‘The split season, what’s split about it?’ – Tyrone boss Brian Dooher says increase in injuries is inevitable

First there was the move from joint to outright manager of Tyrone as Feargal Logan stepped away from the role for health reasons. Then there was the not insignificant matter of his appointment as chief veterinary officer for Northern Ireland.

Huge asks on both fronts and significant demands on time. In both cases, he says, delegation is key but church and state must be kept separate.

“It’s just another thing (his promotion) but, you know what, you put that split on – you go and do your work and then you go and do your football, that’s the only way you can focus on it.

“(Football) is something to look forward to and, I’ll say it again, there’s a good team around me so I’m lucky from that point of view because it’s not what I do, it’s what the people around me do really, because that’s where the differences are made.”

He could never have envisaged doing the job without Logan but they talk regularly. It wouldn’t be a massive leap to suggest much of those conversations are consumed by who is or isn’t on the treatment table.

Conor Meyler, Michael O’Neill, Michael McKernan, Conn Kilpatrick, Peter Harte, Kieran McGeary, Peter Harte, Conor Meyler, Cathal McShane, Kieran McGeary and Mattie Donnelly have all been out for periods over the league. Dooher isn’t the first manager to question the load the split season puts on county players.

“Some of them are wear-and-tear and that’s inevitable nowadays because there is no down-season for these players and that’s been well-documented … the split season – what’s split about it? For the county players it’s not split. Basically they finish one and then start another. That’s where it is and it’s tough on them now, it’s tough on their bodies and I suppose as you get older that inevitably compounds it.”

Tyrone aren’t alone with their long injury list and Dooher believes careers will be shortened.

“That’s undoubted. Everyone can see it, I’m not the only one saying that. With Tyrone it has probably come that bit quicker because the club season is longer and that bit more intense than some counties. Anybody that has a long, intense club season, it’s going to be very hard to marry those two things together safely.”

Those injuries led to a messy, five-goal, 21-point defeat to Dublin to round off the league and a question mark over where Tyrone’s form really stands. The core of the All-Ireland-winning team remains, but they’ve hardly looked like serious contenders since.

But Dooher is conscious that, regardless of form or injuries, Tyrone expects.

“Everybody demands it of themselves. First and foremost, that’s where it sits, it sits within yourself. There is an expectation that you go out and do your best and every other county is the same as Tyrone – they’re proud counties and they want to go out and do their best. You wouldn’t be in here doing this job if you didn’t have that.”

Their opposition on Sunday, Cavan, with a morale-boosting win over Monaghan already under their belt, will be only delighted to test Tyrone’s resolve.

“They were there or thereabouts in Division 2. Take Armagh and Donegal out of it and they were next, that’s where they are. They’re a good side and, you know what, it’s not that long ago since Cavan were Ulster champions. We had them in the first round the year after that in 2021 and it was a tight enough match.

“Cavan are always there or thereabouts and it’s like any Ulster team, and I always say this, if you’re not right at yourself most Ulster teams can beat each other on any given day.”