Agree with colm Boyle if we win league and can't go out and beat Sligo next week then we are not going anywhere . So go all out to win on Sunday even a good performance against a kerry side with clifford at his best would be a positive .

Can't see any Sligo ambush, even though by the definition of the word, I'm not supposed to.
Good performance and everyone injury free is the optimal outcome. It'll be a battle.

It very unfair, but Croke Park, has been doing this for how many years now. All-Ireland need to be move two week later, leave the beginning of league at same time. By moving league to a earlier start, run a big risk on pitch unplayable/ adverse weather conditions etc. That or don't play a million group all-ireland series games to loss a couple of teams. Hope for a mayo win on sunday, but as long as we show up, and give them loads of it, I would be happy. Taking a tanking like Galway did last week, does little for anyone

Sligo will be our 4th week playing in a row...
When kerry came to castlebar it was their 4th/5th week in a row. They were flat. Its probably something on the back of everyone's minds after what happened with Rossies so hard to expect lads to go full tilt... takes the good out of the league really. I dunno.

That’s so true, Moose79, and Sunday will be Kerry’s eighth match in nine weeks, though they’ll get a chance to put their feet up for a while after it.

Corn Mhíchíl Uí Mhuircheartaigh The name of the new league trophy for Sunday

On Sunday I would like to see a few things.
1.We play a sweeper in front of our full back line and limit goal chances against us.
For the 25 years that I have followed Mayo soft goals at crucial moments have killed us.
Last year with Mc Brien at 3 and Callinan at 6 we looked a lot more secure.I don't think we conceded a goal against Galway Dublin or Derry in the championship.But in typical Mayo fashion we have moved our full back to 6 and our 6 to 5.I can understand trying lads in different positions during the league but I feel Mc Brien at 3 and Callinan at 6 was working well so why change it.
2.A bit of dynamism from our half back line.
Again the personnel picked here play a big part but I want a hb line that will either attack at pace or kick the ball in early to the forwards.
A HB line of Hession Callinan and Mcloughlin would give us serious pace for our running game especially in croke park.

I see that the RTÉ website has us playing NewYork on Sunday week!. Kerry's smugness in having a three week break sickens me, OConnor says there is no pressure on them having to play next Sunday as it shortens the gap to the Munster championship

Centre field battle will play a massive part on Sunday , I know that is an obvious thing to say but it’s becoming more vital in the modern game cause scoring is easier , lose the middle for a period and you could find yourselves chasing a ten point deficit in a very short period compared to what the return was in old money .

Jack O'Connor has referenced how Mayo 'demolished' them in the midfield sector in Castlebar so I don't see him allowing that happen again,but we're not too shabby in that area ourselves again now so I'd expect we'd hold our own in primary ball,we need to go in like dogs on anything that breaks.

If O'Connor still out for them we should be able to get the upper hand there.

@Moose 79 yeah of course so true I still remember that still sickens me looking back at loosing to the Rossies the week after . Though the Rossies played that very defensive style which we always struggled with.

Midfield battle for sure Sean, not just the scoring but the fact that keeper is been forced to kick it long more often, I think we have a great chance of winning this, miles ahead in Castlebar

Sligo see the same Leitrim team waiting in the semi final that we do and they know a CF appearance isn’t out of their reach. Only thing between them and Sam Maguire football this summer is 70 minutes against us the week after we battle it out with Kerry . We should be getting the job done but I imagine we do it in typical Mayo fashion.

The 2026 National football league season will be a gap to the championship in the League Semi-finals back in 2026 Mayo's opening Connacht football championship going to England to play London for the 1st time since 2016.

@Erris Exile in all fairness if we have any real aspirations we should not be clearing Sligo yew up and coming but my God if wdccajt beat sligo even after battling ut out with kerry we are going no where.

