Good to hear Mark is more upbeat than most on here about the game.

I can't see there being much in it. If players cut loose and Comer and Walsh still out/not fully fit we will have a great chance and home advantage will help .

That said if head overrules heart I'd expect Galway to edge it on current form. While it looks like the bookies have Galway raging favourites on outright betting, they have the handicap at +3 which under new rules is feck all, so they are very wary of us all the same.

Loved that pod, we're more than capable of making a game of it, no point in doing it but I've no doubt the same posters on here who wrote us off last year vs Galway are the same ones writing us off this year. We should've won that one, plus Dublin plus Derry. Difference in us this year(games that mattered) we won the tight ones at the end

'Should haves' are the story of our lives. Development, Mayo and Galway are at totally different places. Galway have also adapted to new rules, we're sleepwalking our way towards embracing the new game.
The game will be invaluable to Mayo. We have potentially great players. A sisemic change in management's attitude would see us competitive, any chance Rochford will abandon 'possession' and play 'risk and reward'? . Maybe we'll see a player driven performance, McLaughlin, Neary are capable of doing the unthinkable.

Does anyone know if season tickets are allocated or can you select your seat?

Pod fan

Stand tickets are allocated ( as in, when you when you go into ticketmaster it's gives you a seat, you can 'empty' it in your basket and keep trying for a different one.

Sideline tickets - you can sit where you want in the sideline-first come,first served on the day

Thanks Paddyjoe. That's what I thought

Mark Ronaldson has to go down as one of the most gifted forwards I have ever seen in Underage football in Mayo, guiding Shrule Glencorrib to County A Underage titles , its a real pity we didnt get to see more of him at Senior Inter County level , the only reason was probably his lack of height cause he was better footballer than alot of the forwards that started in his peak years. Very similiar with Paul Towey now.

@You Three - the landscape has completely changed since last year.

Before last year's Connacht final, we had beaten Galway well in the league and beaten them in the 2023 championship. We were in fact favourites with the bookmakers before last years match with very few writing us off. They went on to beat us and blow an All Ireland win, while we didn't even make it to Croke Park.

They have kicked on since, and even hammered us earlier this. Their panel has improved and they have found players all over to strengthen them. Mayo, on the other hand, have gradually gotten weaker and still haven't replaced the great players of the last decade.

It might have been a 50/50 game last year, but that's definitely not the case anymore

Does it work for ticketmaster/GAA to only have shit seats available till the last day or two before a game ? I know it bugs the s h I t out of me that’s for sure , two corners of the stand is all that’s available

any special trains going to dublin after the connacht final

Thats right Achill 75. He was a very good corner forward, lightning quick but yes too small it seems to be selected..he was in the mould of Douglas and Mikey Sweeney sort of player, his father managed the mayo u21s yrs ago too..Declan. Mark R and conor mort used play havoc on the club scene. Had a decent side then but didn't push on..lack numbers then and fellas moving on..hard keep it going I suppose.

Sean Burke I think ticketmaster/Connacht Gaa just do it to piss people off. That's all I can deduce.
And season ticket holders are snookered as we have to purchase by next Wednesday

It wrecks my tiny little skull

It is really annoying how they do that by just releasing the shit seats first it's infuriating !

Clare , And after the deadline for Season ticket holders, Better seats will become available, mental

@Paddyjoejohntom

Aw now that's ridiculous very unfair on season ticket holders!

Unstoppable...your bang on there as regards this year and 2024. Galway have definitely kicked on big time since last year's CF and definitely left an A I behind them.
At this stage of the season they seem to be way ahead of where they were last year.
The same can't be said for Mayo, who don't seem to have imbrased the new rules at all and it seem to have effected their confidence somewhat.
Can they turn things around for the Connaught final...I'd love to think they could but a Galway team still smarting from last year will want to put thing right and a CF will be their 1st step.

I left buying tickets for the last two games until the day of the match (to be honest I wasn't expecting assigned seating for what were always going to be poorly attended Connacht games). For Sligo there was only the outer edges of the stand left on ticketmaster and for Leitrim there were none at all for their stand. So a few hours later I was sitting or standing on a terrace looking over at a half empty stand in both Castlebar and Carrick. Alright for me given that I'm relatively young and unburdened but in Pairc Sean there were plenty of elderly people and people carrying small kids who could have done with a seat forced to stand and look at a load of empty ones across the pitch from them. Not to mention the fact that GAA+ decided to erect a structure in front of the terrace that blocked a lot of the view. I really don't understand if it's Connacht GAA or ticketmaster who are messing up the ticket allocation but someone is. It also made an already small crowd at both games look even smaller as the cameras were both on the terrace side. It really has felt like a chore going to Connacht games (not helped by poor performances and wildly overpriced tickets).

