Tyrone v Offaly

[Redhand Santa]

The abolition of the back door to me is the best route to giving Clubs a decent fixture calendar.

Only when I hear CBs arguing for the end of the back door system, will I think that Clubs are viewed on equal footing as Counties.

Not going to happen though!

Jeze, even though Tyrone have won two All Irelands through the back door system - id be absolutely delighted if they scrapped this farce now. It has completely ran its course. This years championship to date has been the dullest in living memory - pure muck for entertainment.
Upsets are now a rarity, attendances are down, the TV channels don't even want to cover one of these round 1 matches 'live' - all while the local club scene is decimated. The end result will in all likelihood be the 4 provincial champions arriving safely at the AI semi final stage anyhow.
Its dying a slow death. Croke Park need to take swift action to try and reignite it for 2014.

The success of county football is extremely important for the gaa. It is what gives the gaa the headlines in the national papers and allows it to compete with other sports. There's little enough big games during October to May without going back to straight knockout all together. I do agree the club season needs looked at but don't think we should be trying to eliminate big county games. Considering cutting the league/mckenna cups and starting championship earlier would be a much more sensible suggestion.

This season's championship may have been a slow starter but there still has been some decent games (Down v Derry, Tyrone v Donegal, London v Leitrim etc) and a lot of big games to come. A lot of big clashes still have to happen in the provinces such as Cork/Kerry and Dublin/Kildare. There's already been a couple of shocks such as London beating Sligo. There has been plenty of upsets over the years in the backdoor and lower counties have got great runs in it. Even last year there was numerous shocks such as Antrim beating Galway and Roscommon beating Armagh.

I'm not sure if your attendance argument stands up. Overall the county game is much better attended than 20 years ago during the summer. Attendances held up well last year and should do again this year. This is not the first year there's been no live tv games in the first round. It makes sense to given there is always a bit of negativity for teams coming of defeats and allows them to quietly build.

There's also no guarantee that the provincial winners will get easily through to the semi's. It could well happen but I've no doubt at least 2 of them will be severly tested. If you look over the last ten years it has varied year on year (a few years ago people were arguing who disadvantaged the champions were) and I've no doubt that will continue over the next ten years. I don't think the back door is necessarily the best option but I do think its better than straight knockout when a team could miss 4 or 5 players through injury and be out after 1 game having trained for 7 or 8 months.

[Redhand Santa]

1. Pascal McConnell – An Baile Nua
2. Ryan McKenna – Eaglais
3. Danny McBride – An Srath Ban
4. Cathal McCarron – An Droim Mór
5. Conor Clarke – An Omaigh
6. Peter Harte – Aireagal Chiaráin
7. Conor Gormley – An Charraig Mhór
8. Colm Cavanagh – An Mhaigh
9. Sean Cavanagh – An Mhaigh
10. Matthew Donnelly – Trí Leac
11. Mark Donnelly – An Charraig Mhór
12. Ciaran McGinley – Aireagal Chiaráin
13. Darren McCurry – Éadan na dTorc
14. Martin Penrose – An Charraig Mhór
15. Connor McAliskey – Cluain Eo

16. Michael O'Neill – Cluain Eo
17. Aidan Cassidy – Eochar
18. Kyle Coney – Ard Bó
19. Kevin Gallagher – An Baile Nua
20. Conan Grugan – An Omaigh
21. Plunkett Kane – Oileán a'Ghuail
22. Jonathan Lafferty – Urnaí
23. Tiernan McCann – Coill an Chlochair
24. Aidan McCrory – Aireagal Chiaráin
25. Joe McMahon – An Omaigh
26. Justin McMahon – An Omaigh

A strange enough team especially the full back line!

[omagh_gael]

That is possibly the most radical championship team change I have seen in Mickey's tenure. Surely Conor Clarke or Gormley will go to full back instead of a more or less new comer in McBride and McKenna who played all his ball in the HB line. So much to digest there I don't know where to go next! A brave call by Harte and hopefully we get a strong performance on Saturday.

[Rois]

A Strabane man at no 3?? When's the last time someone from Strabane started a championship match?? Brilliant!

[Aaron Boone]

The first since Dr Sigerson himself?

[Norf Tyrone]

A Strabane man at no 3?? When's the last time someone from Strabane started a championship match?? Brilliant!

I reckon it's the first Strabane man to play Championship under the present Sigersons banner.

Brendan McLaughlin and Stephen McGettigan played NFL about 15 years ago, but that's the only ones I remember.

[Radda bout yeee]

Another bone of contention with me - this is unlikely to be the team to line out (personnel or positional) what is that all about?

Name 15 and play them - there's nothing smart about this tactic particularly at this time of year - I could see past it if it was AI semi or AI final

[Redhand Santa]

Another bone of contention with me - this is unlikely to be the team to line out (personnel or positional) what is that all about?

