New boss O’Rourke set to trawl the club scene

MALACHY O’Rourke says he will adopt an ‘open-ended approach’ to the make-up of his panel now that his appointment as new Tyrone manager has been signed off on.

The subject of a possible return of some familiar faces who have dropped off the intercounty set-up in recent years was broached in O’Rourke’s first official media briefing in his new role, held last Wednesday evening in Garvaghey.
O’Rourke certainly didn’t rule out the possibility and said that he’ll be a very keen observer at club championship matches over the coming weeks.

He said: “It will be very open-ended. We’re not going in with any closed opinions. The panel that was there last year was a good panel full of good players, committed players. There’s a lot of younger players coming through as well.

“But there are a number of players who have stepped away, for whatever reason, so it’s a case of looking at what players are in the county.

“But players have to make that decision whether to commit, and the one thing you need at county level is a very high level of commitment and players who are going to invest completely in every area of preparation.

“So it will be a case of looking around the county, watching the championship games, seeing what the panel was last year, and then going about compiling a panel.”

O’Rourke has had two previous stints as manager of intercounty teams, namely his native Fermanagh (2008-2010), followed by a longer spell at Monaghan (2013-2019). Expectations are inarguably higher at Tyrone, but O’Rourke is confident he can handle the responsibility of leading a team with aspirations of All-Ireland success.

“Well I suppose you’ve different challenges everywhere you go, and there’s a certain level of expectation in different counties but there’s no doubt with I suppose the size of the county, the resources and the playing population and then the success there has been at senior and underage level, there probably is a lot of expectation – but that’s great as well.

“That’s one of the things that would obviously attract you to the job, because you want to be going in somewhere you think there’s a great chance of success

“But it does bring challenges as well, look there’s a certain amount of pressure in all these jobs, and you wouldn’t be doing them if you’re afraid of that. The most pressure I would find, is that I would put it on myself anyway.
“We know there’s a serious bit of work to do but as I keep on saying, that’s the challenge in front of us.”

O’Rourke, confirmed as the Red Hands new boss on a three-year term on Tuesday, is also a member of Jim Gavin’s Football Review Committee, which has proposed a series of tweaks and enhancements to the game.

Should they pass at Congress, they will be witnessed in action for the first time in a formal setting in the opening round of the National League as the pre-season competitions have been axed from the 2025 calendar, leaving little time for a bedding-in period.

O’Rourke commented: “I suppose it remains to be seen whether the rules will get through. Obviously that is the hope and there’s been a lot of work that’s gone into it.
“I suppose the remit the group was given was to make it the most exciting amateur field game in the field to watch and play. That’s what our focus has been on and we hope that the enhanced rules will go towards doing that.

“I think the first opportunity to see them for everybody will be the 18th and 19th. There’s interpros and people will get a good look at them. But with the McKenna Cup gone, the first time they’ll be seen, if they’re passed, will be in the National League so that would certainly be interesting.”