All three matches on this weekend's programme are reruns of fixtures last year.

This one between Ulster champions Tyrone and their predecessors Armagh is the only one where a different result is generally thought unlikely.

Armagh came agonisingly close to an All-Ireland two years ago, but, in the meantime, haven't been able to uncover the couple of extra quality players who might have allowed for a renewed challenge.

Joe Kernan has taken over as manager and much attention has focused on the attempts to adapt his phenomenal success with Crossmaglen into a revival for the county.

Some of the moves are familiar. Kieran McGeeney is being deployed as a third centrefielder, dropping back from corner forward in the manner that Colm O'Neill used do for the club. O'Neill is actually in the panel, but there would be doubts about his ability to compete at this level.

Similarly, there are doubts over whether McGeeney is best used in this role.

His strength, vision and judgement - to say nothing of his lack of gears - would appear better suited to the centre-back position, which has been his usual posting.

Ironically, there are suggestions in the county that Kernan's anxiety not to be perceived as too much of a Crossmaglen partisan may have played a role in preferring the experienced Benny Tierney in goal to Paul Hearty - despite ongoing reservations about Tierney's kickouts.

Consideration of Tyrone has to include their phenomenal superiority to both Mayo and Cavan in the closing stages of the NFL - though neither Art McRory nor Eugene McKenna will have confused either challenge with a decent pre-championship test.

Tactically, the side is improved with Peter Canavan in the danger zone and Stephen O'Neill providing scoring support and Brian McGuigan also an accurate points taker in the right corner.

This has taken some scoring pressure off Brian Dooher and Gerard Cavlan, allowing them to concentrate on their roving game.

Expect it to be tight and expect Armagh to put Tyrone under a lot of pressure, but, at the end, expect the champions to progress.

ARMAGH: B Tierney; E McNulty, J McNulty, P McCormack; A O'Rourke, T McEntee, A McCann; J Toal, P McGrane; P McKeever, J McEntee, O McConville; S McDonnell, D Marsden, K McGeeney. Subs: F Bellew, R Clarke, J Donaldson, B Duffy, P Duffy, P Hearty, K Hughes, P Loughran, K McElvanna, S Maxwell, C O'Neill, C O'Rourke, G Reid, S Smith.

TYRONE: P Ward; C Gormley, C Lawn, B Robinson; R McMenamin, S Teague, C Gourley; C McAnallen, C Holmes; B Dooher, S O'Neill, G Cavlan; B McGuigan, K Hughes, P Canavan. Subs: J Devine, D McCrossan, P Jordan, S Cavanagh, S McCallan, R Thornton, C McGinley, Pascal Canavan, S Mulgrew, J Quinn, B McGuckin.