It’s not just in Connacht that this crack happens. You see it in Croker as well with the Canal and sides of the main stands being the first offer of the tickets. It’s laughable the way they do it but not funny all the same. While Mayo v Galway should be close to a sell out I wouldn’t be surprised to see a scattering of empty seats in the stand. Surely Season ticket holders ( and I am not one) should get the offer of the better seats in the stand as a result of buying a season ticket and presumably attending most of the league games. Loyalty used to be something that was valued highly in the GAA and supporters most loyal to their county.ie. the ones who purchased season tickets should be rewarded

All stand seats should be on offer from the word go and first come first served. If the stand is full how the feck does it matter which in order the seats were sold? This nonsense wrecks my head.

Hopefully fine day and get in on the sideline for cheaper ticket price as per Sligo game.

I'd be thinking Donncha McHugh on conroy, do that outfielder stopper role he seems to have mastered. Every time I see galway this year Conroy is stroking over 2 pointers at his leisure. We need somebody to be getting the heat on Conroy.

Walsh won't be playing so that's a plus. Finnerty can be got at for sure, he's a streaky cocky player but if you sow it into him early on he won't want to know. I'd be inclined to play someone like Eoin o'D on him who won't shy away from a bit of dirt and give him plenty of 'off the ball' stuff see if he has the stomach for it.

Then there's the Comer conundrum, he was the difference last year, on paper you would think McBrien is the only match up for him but he destroyed McBrien last year and McBrien seems to be playing with a lack of confidence this year, having said that I don't see another suitable matchup so it's a worry

@Supermac - I was actually thinking of McHugh on McDaid. McDaid is their Enda Smith-type player.

To be honest, we need a few McHugh's because they have conundrums all over!

It's pure sh1te that they just don't release all tickets for sale, let the early birds into the ground go into the stand and sit where they like. If people turn up late and can't get a seat in the stand well tough sh1t...its so fuck ing annoying.

When you look back on last year it was a really tight game and scoring opportunities were at a minimum. A fit McDaid Maher and Tierney are a huge plus for Galway this year

Scorers for Galway: Rob Finnerty 0-8 (5fs), Shane Walsh 0-3 (1f), Damien Comer and Connor Gleeson (2fs) 0-2 each, and Johnny Heaney 0-1.

Scorers for Mayo: Ryan O’Donoghue 0-6 (4fs, 1m), Mattie Ruane 0-3, Tommy Conroy 0-2, Donnacha McHugh, Fergal Boland, Jordan Flynn, and Cillian O’Connor 0-1 each.

Galway: Connor Gleeson; Johnny McGrath, Jack Glynn, Seán Fitzgerald; Dylan McHugh, John Daly, Liam Silke; Paul Conroy, Céin D’Arcy; Johnny Heaney, Seán Kelly, Kieran Molloy; Rob Finnerty, Damien Comer, Cathal Sweeney.

Subs: John Maher for Molloy (21), Shane Walsh for Sweeney (33), Matthew Tierney for Heaney (52), Seán Ó Maolchiaráin for Fitzgerald (65), Daniel O’Flaherty for Daly (70+1).

Mayo: Colm Reape; Sam Callinan, David McBrien, Rory Brickenden; Eoghan McLaughlin, Donnacha McHugh, Jack Coyne; Stephen Coen, Mattie Ruane; Jordan Flynn, Fergal Boland, Jack Carney; Aidan O’Shea, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O’Donoghue.

Subs: Diarmuid O’Connor for Boland (45), Cillian O’Connor for O’Shea (54), Enda Hession for Flynn (58), Conor Loftus for Coyne (65), Bob Tuohy for Carney (70+1).

Where has Bob Tuohy disappeared to?

I see that the GAA and their partner in crime, Ticketmaster, are sticking to their plan of screwing the season ticket holder, AGAIN, by giving them the worst seats on offer! Well used to it in Croke Park but for it to happen in MacHale Park also is a joke. 10 days before the game and my ticket is stuck in 108!!! So the stand is virtually sold out??? In my hole it is.
I used to have 4 season tickets, reduced it to 2 and now one, but this year will be my last year. I can walk into a shop and buy a better seated ticket for the same price. No value in the ticket at all, in fact you're better off without it.

And where has Rory brickendon and the breaffy sub keeper gone too.

Lots of scores from frees last year for Galway according to your breakdown thedarkyfinn 8 points for them as against 4 for us. Similar fouling by us this year will have even greater consequences as they have the guys to nail 2 point frees. While I know it’s difficult to avoid, conceding frees makes no sense. It is much more difficult to score a point from play while under pressure than have a simple free with no tackling. This is something I always preach to teams I am involved with Try not to foul except as a last resort. Mayo used to be praised for the quality of our tackling in the not too distant past, Just looking at the teams there, Galway’s first 3 subs were hugely impressive players. Maher is top notch, Walsh on form one of the best in country and Tierney usually delivers for them. Our first two were the O Connor brothers who if fully fit would surely have started

Jesus is this a Galway fan site? WTF?

