On this week's OTB Panel we were joined by former-Tyrone player Enda McGinley and Armagh's Enda McNulty to relive their on-pitch rivalry.
Naturally, talk turned to the current season and GAA action returning.
McGinley believes that the GAA community should embrace whatever format we see if the Championship is played:
"There's an opportunity there to be able to experiment with formats - because there's nothing to lose this year. We thought several weeks ago that the season was completely gone. Anything now is bonus territory. It would be a pity to just try to squeeze in the old format."
29 February 2020; Liam Rafferty of Tyrone during the Allianz Football League Division 1 Round 5 match between Tyrone and Dublin at Healy Park in Omagh, Tyrone. Photo by David Fitzgerald/SportsfileHe continued later in the conversation, "I think they'll work some backdoor system into it. It will be interesting to see when those proposals do come out. Certainly, the way things are going, I think the GAA will be pushing for as much football as they can out of the county season and extending it into next year, if necessary."
2 June 2019; Armagh Manager Kieran McGeeney and the rest of the Armagh management and subs standing during the pre match parade during the Ulster GAA Football Senior Championship Semi-Final match between Cavan and Armagh at St Tiernach's Park in Clones, Monaghan. Photo by Oliver McVeigh/SportsfileMcNulty added, "It's pretty exciting, imagine Tyrone playing against Kerry the first round of the Championship. It's a different way of running a Championship this year, that we have never done before."
When it comes to their respective counties, Enda McNulty has no doubt that Armagh will have had a very disciplined lockdown and that these are "exciting times," and that the county's stock is back on the rise.
19 May 2019; Jamie Clarke of Armagh in action against Gerard Collins of Down during the GAA Football Senior Championship quarter-final match between Down and Armagh at Pairc Esler in Newry. Photo by Philip Fitzpatrick/SportsfileWith Tyrone set to be one of the main challengers to dethrone the dominant Dubs, Enda McGinley believes that - while not making light of the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic - the team may benefit from the season's disruption with key players returning.
Cathal McShane has come back to the panel and is fit again, Mattie Donnelly has also recovered and a number of other players are back and ready to play.
Rather than "chasing their tails," he believes the restart will allow the county-side to reset and enter the Championship with a squad ready to compete.
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