TYRONE might never turn haters into admirers but they'll try to convert doubters into believers by retaining the Sam Maguire Cup for the first time ever.
That's the Red Hand attitude this year, insists Niall Sludden, as the Ulster and All-Ireland Senior Football Champions aim to hold on to both trophies.
Tyrone's fourth national senior triumph last year was something of a surprise and the Dromore man accepted that there may be question marks over their credentials.
The Red Hands are only fourth favourites to win 'Sam', behind Kerry, Dublin, and Mayo, and Sludden commented: "We always have something to prove.
"We feel within the camp that we worked really hard last year to become All-Ireland champions, you're not All-Ireland Champions for no reason. But again you have to show it - it's 2022 now and every game we have to back that up. If people want to write us off, then do that, that's great, we don't mind that mentality…
"You hear people from the outside saying that some other team should have won it, so we just treat it the same - go in, work hard, and see where we're at."
Tyrone certainly had to work hard for their home draw against Monaghan on Sunday, a reprise of last year's Ulster SFC Final which the red and whites edged by a point.
The two other Sunday games in Division One, Mayo-Donegal and Kildare-Kerry, also ended all square, with Armagh the only winners in the top flight, shocking Dublin in Croke Park on Saturday night.
Tyrone make the short journey to the Athletic Grounds to take on Kieran McGeeney's high-flying side this Sunday and Sludden knows that will be the second of seven battles in this section:
"Every game is a pure dog-fight, you saw that [against Monaghan]. We're going to Armagh next week and they're going to be high on confidence. But we're looking forward to it too, we'll dust ourselves down."
The arm-wrestle with Monaghan, which somehow ended nine points apiece, should be great preparation for the clash against Armagh, but Sludden pointed out how outstanding the Orchardmen were against the Dubs:
"That game should hopefully stand to us, but we saw Armagh, and I'm sure the whole country saw them. They were hugely impressive.
"Conditions were very different in Croke Park as well, but the Athletic Grounds are going to have a nice atmosphere, so it should be a good one," he added with a smile.
"That's the beauty of the League, every game is just so tight, and you got to enjoy it. It's great to be back at it."
Sludden enjoyed the crowd involvement on Sunday, saying: "It was great to get back out to Healy Park, and you could hear the Tyrone crowd there too, it was a real ding-dong Ulster battle.
"We've had many a battle with Monaghan over the years, and there are things we did well and things we have got to improve on. We'll have to step it up, we're in Division One and you have to show yourself there."
Twenty years on from their only All-Ireland so far, Armagh are top of the top flight for now, but Sludden is content that Tyrone took a point to build on for the rest of the campaign:
If Monaghan kick that score at the end and we go out without any points, you'd be deflated a bit.
It could have gone either way, so it's just great to get a point on the board, and we can build on that and get back to training this week for another tough test."
With no more water breaks at the end of each quarter, Sludden laughed off the tongue-in-cheek suggestion that teams were now scheduling scuffles in order to get a breather and get coaching information onto the pitch:
"I wasn't doing the fighting, I can tell you! Boys like Conn Kilpatrick are well used to that. I think we wanted to get the jersey off again but it was too cold to be honest."
The Athletic Grounds certainly won't lack for heat this weekend…