I never understand this comment that’s constantly trotted out that if we can’t beat such a team we are going nowhere.I wonder was Kerry people saying this before the 1992 Munster final or Mayo in 1986 when Roscommon beat us in castlebar or Sligo beating us in 1975 2000 and 2010 and Longford in the same year.You would think we have a load of all Irelands and we never get beaten in Connacht.while I believe we will beat Sligo I also know their focus has been totally on this game since the draw was made and this is the ideal scenario for them to cause a shock .we have no idea what affect the league final will have in terms of injuries and a possibly bad result or performance.I don’t actually see any benifit whatsoever of being in this league final in its current format

We could always pull a Leitrim and not show up LOL
I do wonder though will the gulf between top division vs lower divisions be more prominent now that the relative safety net of the blanket is gone!

@heavy metal mayo. I fear you are correctin your wondering. Big beatings will now become the norm in the provincial championship and shocks will become a thing of the past. It will soon seem like a completely new sport. I have my own doubts about all these new rules. I hope we get a big mayo crowd in croker to cheer on the mayo team on Sunday.

Just run a second string team with say 6 of the regulars. New goalkeeper for experience. The GAA deserve the respect they deserve with this fixture nonsense. The whole thing does not make sense - whilst good preparation for Championship the League has been relegated to being an irrelevant trophy. Maybe not in previous decades but certainly now. Still supporting the team of course.

Croke Park selling worst tickets on Ticketmaster first as always. Expect proper tickets should become available by Saturday as expect small crowd unless Div 3 v 4 brings support.

There'll be a crowd, no doubt. My neighbour tells me the weather is supposed to be good. I've two coming home from London for the weekend. There'll be pints galore either way.

The most important thing for both counties is that neither side suffer a bad injury or two on Sunday. Horan Hat said the All Ireland should be put back 2 weeks. If the powers that be in croke park had any interest in player welfare the Hurling Final would be on the last Sunday of August and the Football Final on the first Sunday in September. The children would be back at school and there would be fierce excitement in the counties involved. In the Game in Castlebar I thought that Mayo had finally learned how to beat kerry. Attack at pace straight down the centre. Kerry Have a serious problem at Center Back and are weak at midfield. If Mayo are to win on Sunday they will have to target the Kerry Kickout and Attack Kerry at pace down the centre. If they do as Galway did last week then kerry will win comfortably. Hopefully it will be a classic and that both sides will go out to win. Mayo will have to play to their strengths and expose kerry's obvious weaknesses. At this stage there is no point in keeping the powder dry until July for a game that may never happen. Best of luck to both teams and supporters on Sunday. Safe travelling to everyone.

I have two Cusack stand tickets free to a good home. Leave a comment here and I'll respond to your email

Will take those Ultair if you still have them!

Tickets gone

Are ya doing the Pod from your place Willie Joe, live north side myself, can I call over for the tea ?
Ill get the O' Haras loaf and you can put on the Fry. Up Mayo

Ever the Optimist if you can source a baby sitter for 2 little ones under 4, then I will join you for those pints galore :)

The idea of Sligo waiting in the long grass is comical. A bit of underage success has given them notions of grandeur. I expect them to be put back in their box tout suite. They play in monochrome, we play in full colour. There is more chance of Willie Joe having to get a restraining order against Mayoman51 than of Sligo beating Mayo.

lol @ restraining order

Roll on Sunday, Flag flying high this week. Can't believe we are straight in to championship the following week, but bring it on. Wondering to myself why they didn't pull the league a couple of weeks earlier considering they done away with FBD this year.

Ha ha rusty bridges, I remember those days well where I was looking for someone to babysit.. Christ almighty it's flown in. I'd be happy to help out if I was twenty years younger. My idea of pints galore is now watching others do what I used to with an envious look.

In the past of the league in croke Park against galway was a good win for mayo. This is very intense because when mayo playing against Donegal I was nervous that mayo lost they before my birthday ? when I watch it mayo won that was my birthday gift . UP MAYO win again this year you can do it you know you guys are full of energy in the Croke Park u beat dublin the all ireland champions for the first ever In 2021