Harte reiterates system anger

TYRONE are in the box seat this week and Mickey Harte knows it.

The three-time All-Ireland winning manager has been fiercely critical of a competition structure which he believes is diluting the worth of the provincial championships and he has seen both sides of that particular coin. Last year, his match-starved, Ulster-winning side faced a Dublin side that had gorged on back door fixtures and were duly dumped out of the All-Ireland. Next Saturday, those roles will be reversed.

“It’s not so much an advantage to us but unfair to the provincial champions,” said Harte. “I’m saying that a long time now and I don’t care which side of the fence I’m on. It’s wrong.

“There don’t seem to be many people listening that can affect that change but I think it’s grossly unfair. It devalues a provincial title.’’

Tyrone will have played twice since Dublin claimed their Leinster title and Pat Gilroy’s wait was extended an extra week by the ripple effects from Armagh’s draw with Wicklow.

Harte previously voiced his support for two unsuccessful Congress motions which would have seen four provincial champions play each other for two semi-final places and paired the two losers with the best two qualifiers.

“It is very difficult to cope with that length of a break and with the fact that you haven’t been beaten and that if you do hit a bad day you have no redress. You are gone whereas people in the qualifiers know what it is to lose, the hurt of losing, but they still have another chance.

“I know with the system I have suggested that two of them wouldn’t get a second chance anyway but at least they would be in an All-Ireland semi-final as they were in the old days. It isn’t a perfect system but it is preferable to the one that exists.”

Dublin have tried to take the positives from the delay by pointing to the extra time it has afforded some injured players to recover their fitness and Tyrone will also be hoping to have at least one familiar face back in harness next weekend.

Stephen O’Neill got just a handful of seconds on the pitch two days ago before the referee called for the ball but Harte is hopeful that the extra week will be sufficient for the forward to rid the last of his hamstring problems from the system.