Tyrone will not be lacking in motivation, says Gavin Cummiskey, but can they rediscover their glorious form of old?

TWELVE OF the Tyrone players involved in that seemingly defining 2005 All-Ireland final defeat of Kerry featured in the recent, narrow culling of Mayo to set up Saturday's All-Ireland quarter-final against Dublin - the same juncture at which these teams met three years ago.

But this is a different Tyrone. Considering so many of them have two All-Ireland medals, it must be hugely demanding to motivate men whose legendary status within the boundaries of their own county and place in the GAA annals are already secure. Their army of followers have also been largely sated.

The challenge is to rediscover the ravenous intent of early 2003, when the cheers of their neighbours Armagh were still ringing in their ears. If meeting Dublin at a packed Croke Park cannot lift them then nothing ever will. For players and supporters, Saturday represents a prime opportunity to revive a lame giant.

"Playing in Croke Park, you know Dublin will bring something special to the atmosphere," says captain Brian Dooher. "We know we will be up against it. Our support will be greatly outnumbered by the Dublin support. Hopefully they (the fans) will come but it hasn't been good so far. I suppose it's down to the times of matches. It's difficult for families - some people have to work on Saturdays."

Dublin have also changed but in a more positive way, and while there can be little complaint about the loss to Kerry in last season's semi-final, the 2006 defeat to Mayo in such dramatic circumstances was seen as failure. Perhaps crucially, their motivational tools remain sharp.

Tyrone, meanwhile, drifted badly off the pace. Sure, they captured the Ulster title last year only to lose to a decent Meath performance.

The personnel are largely the same and while that fine underage talent Tommy McGuigan, younger brother of Brian, has graduated into the forward line, the departure of Peter Canavan, Chris Lawn and, more recently, Stephen O'Neill leaves significant voids in terms of guaranteed scoring returns and leadership.

Dooher was asked recently about the chances of cajoling O'Neill, still only 27 but ravaged by knee tendinitis, to come out of retirement in the cause.

"There are very few teams that could cope with the loss of Stephen O'Neill - a great footballer," he responded. "There is nothing we can do. What's done is done. We can't change it.

"A big loss, definitely. There is no point crying about it. He knows the door is open for him at any time and he has been encouraged to come back.

"He has just come back from injury again with the club. There is no point us talking about Stevie when Stevie doesn't want to talk about himself. It has no bearing on this match."

Tyrone have been ravaged by an unprecedented number of injuries. That pretty much ensured their 2006 campaign was a write-off. Defeat to Derry and a replay win over Louth came before Laois put them out of their misery.

Dooher and Brian McGuigan were either absent or unfit. The qualifiers have provided time for Dooher and McGuigan to find their stride again but it was Owen Mulligan's turn to suffer this year and he only came back into the reckoning with a few minutes left in the one-point win over Mayo earlier this month.

The image of Mulligan bamboozling three Dublin defenders en route to a fine goal three summers back has sealed his place in Croke Park folklore.

Considering Dublin's current form, Mulligan, along with Dooher and the elder McGuigan brother, will need to somehow rediscover the standards they so impressively set in gathering a second All-Ireland in three years.

Tyrone were the best team in the country then. Kerry have since comfortably taken on that mantle, leaving everyone in their wake.

Tyrone are just another, albeit still feared, part of the peloton these days.

Whether they are capable of rising again will be revealed on Saturday.