For inter-county managers, the game is turning nothing short of ruthless

This year’s Tyrone side are playing with a dynamism and a skill level to rival Mickey Harte’s great team of the last decade, writes Mike Quirke.

By and large, it’s been a very enjoyable football championship, but we’ve seen some massively disappointing and one-sided quarter-finals outside of the first Mayo and Roscommon instalment. The absence of real competition in the football quarters was highlighted further by the excitement produced by Galway and Tipperary in the hurling semi-final on Sunday.

Yesterday’s replay between the Connacht rivals was as woeful a contest as the previous two. Not Mayo’s fault mind, and if nothing else, their energetic and enthusiastic performance put to bed the notion that they must be exhausted with fatigue at having to play one game a week in their run through the qualifiers.