NEW Tyrone hurling manager Michael McShane has confirmed his backroom team, with highly rated coaches Stephen McGarry and Tommy Stevenson joining the project.
McShane has worked with both in the past, and is looking forward to renewing partnership with Ballycastle club-mate McGarry and St Paul's Lurgan man Stevenson, a Strength and Conditioning specialist.
Local men John Devlin of Dungannon and Carrickmore's Plunkett McCallan have been installed as selectors, while Ronan Brannigan will be the team doctor, and Aidan McHugh taking on the role of kitman.
"Tommy brings a lot of experience. He has worked with the Tyrone hurlers before, he has worked with some of the present panel, as there's a bit of continuity there," said McShane.
"He brings a lot of strengths, he's an excellent all-round coach.
"I have worked with him, and he's one of the top Strength and Conditioning coaches in Ireland."
McGarry, just recently retired as a player with the McQuillans, has impressed McShane with his work at his home club.
"Stephen is a young coach, he's only in his mid-thirties, and not long retired from playing.
"I have watched him coaching over the last two or three years and I have been very impressed with him.
"He will be an excellent addition to us. His philosophies and his thinking on hurling are similar to my won, so we'll work well together."
McShane, who has led Slaughtneil to three of the last four Ulster Club SHC titles, has been unable to meet his Red Hand players as yet, but he has drawn up a squad.
Meetings have taken place online, and the players have been following individual training programmes in preparation for the NHL Division 3A campaign.
"We have ongoing training programmes in place, and the players are working individually until such times as we're actually able to get together.
"Of course we would love to be able to get up to Garvaghey tonight and start working with them, but for now the work has to be done remotely and virtually.
"We're not sitting back on our heels, we're pushing on, within the rules and regulations that allow us to push on at the minute."
GAA chiefs have suggested that games may be permitted to take place next month, but the Tyrone boss insisted he is happy to wait until it's totally safe to do so.
"I look forward to whenever they can announce when we can get back to training.
"But I'm very mindful of the current times we live in, and the priorities that everyone has at the moment.
"People's health and safety is more important than the game of hurling, and I'm a hundred per cent behind what the GAA are doing and how they're going about this.
"I think they have done it very, very well so far in protecting the communities that we all represent.
"So I'm happy to wait. Of course I would love to be going up to Garvaghey tonight, but I'm happy to wait until such times that they give us the nod, and once that time comes, we'll be ready to go.
"Looking at the figures nationwide, they seem to be going in the right direction, slowly but surely.
"I think if things continue to go that way, we may be able to get back to training in a few weeks time, and hopefully get some games played by the end of March, start of April."
