Mickey Harte must wonder at times what he did in another life to deserve the run of injuries his Tyrone side have suffered over the past three seasons.
He has already lost the service of the best full forward in the country with the retirement at just 27 from inter-county football of Stephen O’Neill after a string of injuries.
His side has also played without the services more or less of the two Brians McGuigan and Dooher since the 2005 winning All-Ireland side and at times he has lost Philly Jordan, Sean Cavanagh, Joe McMahon, Enda McGinley and even Ryan McMenamin.
It seems that every time someone returns Tyrone are imediately hit with another blow and less than a week after Brian McGuigan played his first ten minutes for the county in two years Owen Mulligan has been ruled out for the rest of the National Football League with a hamstring injury.
Mulligan has struggled since the loss of O’Neill who took so much pressure off him after the retirement of Peter Canavan but more than anyone he missed the ammunition supplied by McGuigan.
Mulligan is a confidence player and on his day he is deadly. His goal against Dublin which set off his season in 2005 is one of the best solo goals ever scored at Croke Park.
Tyrone have been less than convincing to date this season. They need all their top players fit and firing on all cylinders if they are to take on the best.
Harte’s team has been dogged by injury, they looked on the verge of greatness in 2005but they may never now realise their potential and despite two All-Ireland wins will feel like Armagh before them that they have underachieved.
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