There is no doubt the two best teams this year are in the final. I agree we can expect a far better game than we got in 2014.
I am sticking with Kerry to win but will not be one bit surprised if Donegal come out on top.Because of family connections I will be cheering for Donegal.

Watching Donegal today, just shows even with the new rules there is still space for the good hard running game.

Donegal weee hugely impressive today and Kerry very good yesterday. While I hope Donegal win it I am not so sure they will. You have to factor in that they beat Louth Monaghan and Meath in their last 3 games. No disrespect to any of them but they operated in Div 2 of the league. In their last 3 games v Div 1 opposition they beat Mayo by a point, drew with Armagh before beating them in extra time and lost to Tyrone. . In contrast Kerry who we often accuse of having easier runs to finals have had to overcome Tyrone and Armagh in their last two games Two very different styles in final. Kerry like to kick . Donegal like to run the ball. You would think if Donegal can hold Clifford they have a great chance but that’s easier said than done. Two top class managers O Connor in 8 th final I think and McGuinness has done brilliantly with Donegal

I went for donegal before the championship and I'm sticking with them. Why?. Because Jimmy mcguinness is a serious manager. A proven manager. A winner. Leave s no stone unturned. A.siege mentality. Look at the team he inherited and look at it now. On top of that looking at kerry and jack keeps saying.. we are not a one man show... but jack it falling on deaf ears. Sean o shea brilliant against armagh but when will he perform like that again. He's too inconsistent for me. Clifford is the epitomy of consistency. Donegal will feel if they limit Clifford to 7 or 8 points they may have alot of the job done. Now joe o Connor was excellent against Tyrone. For kerry to win joe and Sean o shea have to put the Tyrone and armagh performance s back on. Collectively I believe donegal are a bit ahead of kerry. Paudie Clifford has to improve on the Tyrone performance big time also. Donegal to win. The Jimmy mcguinness factor is huge

@craggy Boglands it’s interesting as it seems both Kerry and Donegal players have a total belief in their manager and vice versa.

I seen both teams play twice this year.
Kerry are very direct and move the ball quickly by foot. New rules suit them. They are also creating a large volume of goal chances.

Donegal run the ball a lot and like to get players coming around in a loop to get the ball and take a score. Very hard to stop their pace.

Did Mayo give Kerry a blueprint in how to defend v Donegal?

Definitely will be a fascinating game and really looking forward to this. The two best teams are definitely in the final.
Overall I just think Kerry have the overall better quality of players that will see them over the line.

On a positive note the future of Mayo football is bright. We genuinely do have some very good footballers coming along .

Meath beat Galway without scoring any two pointers. Today their obsession with two pointers was the beginning of the end for them. 6 scores from 16 shots would have looked a lot better 1st half had they taken one points

Mayo should be kicking themselves for dropping the ball against Cavan. We hammered Tyrone and took Donegal really close. I don’t believe we played that great against Donegal either. Still believe we are a top five outfit. But there is now a big gap between Kerry, and Donegal and the rest of the chasing pack. I think Kerry will need to be at their peak of their game to beat Donegal. As my father’s a Kerry man, I’ll be supporting the kingdom, and I think they have enough aces to get the job done. But wouldn’t be surprised if Donegal do it, they were top class today. Is that same level of performance doable again for them. If it is should make for a fantastic final, really looking forward to it!!

Not sure about top five outfit label, 2011 to 2021 no doubt but Last three years Mayo only reached the last 8 once and well beaten in that game, such form doesn't lie lets be honest. Right now and for 2026 it's a case can Mayo improve under new management and try to become a top 5 outfit for sure again.

Two best teams remain and has the makings of a great final. My vote goes to Kerry, as they have David Clifford, who can be the match winner on his own. It will be interesting to see what McGuinness dreams up to contain him, but he will also have to worry about Seamie O'Shea and will need to curb Joe O'Connor. Once again, we have seen how the top teams are taking advantage of the space available under the new rules, by getting the ball forward quickly, Kerry mainly by kick-passes and Donegal by breaking at pace, with lots of support runners. Also, they hav'nt become obsessed with 2 pointers. In stark contrast, Mayo hav'nt utilized this newly available space at all, nor made best use of the 2 pointer opportunities-the new management will, hopefully, address this. I would'nt be over critical of Meath, as they have a very young team and a good foundation-I think they have something like 5 ot the Under 20s from a few years ago.

