Tyrone great Stephen O’Neill reckons Malachy O’Rourke has taken the Red Hand reins at just the right time.
The 2021 All-Ireland winners have won just six of their 15 Championship games since lifting Sam - so the only way is up for O’Rourke.
Three-time All-Ireland winner O’Neill says the reality is that struggling Tyrone aren’t even in Ulster’s top three now.
And he reckons that when it comes to the national picture, they could be as low as eighth in the All-Ireland rankings for 2025.
Former Footballer of the Year O’Neill, who won his fourth All-Ireland Masters medal at the weekend, said O’Rourke’s arrival is a ‘major plus’.
Crucially, O’Neill believes that the former Monaghan and Fermanagh boss, living in Ballygawley for over 30 years, will be given the time he needs to put things right.
“Nobody in Tyrone is under any illusions - we’re probably fourth going into Ulster and maybe seven or eighth in Ireland,” said O’Neill. “So it’s probably a good time for Malachy O’Rourke to get the job. He has a lot of young talent coming through and most people in Tyrone, I think, will give him that year or two to bring it all through. I think that’s where the county is at.
“That Championship record since 2021, it’s poor, it is, it’s very poor. The players know that and the supporters know that obviously. It’s disappointing that since 2021, that buzz hasn’t been there.
“In 2021, it was a great buzz, and all the youngsters got involved and it was a great time for the county but unfortunately it’s just nosedived a wee bit. It’s now up to everyone in the county, between the players, supporters, the county board, management, it’s up to them all to lift it and get it going in the right direction again.”
Tyrone are reigning All-Ireland U-20 champions and have claimed two of the last three titles at that grade. They retain plenty of senior All-Ireland medallists too while seeing neighbours Armagh lift the Sam Maguire Cup in July will surely provide fresh motivation.
“There’s nothing better in terms of motivation than seeing your neighbours going well,” said O’Neill.
O’Neill starred once more in the Tyrone jersey last Saturday, winning the Man of the Match award in the county’s All-Ireland Masters final defeat of Roscommon.
The game was at Kingspan Breffni, a venue he knows well after a year coaching Cavan under Raymond Galligan.
Asked if he’ll be back for 2025, O’Neill nodded.
“I’m still with Cavan,” he said. “I’m looking forward to it again, they’re a good bunch of lads. We had a decent first year. We’ll see where it goes, hopefully we can hit the ground running again.”
O’Neill’s fourth All-Ireland Masters medal brought his personal All-Ireland tally into double figures for his career with 10 in total. He has three senior medals, four Masters medals, two U-21s and a minor win.
“I didn’t realise it was my 10th,” said the 43-year-old. “It’s a nice achievement but it’s the same as the others, it’s about playing and being part of a team.”
O’Neill echoed Tyrone boss Joe Leonard’s calls for the GAA to do more to publicise the Over-40s games.
As things stand, the Masters isn’t an official GAA competition despite 25 different counties and former stars like Bernard Brogan, Joe Sheridan, Nicholas Murphy and Aidan O’Mahony all participating at various levels this season.
“It would be nice if the GAA would recognise it because the GAA is for all and it’s important that everyone is recognised at every level,” said O’Neill.
“The Masters definitely promotes the game and for anyone who came to the final last weekend, it’s a great day. So I think it probably should have a higher profile.”
