Niall Morgan says Ulster Championship would still be prestigious even as a stand-alone competition

Morgan wants to see change

Tyrone goalkeeper Niall Morgan insists that holding provincial championships as stand-alone competitions, not linked to the Sam Maguire Cup, would not diminish their standing.

One of the options on the table at next week's Special Congress vote (Proposal B) would see the four provincial competitions be held at the start of the intercounty season, before the championship.

Many critics of Proposal B argue separating the provincial championships from the main competition would have a detrimental effect.

"I think the provincial championships are being totally devalued here, and to say that they are basically going to be a pre-season tournament," opined Jim McGuinness earlier this year.

"The provincial championships that Peter [Canavan] has won, that I won, are you happy to put them up in the same light as a pre-season tournament that does not have an impact on the championship? So I do not agree with that at all."

The Ulster Championship has been the most competitive of the four in recent years

But Morgan insists that the allure of the Anglo-Celt Cup would be as great as ever.

"It's still for the same trophy," he said. "It's not that we're bringing back the McKenna Cup. It's still a provincial championship and the onus is then on the Ulster Council and on the teams to take it serious and to treat it seriously and to make it a competition that everyone wants to win.

"They still mean a lot in Tyrone and I've now won three of them. I hope that's not me finished on provincial championships, they mean a lot.

"You're still going to take it serious. You still want to win.

"I know everybody keeps coming back to Ulster and Ulster being the most competitive, at the end of the day you're going to be playing your rivals. We won the McKenna Cup nearly every year because we wanted to beat our rivals and it's up to the other teams then to come to the table and take it as serious as what we will be.

"I know with Brian [Dooher] and Feargal [Logan] in there now, they'll be wanting to win it. We don't take provincial championships for granted. This isn't a pre-season competition. This is a provincial championship that you get the Anglo-Celt for and a provincial medal."

Morgan celebrates the 2021 Ulster final win over Monaghan

The Edendork man is fully supportive of the move which would see the National League format moved into the championship.

"Everybody wants to play championship games and that's the truth of it, and getting seven of them in games that really, really matter," he outlined.

"Everybody's going to have to put out full teams. We played Dublin in the past, playing 11 or 12 of their main team and they're giving other boys a run out. This gives us the opportunity to really pit ourselves against the best every week."

'Things have changed since All-Ireland triumph'

With a Celtic cross in his back pocket, Morgan now has a pep in his step. And since last month's All-Ireland final win over Mayo, he has noticed some changes.

"Oisin McConville said it to me on a podcast that my life would change forever afterwards," he noted.

"You're sort of thinking, 'What's he talking about?' But things have changed. You're now being introduced everywhere as 'Niall Morgan, All-Ireland winner'. You're being asked to do a lot of things. It comes with the territory.

"I often said it that after 2018, nobody wanted to speak to me so it's only positive. It's great. It's everything you ever dreamed of but the biggest thing now is trying to repeat it."

And despite not being able to bring the Sam Maguire Cup back to Tyrone immediately after the decider due to Covid-19 restrictions, they are now parading the trophy around the county.

"It started going around the schools this week," Morgan explained.

"I'm a teacher and it coming into our school on Tuesday was unbelievable. We had a photographer in. It's still dampened a wee bit that the kids can't hold it or raise it. It was sat on the table and they came around it and got a picture. Then they were gone and the next class was in.

"I'm looking forward to getting my own two kids' pictures with it because it's a dream come through for me and hopefully it'll be a benchmark for the children of Tyrone in the future."