Tyrone skipper Padraig Hampsey claims there is no siege mentality in Tyrone but admits “that bit of hurt” from last year has fired them up.
From the outside looking in, Tyrone seem like a team who operate best when they have a chip on their shoulder.
The 2021 All-Ireland winning captain doesn’t believe they need that to get the best out of themselves.
Read more: Kyle Coney insists Tyrone always believe they are genuine All-Ireland contenders
“It maybe seems that way from the outside, we don’t see it as that,” Hampsey argued.
“Every day we put on a Tyrone jersey, we try and go out and play with pride in the jersey but there is just some days it does not go our way.
“I suppose whenever you look at it in that perspective, sometimes it may seem we get up for certain games but we are just trying to improve every day we go out and to get better as a team.
“I suppose that bit of hurt will help and it will push the team on and if you asked any of the players on the panel, they would be saying the same thing,” said the defender.
“So we are taking that hurt from last year, we use it in every training session and most games we have showed it as well.
“But we know that there are a lot of improvements to be made and we will work on that and see how things go.”
Hampsey does accept the players are motivated to right the wrongs of last year.
Hammered by both arch rivals Armagh and Derry last summer, it was a defence of their Ulster and All-Ireland titles that even joint-manager Feargal Logan labelled as ‘feeble.
And 11-point defeat by Derry in Omagh was followed by a six-point loss to Armagh in the qualifiers. Like last year, they maintained Division One status heading into tomorrow’s crunch Ulster clash with Monaghan in Omagh.
Maybe there were signs in their closing three wins on the trot against Kerry, Monaghan and Armagh that they are starting to click again.
Hampsey certainly hopes so.
“Yeah, look, last year was a tough year for us. We know things did not go our way and we didn’t perform to our best.
“This year we were looking to bounce back and I think we have shown glimpses of what we are about. It was a nice way to finish the league with three wins in a row to and to stay in Division One was a big thing.
“The wins hopefully came at the right time, coming into championship which is good but we face a great team in Monaghan.”
The emergence of last year’s All-Ireland Under-20 winners like Ruairi Canavan, Michael McGleenan and Niall Devlin has also got the buzz back in the county.
Hampsey was also delighted to see his old fullback line partner Ronan McNamee lay down a marker against Armagh with two points and a great defensive display after getting very little league time.
He starts on Sunday and there’s a sense Tyrone are starting to motor again.
“He has been a serious servant for Tyrone over the last 12 years, he is a great leader on the team and to have him back on the pitch.
“The performance he put in against Armagh was massive. He is just a brilliant lad.
“The Under-20s that came in have been a great addition to the panel. We can see that hunger in them and that is benefitting the team.”
READ NEXT:
- Tyrone vs Monaghan: Team news and five keys battles which could decider Sunday’s Ulster SFC quarter-final
-
Antrim Club Championship draws 2023: Hurling rivals kept apart as pairings revealed
Casement Park included in EURO 2028 bid dossier but Croke Park omitted from final list of stadia
- Peter Healy insists Antrim can bounce back in the Tailteann Cup despite tame Ulster SFC exit
Aidan Forker defends Armagh manager Kieran McGeeney after “unfair” criticism
Sign up to our free sports newsletter to get the latest headlines to your inbox.