Here would be my thirds selection - presuming they are still on the panel and using that information from the Belmullet camp, and including some certain starters who are still returning from injury.

Vahey
McMonagle (taking a slight chance here as not sure if he was included in panel
Brickenden - where has he gone
?

Durcan - wouldn't be on the first thirty - to date
Ivors - seems to have slipped down the rankings
Loftus - Hopefully he may reappear

Tuohy
Melvin

Dawson
McHale - has that finger injury cleared up?
F. McLaughlin
Diarmuid Duffy
Conroy - as for Durcan
Prendergast (or Philips)

Haven't included u20s but they may mutate depending on developments in both competitions. Given the conservative nature of managerial development of players, don't hold your breath.

Thanks for sharing Ewan McKenna's piece @PodFan. A lot to take in and a light being shone. So basically Mayo clubs/supporters have been screwed over for years. Yet why was Jarlath Burns thanking every county board official that there ever was? There must be a media blackout in Mayo as not a murmer in local papers, radio, podcasts, etc.

Might not be as many frees to Galway this time...Mr.Gough may not be reffing it!

Pebblesmeller - I've edited out a bit of your comment there. As I made clear a long time ago (which you'll recall as you were active on the blog then), I won't be facilitating any further discussion here referencing that individual, in light of everything that went on before.

Mayolass - there's no "blackout". Anyone who knows the background on this will appreciate that no good comes from engaging with anything from that quarter.

That's all I'm saying on this. I'd ask everyone to focus the debate on on-field issues, about which there's plenty to talk about right now.

The GAA have just announced that the draws for the group stages of the All Ireland Series will take place on Wednesday at 1.30pm. This draw should be made after the 4 provincial finals are over. I just can't comprehend why the GAA/CCCC have decided to do this again this year. It is certainly not to give supporters time to plan as I presume that they won't announce all fixture details at once. I can never understand why the people behind these decisions are never interviewed to explain their rationale. It just seems ridiculous looking in from the outside.

WJ, reading that article, which referenced said individual, is there any merit or truth in the article. If so it is highly alarming regarding so many individuals conduct and the conduct of the gaa and county board. If it is true, surely people should be held to account and mayo gaa shouldn't be screwed over...it just all seems so amateurish.

Could Rob and Mike interview Ewan McKenna on the podcast - let's hear all the ins and outs. I am hoping clubs will question all this at the next county board meeting. It's troubling/worrying to say the least.

Moyside - I'm not engaging further on that issue, for reasons that have already been well ventilated here in the past. I've endured more than enough personal insults and abuse for my trouble and I'm not going there again. There's simply no point in doing so.

Goagain - I'd agree with you that this issue is one that clubs need to lead on but it's something that needs to be facts-driven, not agenda-driven. There's absolutely no merit in having a pod on it at this stage.

@keeping the faith
I'm fully with you on this. It's so bizarre and could influence teams before provincial finals in a massive way.
Our organisation is also horrendous at promoting the game. Why not have this on the Sunday game after the last provincial final was played? Hype it up and stream it live across twitter, tiktok etc also.

Completely behind Willie Joe on this. There’s plenty of talking to be done around the Connacht final and the championship in general. No need to be poking a wasps’ nest that will achieve nothing but division. Concentrate on the football and let the pieces of anything else fall where they will.

Bizarre is the word, Tommy Joe! We had exactly the same issue last year, when it was known in advance that winning Connacht would land you in a tougher group. You really couldn't make this stuff up.

Exactly Tommy Joe! When we drew with Dublin last year, there was no rush to do the draw after the game in Hyde Park. No, we had to wait until Monday morning to find out that we would be playing Derry 5 days later. I just don't get what the rush with this draw is!

When you see the way the Connacht Munster game in Castlebar was promoted, it would make you envious as a GAA fan. Things could be done so so much better!

Goagain - thanks also for inadvertently confirming in those two comments that you and Mayolass are, in fact, the same contributor! Both of your personas are now in moderation as a result.

Fair enough WJ. I understand your point. As a person who isn't active frequently in a club due to work/family constraints, I, along with thousands of mayo people deeply passionate about football in mayo. It does beggar belief why club delegates aren't saying/doing more re the alleged items in that article. I just don't know how or hen or where is the best place for this matter to be resolved. End of the day, we all want successful clubs and importantly a successful county team.

Agree WJ and TJ.

Begs the question what games are really worth winning.

Conceivably we could lose our next 3, draw our last group game and still win Sam. Crazy!

Are there replays for provincial finals this year?

@Pod Fan: No.

There was a motion at Congress in February on changing it for the future (with All Ireland's going to replay after normal time and Provincial Finals going to replay after extra time) but it hit quite a bit of resistance (mainly from hurling counties, football had the support) so they withdrew the motion for further consideration to potentially resubmit at Special Congress (e.g. not have it lose a vote so they can resubmit with some tweaks without the stigma of it having failed before).