll be flying out the gates like last year.

Very true. Not affected in starred games and an additional forward added. Any departures from there squad last year?

you just told me to get a taxi and now you're agreeing they will be flying. must have forgot to switch accounts