Peter Canavan says the Tyrone system is motoring once again

Sky Sports analyst Peter Canavan looks ahead to the weekend’s Gaelic football action in Group 2 of the Super 8s, with Roscommon hosting Tyrone and Cork taking on Dublin.

Tyrone are working in unison once again, and I would be happy with their system of play right now. How could you not be?

They have scored 1-20 and 2-22 in their wins over Cavan and Kildare respectively.

They are very clear about what they’re about. In Cathal McShane now they have a very effective target man who they are not afraid to kick it into, should the need arise. They are very hard to break down. The Breffni County tried their best last weekend but they came up a long way short.

I would be surprised if they changed too much for Saturday’s trip to Roscommon. They do have the option of playing Mattie Donnelly inside. But they are playing the current system so well at the moment, they do not need to change too much.

They are winning, and winning well. So I would be surprised if Mickey Harte messes with a winning formula.

The showdown in Dr Hyde Park is the big game of the weekend in Group 2 of the Super 8s.

If Tyrone beat Roscommon, I think they will progress to an All-Ireland semi-final. They will have Cork in Croke Park, and Dublin’s trip to Omagh might only be deciding who comes first and second. So this is a massive game.

The Rossies will believe they should have beaten Tyrone when they played in the National League. But the Red Hands are a completely different team that they were in the league.

It’s well set up; the Hyde will be packed to capacity, this is knockout football, it will be feisty.

Roscommon have been playing with a real edge to their game under Anthony Cunningham. They suffered a heavy defeat to Tyrone last year, so revenge will be very much on their minds.

Cork back in the big time

I said I would not judge Cork on one game in the Munster Championship – the Kerry performance where they were impressive.

By demolishing Laois, they showed it was not just a once-off. They backed it up emphatically.

I do not think we should overlook the fact that Cork hit the O’Moore County for 4-20.

Ronan McCarthy has them in great shape physically. That is clearly an area he has identified. He trained them hard during the league. That was not reflected in their results. But they are a team headed in the right direction.

The Rebels would have preferred Tyrone or Roscommon in their first game, rather than facing Dublin in Croke Park.

I think what they are looking for now is to be competitive against the All-Ireland champions.

They will need to get quick ball into their inside forwards – Brian Hurley in particular who has scored 5-4 from play in his three championship games to date.

But this is a massive step up against the Dubs. While I can see them being competitive, they will be doing well to get within seven points of Dublin.

Being competitive across the three games is the goal for Cork in the coming weeks. They were relegated to Division 3 during the springtime – that was their starting base coming into the summer.

A place in the Super 8s is a serious result for Cork and their management. That’s where they are now. A bit like Roscommon last year, and the Rossies have built on it – it’s about tweaking their systems of play and learning to develop by playing against the top teams in the country.

If they are serious about making inroads and reclaiming a Munster title in the coming years, they have to put it up against the top teams. They are more than capable of getting a victory somewhere in the coming weeks. They will not fear playing Tyrone or Roscommon.

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