Messages

Most of the injured contingent did a decent workout in Pomeroy prior to the Down game. You'd have to imagine at least some of those will be available at the weekend and return to the 26.

Equally with the Bel-classico tomorrow night there will be a strong Tyrone influence. Hoping for no injuries.

Unfortunately we probably wont know who is available until Saturday afternoon.

Hear McGeary from Moy has declared for Armagh U20s. Two Armagh families, surprised he ever got involved with Tyrone.

That's interesting, played minor for Tyrone.

Tyrone have the talent. Tomorrow should be a walk in the park and the final will be easier.(Nobody gives a f*ck about mckenna cup) Tyrone have all the right things in place the last thing we want to do now is pick up injuries. Which is IMO the only thing that could jeopardise Tyrone having a great year. A lot of pressure on Peter Hughes now in charge of 35-45 players... tough job. Would need 5 men with him alongside doctors, physio and masseuses. Two hamstrings in 15 mins into second game isn't great. MOR has to be careful. Will see what his mentality is like if he risks it for McKenna cup. Should be keeping his cards tight to his chest for another two weeks. 

So much football on heavy pitches, coming off the back of a lay off. Recipe for disaster

Id rather get beat by point and pick up no injuries, than win with an injury concern.
We could probably do without a McKenna cup final likely against Donegal on Saturday evening.
 
Lock in now on Kildare. Derry the week after. Need two wins.

For me, only Darragh and McElholm are nailed on starters. The other 4 positions are up for grabs because of the amount of genuine quality options that are available

Id say it depends as much on tactics, as well as chemistry & balance on the team, for the remaining spots

Last year our full forward line didn't really function as we would have hoped. Philly McMahon summed it up best when he said that despite winning plenty of ball in front of them, Darragh and McCurry just couldnt get "separation" from their opposing marker. They are quick but not rapid. Nor do they have the physical strength to shrug off a marker

Conroy and McGarrity offer size and ball winning ability that wasn't there last year

McElholm is absolutely rapid and his pace sets him apart on the panel

Id like to see McCurry get a run at 11 for a while, he always has the head up and has the weight of a pass.
Our half forward line didnt have a great scoring return last year.

We need to find a balance of fetching clean ball on kickouts, scavenging for breaking ball on the ground, whilst offering a scoring threat. Easier said than done, and over to Malachy on that one.

I feel like this is the first time in a long time that proper trials have been done, all the best players in the county (bar Paul Donaghy whom doesnt want it) are in Malachy's 45 man roster.
I genuinely think he doesnt know his best 15 either, which makes it very interesting.

Fourth quarter final postponed, seems like a very late call

Malachy during the post match presser "Everyone is now back on the field training"

Niall Devlin and Ruairi Canavan both subbed off today for tight hamstrings

Watching Harlan Coben's latest Netflix show, Run Away

It's not bad but there are some scenes with James Nesbitt and his face looks like he's taken a few bumble bees!!

Ruth Gordon is pretty good though

Yeah half way thru it here myself, enjoying it. Good show so far

A good few men still not made any of the squads to date - any news on their return dates?

Hampsey
Teague
O'Hare
Rafferty
Kennedy - read in IN he will be available for NFL gameweek 1
D Canavan - read in IN he will be available for NFL gameweek 3
McElholm
Ciaran Daly

Over 14k on the YouTube live stream

I don't get the 'white' bit either. I remember a 'supporter' gave the Wexford hurler Lee Chin racist abuse and by fuc he got called out for it big time. He did ring later and apologise.
I'd hope racism be called out anywhere in the GAA. There aren't that many non-whites playing but I don't know in any systematic way that they aren't welcome. Myler seems desperate to lead a campaign where there is none needed.

Yeah, seems to be keen for the limelight. Trying to create a PR role for himself maybe? What's the chances he'll be doing analysis on tv later on in the summer?

Create a story that's not there. Would the Irish News contact him or would he contact the Irish News?

Quotes were taken from a podcast. No interview took place directly with Irish news

I'd love to be able to come on and defend him, loved him as a player, but I just cant
I see he responded to Kenny Archer on twitter, calling it lazy journalism. But Frankly he got his ass handed to him in their return.
He got plenty stick in the comments, mostly deserved
Hopefully the lad learns from this, talks a lot less, and it'll be forgotten about soon enough.

Team v Fermanagh
Oisin O'Kane, Aidan Clarke, Niall Devlin, Cormac Quinn, Ben Cullen, Frank Burns, Ronan Cassidy, Joe Oguz, Ruairi McHugh, Oisin Gormley, Ruairi Canavan, Matthew Og McGleenan, Ciaran Bogue, Lorcan McGarrity, Ethan Jordan
Subs Conn Kilpatrick, Michael McKernan, Jack Gibney, Joey Clarke, Callum Daly, Conor O'Neill, Shane Hughes

Interesting.

Good representation for the Eglish club with Gibney, McGleenan & Ethan Jordan involved.
Very much an experimental line up. Just 2 lads from the 15 that started the All Ireland Semi final last summer.

Dates for the mckenna cup
Game 1: Friday 2 – Sunday 4 January

Game 2: Wednesday 7 January

Game 3: Saturday 10 – Sunday 11 January

Semi-finals: Wednesday 14 January

Final: Saturday 17 January
Quick turn around in the McKenna cup this year. A possibility of  team having 3 games in a week, tight going for a pre season competition

Its a tight turn around for sure.

You could probably do without the final, the week before we play Kildare in the league 25th Jan. Then Derry 1st Feb

If you did actually win the McKenna cup - or be runner up - you would be out every weekend for the first 5 weeks of the year with two extra midweek games thrown in as well. Heavy pitches too.

An opportunity for a run out of the development squad guys. It looks like we currently have a squad of 40 to 45 players, so ample opportunity to manage the workload

So who are we saying is in this year?

J Clarke
Callum Daly
R McCullagh (all confirmed)


Oisin McCann
Dalaigh Jones
Michael Conroy
Niall McCarney
Conor Cush?

McCarney is an interesting one. Definitely would give us a target man in at full forward. I know he's not playing the highest level at his club but he seems to have been going well this year.

We need different options rather than the same type of players. Guys like Fullerton and Jordan probably deserve a call up solely based on their form but don't really see them giving us anything we don't already have with the Canavans, McCurry, McElhom, McCullagh etc

Is McCarney definitely involved? I hadn't heard that reliably

Think he's fourth from left on the charity fundraiser image posted on Saturday