It was a terrific weekend of football, with dramatic finishes and improbable triumph across all four divisions of the National league.....so naturally, Joe Brolly talking about Tyrone is among the main stories in the news today.
Brolly has gone all ITK by claiming on RTE's GAA podcast that a Tyrone player that morale is failing amid a "depressing" atmosphere at training. The Sunday Game analyst refused to name the player he was speaking to, but did say that the person in question is one of Tyrone's "top top players".
Tyrone are deteriorating very quickly and morale is deteriorating very quickly.
My reading of what was happening last year was that they were putting together a really strong defensive system, the first part of the formula, but would work on a really strong attacking plan, but they haven’t done that. They’re stagnant and you can see that the whole experiment’s coming off the rails now....
What you’re seeing with Tyrone is the dreadful boredom of it for the players, no release from the automated system.
I spoke to a couple of the Tyrone players privately a few weeks ago. One of their better players, one of their really, really good players, and you should hear what he’s saying in private about how depressing the training is and how they’re playing, and you can see that now.
Brolly's comments were put to Peter Canavan on The Last Word with Matt Cooper on TodayFM this evening. Canavan did not wish to engage with Brolly's words too much...
How could I possibly comment on what Joe Brolly said, not a chance!
Canavan did deny that morale was low in the camp, having observed them train regularly.
God knows what establishment this conversation [involving Brolly] took place in Matt. I can only tell you that judging by what I see, morale is not a problem in the Tyrone camp. Maybe it's not a bad way to be going in [to the Championship].
Dick Clerkin was also on air with Cooper and Canavan, and a couple of minutes later, he returned to Brolly's comments unprompted.
Matt, if you don't mind, I'd like to come back to that point on Joe Brolly. I would have serious exception to the likes of this going on. I've been seeing this for the last couple of years: Joe coming in with unnamed sources.
He did it with Armagh, with Tyrone, with Derry, with DCU. If Joe isn't going to name these guys, he can just put the pen down. It's very divisive, and it's very easy to say somebody picked up the phone without backing it up.
I'd put it to Joe, unless you start naming some of these guys, just maybe keep quiet for the time being.
You can listen to the full slot back on the Today FM website.
See Also: Opinion: GAA Fans Deserve Better Than RTE's League Sunday
