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minute (among them Peter Donnelly who fractured a bone in his hand during training recently) for a variety of reasons. As well as the injured players you also have the likes of Philip Jordan who is on an extended holiday in Australia, so there's a pool of about forty players in the mix at the moment."

Over recent days Harte has voiced his concerns over the criteria for player selection in the McKenna Cup whereby the three competing Universities have first choice on student players. He feels that the rules need to be adjusted to give the players themselves greater flexibility to decide on who they turn out for.

" Ultimately its good that we can accommodate the University sides by letting them take part, because it helps long term with their Sigerson Cup preparations.But no-one should be dictating to a player that they can't play for their county. People go to college to study and if they choose to play sport after that then its up to themselves.

" Don't get me wrong I've actually sent some of our players on to college teams because they are already established with Tyrone even though it weakens ourselves to some extent, but its the fringe players desperate to get onto their county panels that I'm talking about. The Universities are being facilitated by the counties in being allowed to take part in what is essentially an inter-county competition. I'm not looking to get on a collision course with anyone but players who want to try out with their county shouldn't be prevented from doing so, particularly if they're trying to nail down a place in the panel."

Underlining his firm stance on the issue Harte has named three University of Jordanstown students, Colm Cavanagh, Donaghmore's Damien McCaul and Owen Roes half-back Brendan Boggs in his squad for the McKenna Cup, a trip who are also included in Micky Moran's UUJ panel for the same competition.

This Sunday's opponents Queen's have been making an impact in the Sigersons Cup in the past few years and have also enjoyed some noteworthy results in the McKenna Cup. In 2006 they progressed to the semi-final where they only lost to Monaghan by a point and their 2005 campaign was marked by a narrow 0-8 to 0-7 defeat by Armagh at Crossmaglen.

Of all the university teams, they have perhaps fared best and will be anxious to build on that in this year's competition as they head towards the more important business of the Sigerson, which they will be hosting. And, the panel which they have released for the competition includes plenty of talent.

The likes of Joe O'Kane, Daniel McCartan and Gerard O'Kane should form part of a solid defence while Charlie Vernon of Armagh is likely to play a major part around the centre. Up front, Eoin McCartan, Kevin McGourty and Aidan Carr have also been impressive.

They have also a number of familiar faces from the Tyrone club scene in their panel including Harte's own Errigal club-mate Caolan Tierney, Omagh half-back Dean O'Neill, Beragh sharpshooter Michael Ward and Carrickmore marksman Ronan McGurk.

As Tyrone set out on their quest for 4-in-a-row Micky Harte again expresses his continued support for this much-maligned early season provincial tournament.

" The idea that you get more than one game is very useful. It gives you the chance to look at players in a series of competitive games. It's well placed now in the calendar in advance of the National League, at a time when the public want to get out and watch football again.

" So there is a bigger attraction in the competition nowadays. It's been well-documented in the past Tyrone's positive attitude and approach to the McKenna Cup and that will again be the case this season."