I think that was the real beauty of the qualifiers, especially in the early days – it gave teams the chance to play teams they normally wouldn’t.

From early shockers to Newbridge or Nowhere, the back door opened the doors to some truly enthralling summer contests...

The new intercounty calendar couple with the return of crowds to matches make this Allianz League campaign one of the most anticipated in living memory 

Kieran McGeary was man of the match in three of Tyrone’s matches and not far off the award in the rest. He’s got an exceptional footballing voice

Tyrone know every trick in the book and I’ve a begrudging admiration for them in the way they do things

If you commit to a challenge like he did on Eoghan McLaughlin, you need to get the shoulder, or get the ball - Small did neither. There’s a duty of care here

Dublin, Mayo, Kerry, and Tyrone are the best four with Monaghan a close fifth

The Connacht final was like watching football from a different era. It was a strange feeling and not that enjoyable

We saw two different ways to play Gaelic football over the weekend. The strange thing is, that probably wasn’t how it was planned at a baking hot Pairc Esler in Newry as Monaghan and Armagh served up a contest for the ages.

Teams will have learned from last year’s knockout. Monaghan, for example, won’t try sit on a lead again. If you have a chance to win a game, then you give it a lash