Name 15 and play them - there's nothing smart about this tactic particularly at this time of year - I could see past it if it was AI semi or AI final

Not sure how you can criticise something that hasn't happened yet. There may well be one or 2 changes but Harte often sticks to the line up (can think of one or 2 exceptions like Longford a few years ago).

[God14]

Harte doesn't really do dummy teams. Sure over the past 11 championships now there are few examples where he has, but its very rare. I reckon he will line out as listed!
Its an underwhelming line up. Inexperience in the full back line, a half pint sized full forward line, and a real lack of a play maker around the centre. But I suppose that's where we're at currently with personnel, injuries and what not.

On current form Peter Harte shouldn't be anywhere near the Tyrone starting 15, but in saying that I have a feeling he could have a big game for Tyrone. Rotten luck for Kyle Coney again (illness) was hoping to see him clock up the minutes & try and refind his form of 15 months ago.
Main surprise in this line up for me was that Aidan Cassidy didn't get a start.

We should still have enough about us to get by Offaly, but I think it'll be an uncomfortable afternoon.

[Plain of the Herbs]

Jaysus lads, try running a club hurling championship alongside the club football one, each on a round-robin basis, with county footballers playing Senior club hurling, and vice versa and see how ye can manage that.

I would love to see Tyrone win the AI this year but its not going to happen!

So perosnally a defeat to Offaly might be a good result at least we could get the club scene cleared up in time this year and let the club player get some football over the summer months instead of playing football in late Autumn.

[clarshack]

it's a team that wouldn't fill you with a lot of confidence.

i think it could be like the time tyrone travelled to wexford in 2002 and escaped by the skin of our teeth.

[BennyHarp]

Mickey is often criticised for being a bit to reluctant to change his teams, but this time he has taken a risk with some of his selections and I for one am willing to see how they pan out before criticising. I've seen Danny McBride play on a few occassions and been quite impressed. Ryan McKenna is a superb athlete, who is quick and strong, maybe Mickey sees him as the type of player he can mould into the man marker that we have been crying out for. Im uncovinced by Ciaran McGinley but he comes from good stock and may be worth another try at this level. The early stages of the qualifier can be a time to see if we can make the improvements necessary in order to compete when it comes to August and I hope we have enough to get through against Offaly and get on a bit of a roll.

[nrico2006]

Mickey is often criticised for being a bit to reluctant to change his teams, but this time he has taken a risk with some of his selections and I for one am willing to see how they pan out before criticising. I've seen Danny McBride play on a few occassions and been quite impressed. Ryan McKenna is a superb athlete, who is quick and strong, maybe Mickey sees him as the type of player he can mould into the man marker that we have been crying out for. Im uncovinced by Ciaran McGinley but he comes from good stock and may be worth another try at this level. The early stages of the qualifier can be a time to see if we can make the improvements necessary in order to compete when it comes to August and I hope we have enough to get through against Offaly and get on a bit of a roll.

I'd have no worries about McBride either, strong and a good athlete as well as a very good footballer.  Would probably be better suited to half back.

[Fuzzman]

Well said BennyHarp. 1st round of qualifiers is a good time to give some guys their debut or a championship run out. With so many men injured is this not an ideal game to test out some others.
I'm delighted he just didn't go back to using McCrory and McNeice who we thought he would. You would have expected him to select Clarke at FB and put McBride into the half back line but I think its fair to say Mickey sees him a lot more than we do.

I've not saw enough of young McGinley to give him a fair account but he's certainly not looked as lively as some others players we've saw like maybe Lafferty or Kane.

Is Ronan O'Neill injured again or just didn't get a starting place? I think we should still have enough to beat Offaly as long as we don't let them get off to a good start.

[nrico2006]

Well said BennyHarp. 1st round of qualifiers is a good time to give some guys their debut or a championship run out. With so many men injured is this not an ideal game to test out some others.
I'm delighted he just didn't go back to using McCrory and McNeice who we thought he would. You would have expected him to select Clarke at FB and put McBride into the half back line but I think its fair to say Mickey sees him a lot more than we do.

I've not saw enough of young McGinley to give him a fair account but he's certainly not looked as lively as some others players we've saw like maybe Lafferty or Kane.

Is Ronan O'Neill injured again or just didn't get a starting place? I think we should still have enough to beat Offaly as long as we don't let them get off to a good start.

I would feel the same about the like of McGinley too, never overly impressed any time I have saw him yet he seems to get a few more chances than Lafferty or Kane.  I don't think Penrose has done enough to keep his place either, why not try Lafferty in there - big and fast and very dangerous if he got ball in to him.  Glad to see Peter Harte at centre back too, best place for him.