In the world of Gaelic football, few prizes shine as brightly as the Ulster Senior Football Championship. As Monaghan prepares to face Armagh in this Sunday's highly anticipated final at Clones, manager Gabriel Bannigan is pushing back against the notion that changes to the All-Ireland draw have diminished the prestige of the provincial crown.

Much has been said about the decision to hold the All-Ireland Senior Football Championship draw before the provincial finals are complete. With all eight provincial finalists now guaranteed a home draw—Monaghan will host Mayo on May 30 or 31—some critics argue there's little incentive to go all-out for an Ulster title. Bannigan firmly disagrees, calling that perspective short-sighted.

"Winning an Ulster final is still a big prize," the Monaghan manager told BBC Sport NI. "The home draw aspect is just a small part of the motivation. The Ulster final is the second biggest prize in Gaelic football in my opinion. That's no disrespect to the other provinces, but it's the same in hurling with the Munster Championship being second to Liam MacCarthy."

For Monaghan, reaching their first Ulster final since 2021 is a significant achievement in itself. Bannigan describes the competition as "the second best competition in Gaelic football," and his players are hungry to prove that the old traditions still carry immense weight. "Whether we win or lose against Armagh, we still have a very tough draw in the All-Ireland series. But we'll deal with that after the Ulster final," he added.

On the injury front, there's positive news for the Farney faithful. Gary Mohan and Ryan Wylie are both fit and available for a place on the bench, providing valuable depth. However, this week has come too soon for Fionan Carolan, who continues to recover from a hamstring injury.

Bannigan's patient approach to injuries earlier in the year is now paying dividends. While Monaghan failed to pick up a single point in their Division One league campaign, championship was always the priority. "We made particular choices and decisions along the way with players like Conor McCarthy, who came back from Scotstown in a bad way," Bannigan explained. "We could have patched him up for a couple of league games, but we decided to rehab him properly and have him for a sustained championship campaign. Same with Killian Lavelle and his shoulder—the advice was he needed surgery, so we decided we'd get it right and get him back for championship."

With the stakes high and tradition on the line, this Sunday's clash in Clones promises to be a battle worthy of Ulster's storied history. Whether you're backing the Farney men or the Orchard County, one thing is clear: the Ulster Championship remains one of Gaelic football's most treasured prizes.