McGuiness held the county board over a barrell when the players begged him to return. With what had happened with Lacey quitting their academy as head honcho, the board caved into his every demand. I don't personally like his approach regarding the "us and them" siege bullshit but, by jaysus, it works, and has done every time he gets them near Croker. He's taken Mickey Harte's wee dogs in the manger psychology to another level. I prefer Kerry's total football style of play, but it will not work against this team in 2 weeks, a team I might add, that was running up sand dunes in November.
I want to believe Clifford and co will win but I don't.

@To win just once

Yeah or maybe Meath were very poor .
Some of the songs Meath supporters somgs they were singing about the Dubs were a disgrace to be honest and Dubs weren't even playing..

They had some awful wides. I mean 21 points hammering is embaressing to be honest .

Kerry won't fear Donegal I don't think .

@Pitsburgh

Yeah totally agree the Cavan game was season ending knew it that day .

In my mind Kerry haven't had any sort of a hard competitive game so far, this will soon change. For me the All Ireland is Donegal's tk lose and they'll probably win it by a pretty good margin too. Listening to Kerry analysis and presenters, plus a few others, there's this 'thing' out there with Kerry. This is not a great Kerry team, not even a good one. My predjction is Donegal to win by 8/12 points at least.

Valpglynn

Donegal have come very far no doubt about it that's thanks to McGuiness and Murphy .

It may not be the best kerry team they've produced but there's something special about the Clifford brothers. When they get going they hard to stop .

I fancy Donegal to win As they are excellent from 1 to 26-30 I know David Clifford was excellent on Saturday vs Tyrone and there’s no doubt Tyrone will be back with a bang and closer than ever before they win it again under Malachy O’Rourke for Mayo whoever the new manager is as I think it will be an outsider we need to get Michael Plunkett Rory Byrne sub Goalkeeper James Carr Conor McStay Fionn McDonagh Padraig O’Hora and Cillian O’Connor back and there’s no doubt we can win it over the managers tenure back to Kerry vs Donegal Donegal by 3 points for met Jim McGuinness has proven to be a real thorn For Jack O’Connor like he did in 2012 on their way to Sam Maguire that year for only the 2nd time and with the squad Donegal have they will be the 2025 all Ireland Champions Jim McGuinness has a plan and as Donegal supporters say he’s no lucky lucky man so Jimmys winning matches and bringing Sam Maguire back to Donegal again and I tipped them from the start this year so Donegal by 3 points

Valpglynn,

Kerry have had a tougher run id suggest from the QF stage than Donegal.

Armagh
Tyrone

Donegal played,

Monaghan
Meath

Jordan Kearns, them players you mention have all been there and done that and we ended up with nothing, most of them will never again reach the level of fitness Donegal had yesterday. What's needed is a new young Manager and young players willing to give everything to the cause. Man of the Match yesterday Roarty is 19 years old, we have young fellows as Good or Better.

once we bring in young players there's no doubt we will get to the level and we can Win Sam Maguire because there's a very talented squad there we just need the right manager for the task to do it. Because I know we can win it once we get the right manager. I have been very disappointed that the 2011 team we had that was good enough to win it but as Lee Keegan said we didn't do enough to win it as we have been stung by Tyrone,Donegal,Kerry,and Dublin between 2011-2021. We have been so close and I wonder is it a fear Mayo have when they are in the winning position?

The Final is 50/50 and no one really knows how it will go and despite this either team could get a run at it and win it easily. Hopefully it's a good game because the 2 semis were a poor advertisement for football. Forget the talk of Mayo because with our CB we will win nothing for the next 10 years at least. We had our chance to appoint Micko, McGuinness and Harte but the CB didn't want to lose control to the big personalities. The only other left is Jim Gavin and even if he decided to go back to management which is highly unlikely the CB wouldn't want him either.

