Tyrone’s NFL Season- Five Talking Points

Trending upwards

WHEN Malachy O’Rourke and Ryan Porter joined up with Glen, Porter told the players they’d be the fittest team in Derry by the end of their first year. He takes what he calls a ‘slow roast’ approach to fitness and it’s been apparent that they’ve been keen on adopting a similarly patient approach at Tyrone. They didn’t rush the Errigal Ciaran lads back after their All-Ireland adventures, and performances have also picked up over the course of the league campaign. Tyrone fans are hopeful of a good championship campaign – and with good reason.

McCurry’s still got it in spades

BY his own sky-high standards, Darren McCurry didn’t have his best season with Tyrone in 2024. He’s now in his early thirties (where does the time go!) and there’s certainly plenty of competition for places in the inside forward line. With Mark Bradley ruled out last Sunday through injury, Darren was handed a starting berth and he took his chance with a stunning attacking display, scoring nine points and playing a beautifully flighted pass for Darragh Canavan’s first-half goal. It was elite stuff from the ‘Dazzler.’

A few regrets

TYRONE have become the first team ever to fall through the Division One relegation trapdoor having accumulated  seven points to their name in the table. If things had worked out a little bit differently, they could easily have found themselvesselves in a Division One final this weekend so tight were the margins. The game against Kerry in Pomeroy was a missed opportunity, as was Galway down in Tuam, but these things happen and the main thing is that the team is playing well heading into the championship.

Midfield maestros

WITH short kick-outs put out to pasture, it’s more important than ever to have a dynamic, strong midfield presence and Tyrone are lucky to have that in abundance. Brian Kennedy has been in imperious form throughout Tyrone’s league campaign, while Conn Kilpatrick has picked up form with the championship just around the corner. They lorded the middle third against Dublin – and one commentator online suggested that we have the best midfield pairing in the country. They could well be right.

A big day for the Ladies

TYRONE ladies still have a fighting chance of staying up in Division One ahead of their final round clash away to Kildare this weekend and avoid a fate similar to their male counterparts. It’s a three-way battle between themselves, Kildare and Mayo at the bottom of the table, with two of those teams set to face the drop. If they overcome Kildare in Newbridge, there’s ever chance they’ll stay up on the head-to-head rule as it seems unlikely that Mayo will be strong enough for an in-form Waterford side.