By 
Harte stepping away
Of course the big news last Friday night was not Tyrone getting the better of Armagh in an entertaining enough clash at the Athletic Grounds, but rather Malachy O’Rourke confirming that seasoned campaigner Peter Harte was not currently in a position to commit to the team cause in 2026. The ‘R’ word was never mentioned by the Tyrone boss so you wouldn’t place your mortgage on the Errigal Ciaran ace never lacing up his boots for his county again. At this juncture though they will have to get by without him, which obviously is a huge blow despite the weath of young talent coming through the mix.
Two Pointers a rarity
There was only one two pointer scored at the Athletic Grounds and even that was a placed ball knocked over from outside the 40m arc by Armagh’s Conor Turbitt. As we witnessed in the latter stages of the club competitions too, in the dead of winter and on heavier pitches, availing of the new scoring system has become increasingly rare. Maybe at inter-county level it should be a more common feature of the game, whatever the elements. We will just put it down to rustiness at this juncture in the new season.
Unfortunate clash
Yes we appreciate that fixtures are mapped out months in advance and you don’t know how certain competitions will unfold in terms of teams progressing but it’s highly unfortunate that Tyrone’s first home competitive match of the season this Sunday in Pomeroy against Down clashes with Clogher’s historic bid for All-Ireland glory at Croke Park. Not only is it on the same day but both have identical throw-in times (1.30pm). Shouldn’t really have been that tough to avoid a clash you’d reckon given a lot of neutrals around the county would have liked to watch the Clogher game at home or in person.
McKenna Cup money spinner
With a crowd of just under seven and a half thousand making their way to Armagh on a freezing early January night there is clearly an appetite for some post-Christmas ball among spectators. And with the revenue such a healthy attendance garnered it is no wonder that the Ulster Council were so forthright in demanding a return of the pre-season provincial competitions to the calendar. Of course the flip side of the coin is that in an already jam-packed schedule is it really necessary to add to the burden on players, but given county squads were playing challenges matches last year anyway, it was probably sensible enough to resurrect the McKenna Cup.
