ALL week I’ve read or heard that Tyrone’s All-Ireland hopes evaporated with their comprehensive loss to Donegal. I understand that opinion, but I disagree. Mickey Harte knew that his championship was going to begin with Division Four opposition in the form of Derry and Antrim. I have a feeling that the Red Hands are a couple of weeks behind everyone with the aim of being at their peak in August. It’s a risk, sure, and the Qualifier route is fraught with danger, but Harte will have confidence of his side beating inferior opposition and once the ‘Super 8s’ arrive then it’s game on.
NIALL MCCOY

LAST week’s Connacht final win by Roscommon seems to have set the cat squarely among the pigeons that were sqwalking for a tiered championship. Or perhaps, the opposite is the case. It is the cat that wants a tiered championship, and the pigeons are roosting over the provincial competitions. In conclusion, this metaphor is as mixed up as the minds of the Love Island contestants. There are two sides. One says tiered championships must happen, and they put forward the evidence of the Exy-Ozy Leinster and Munster Championships. Those on the counter side of the argument, the anti-tiered brigade, point to the Rubiks cube of the Ulster Championship, which regularly throws up surprise packages in the Ulster final as reason to continue with the old ways. While the majority of the country possibly would prefer a tiered system as they think it would stop Dublin’s dominance, I still think this debate could split the country. Anyone fancy a referendum?
RONAN SCOTT

IF Dublin are to claim the mythical five in-a-row this year, fine, but what a crying shame it would be if they’re not made to work for it. Kerry seem to lack the requisite physicality, there are serious question marks hanging over Tyrone, Galway seem to be going nowhere fast, and Mayo are Mayo so who the hell knows what to expect from James Horan’s men? Donegal are being tagged as their main challengers now so they’ll probably end up getting trounced by Cavan.
NIALL GARTLAND

I’M heading to Newry on Saturday to watch Down face Mayo and it occurred to me that it’s only the second time I have watched this great Mayo team live after seeing them defeat Tyrone in an All-Ireland quarter-final a few years back. These may be the closing acts of a side that has reached four of the last seven All-Ireland finals, but I can’t wait to see Aidan O’Shea, Cillian O’Connor et all in the flesh again. I’m equally looking forward to the fanfare that accompanies them with their supporters who no doubt will travel in huge numbers despite protests at the late throw-in time. Add in the fact that the Down support will be very bubbly if they start well and we could be in line for an excellent clash in Newry.
NIALL MCCOY

LAST week the Gaoth Dobhair manager Mervyn O’Donnell told me that his team extended their gym sessions into mid-Spring as they want muscles as big as the Corofin lads’s. Anyone who has been following Kevin Cassidy’s columns would know that Cass hates training in the winter. So if that lad has willingly agreed to stop pumping pints of Guinness in favour of pumping the iron, then Gaoth Dobhair are pretty serious about another championship charge this season. The fear for me is that the team might focus too much on fitness. After watching Corofin earlier this year, a pal of mine told me that the difference between Corofin and everyone else is their fantastic system of attack. They transition so beautifully, and play a style of football that demands forward movement at all times. Even Steven Poacher recently likened them to a basketball team in terms of their high intensity play. Those are the skills that are needed to emulate Corofin, as much as their muscles.
RONAN SCOTT

CIAN Mackey, Gearoid McKiernan and Marty Reilly will appear in their first Ulster final on Sunday, and nobody can say they don’t deserve it after so many years of service to the Breffni cause. Mackey, for one, is in his 15th season lining out for the Cavan seniors but has the energy levels of a youngster and Cavan wouldn’t be in the Ulster final without his three points from play in the drawn match against Armagh. Hopefully they give a good account of themselves on the big day.
NIALL GARTLAND