They had to fight for a share of the spoils against Monaghan on Sunday and Tyrone’s Niall Sludden is expecting plenty of tough battles throughout their Division One campaign.
The Red Hands progressed to the Division One semi-finals last year and suffered that now infamous 6-15 to 1-14 loss to Kerry in Killarney.
Tyrone regrouped for the Championship and clinched the Ulster and All-Ireland titles and are now the team that the rest of the country have their sights set on.
Monaghan certainly chucked the kitchen sink at their provincial rivals in what was a repeat of last summer’s Ulster final.
Sunday’s rematch in Omagh might have been played in terrible conditions, but both teams left everything out on the pitch in a dramatic encounter which ended 0-9 each.
Sludden, who collected a first All-Star award for his exploits for Tyrone last season, believes Sunday’s thriller was a sample of what’s to come.
"Every game is a pure dog-fight, you saw that (against Monaghan),” said Sludden.
“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."
"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.
“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.
“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.”
The game in Healy Park provided an abundance of talking points with Football of the Year Kieran McGeary sent off late on for a second yellow.
Tyrone also had a point by Paul Donaghy controversially ruled out by referee Joe McQuillan while Monaghan’s last-gasp shot to seal victory from Conor Boyle dropped short into Niall Morgan’s arms.
Yet, all the pre-game chat in Omagh surrounded the surprise result in Croke Park on Saturday night as Armagh claimed a deserved five-point victory over Dublin.
Sludden knows Kieran McGeeney’s men will be full of confidence going into Sunday’s eagerly-anticipated clash at the Athletic Grounds.
"That game should hopefully stand to us, but we saw Armagh, and I'm sure the whole country saw them. They were hugely impressive,” stated Sludden.
"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.
"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."
Tyrone managers Feargal Logan and Brian Dooher named a very experienced team for Sunday’s League opener with 12 starters from the side who defeated Mayo in the All-Ireland final lining out in Omagh.
Conor Shields and Nathan Donnelly were late inclusions in the starting 15, replacing Matthew Donnelly and Brian Kennedy respectively to make their League debuts.
With five players from last year’s All-Ireland winning squad stepping away in recent weeks, Sludden insists that competition within the squad is as strong as ever.
“They fitted in very well, worked very hard,” added the Dromore defender.
“It wasn’t easy that second half, especially with the conditions.
“But that’s what you need, you need the new blood coming through.
“There’s plenty of new boys chomping at the bit, wanting to come in and push us older lads on, and you need to have that, especially as All-Ireland champions.”
