MARK Poland has warned his Down team-mates their performance that saw them overcome Monaghan in the semi-finals won’t be good enough to topple Tyrone in Sunday’s Ulster decider.
The Longstone clubman says the Red Hands are the ultimate test and believes Mickey Harte is “one of the greatest managers in the GAA’s history”.
“Tyrone always produce good footballers and are tough to beat,” Poland said.
“You’d be foolish to go out thinking what we did the last day will be good enough against Tyrone. I think they’ve shown that they’re pretty adaptable.
“At the start of the year people were saying they weren’t attack-minded enough and then they go out and rack up 1-21 against Donegal.
“Their management is very, very clued in, in terms of what’s going on. They’re not Ulster champions for nothing.”
While most people in the country have been surprised by Down’s summer ascent, Poland always had faith in the ability and character of the current crop of players.
They contained Armagh in their provincial opener before going one better by knocking out 2013 and 2015 Ulster champions Monaghan.
“To be honest, I didn’t see where everyone was coming from that Armagh would beat us,” Poland explained.
“A lot of boys hadn’t played in a game like that where everybody was on top of you in Newry and we did extremely well.
“There is never, ever any doubt about the talent in Down. Absolutely none.
“To me, we have some of the best players in Ireland and people are starting to believe that. These are the lads that are going to lead Down in the next five years.”
Poland name-checked the imperious form of Kilcoo wing-back Darragh O’Hanlon in Down’s back-to-back Ulster wins this summer as well as rookie midfielder Niall Donnelly and the defensive might of Darren O’Hagan whom Poland describes as “one of the best defenders in Ireland”.
Some observers suggested the Mournemen were over-physical in their win over Monaghan, a charge firmly dismissed by Poland.
“You’re not going to win a Championship match by standing off and letting other teams play football,” said the 32-year-old, who has been used from the bench in both of Down’s Championship games.
“We know as forwards, any game you go into you get hit and you get hit hard. It works both ways.
“Why stand off and let a team walk over the top of you?
“In terms of height we’re probably not the biggest team so you have to make up these inches in some way. But I don’t think anybody could say Down are an overly physical team. We meet fire with fire.”
Despite the creeping years and a lack of game-time in 2017 Poland has not given any consideration to inter-county retirement.
“It’s not something I put a figure on. At the end of every season I look back and reflect on how I’ve played and how I’ve felt, and how it affects other people in my life as well because to be a part of a panel now takes huge commitment.
“I think Emer [his wife] is just used to it now. She’s used to having to book holidays at the end of September or later.
“But I have to say since moving to Newry, county training is easy because it’s a five-minute drive whereas club training is three-quarters-of-an-hour away which is tough.
“There’s no point in saying any different. It was tough around September/October time whenever the club was involved in a relegation play-off which has been the case over the last four or five years.
“But I feel fit and am actually fitter now than when I was in my mid-20s.”