We keep referring to the cavan game here. Does anyone not think that the sligo and Leitrim performance s led us to the infamous cavan performance. It wasn't a shock to me. Negative football leads to Negative result s. Thank god we are moving on. Whoever we get cannot be as bad. We have the players. Donegal is the model. Top class manager. No superstar that they didn't previously have. Totally different styles of football from previous management. Mayo can do the same. Mayo probably have better lads coming through than Jimmy had.

I don’t think we are miles off as some think but neither do I think we are very close to an all Ireland winning set up .our traditional game is a running the ball system which Donegal also favour but the difference in how both teams do that is very stark .earlier on this year i compared our attacks as being similar to the over 75 indoor football competition in fr ted .when Donegal get a turnover they break with extraordinary pace with runners coming at various angles.yes they have periods of probing around the edge of the arc but it has some purpose to it with players making little runs into pockets of space.They don’t appear overly concerned with two pointers but the opposition know Donegal have the players go hit them so push out further which leaves spaces in behind.Don’t think there is any point in continuing to criticise the outgoing management as they gave it a shot but unfortunately were unable to come up with anything new to bring to the table.in my opinion we are 4 to 5 players short of being able to compete for an all Ireland but we do have promising young players coming through.It’s time to get the manager situation sorted and hopefully they new management are asked the question beforehand as to what their philosophy is on how the game is played

@Willie Joe I was at that 1993 semi final against Cork. I can't remember which end i was at but when the first few goals started dropping one Mayo fella climbed up and shouted over the crowd "Ok everyone 1 decade of the rosary" then a few more goals dropped and he jumped up again "forget that 10 decades of the rosary". I think Cork scored 5 goals against us that day. Good news is Mayo football has come a long way since then!

Worst thing about that day against Cork in 93 was the amount of so called 'supporters' who got up and left long before the game was over which was and always will be a total disgrace. I was only young but what stuck in my mind that day was my auld fella telling me that you never ever abandon your team no matter how bad it gets. In 2025, it's something mayo supporters still need to remember.

Meath gambled on 2 pointers, missed them and they paid the price. They then gave up in the 2nd half.
An all out 2 point strategy is dodgy - needs to be a balance - like anything in life.
Nothing to be taken from that game.

I though Kerry were 10 points better than Tyrone, but for a masterclass in goalkeeping from Niall Morgan and some serious midfield play from Conn KiIlpatrick (he was everywhere).

The big issue for Kerry was that Tyrone beat them in midfield but didn't punish them. Donegal aren't as good in midfield as Tyrone, but will punish a poor kickout performance.

In 2012, Kerry kicked ball in all day to a blanket defence and got beaten on the counter attack.
In 2014, Kerry sat back and let the game got to s#!t by mirroring Donegal, removing Donegals counter attack strategy.
in 2025 league, Kerry were poor in the first half but came back into it. Pattons long kickouts doing a lot of damage and Donegal still only won by 2 points.
Donegal will have the same team, with Michael Murphy the single addition.
Kerry will have five different defenders, a new midfield and 4 new forwards.

Mayo showed that a man for man defense creates a lot of problems for Donegal, they just didn't have the forward power to capitalize.
Mayo held Donegal to 19, Tyrone held them to 20 and Armagh had them at 1-20 on 70 min.
Kerry Scored 1-20 v Tyrone and 32 points v Armagh.

Donegal dont have the man markers to keep 2 cliffords, 2 Geaneys, S O Shea, K Spillane all under 3 points each for 70min.
Tyrone went man to man and did very well on everyone except D Clifford.
Armagh went zonal and got destroyed.
Donegals only route to success is to keep Kerrys midfield out of the game, stopping Kerry's forwards inside the 45 isnt a realistic proposition.
If I was Jack o Connor - I would be sitting deep on defence and looking to counter with a kicking game. Donegal dont do man to man marking - so hitting them on the break with a kicking game before they can get back in their "low block" will leave them up in a heap. Trying a high press v Paton wont go well for Kerry, especially if they are as poor at kickouts as they were v Tyrone.

Kerry like to "hammer the hammer" but in Patons case, the hammer is his long kick out. I'd be giving him lots of short ones and dotn give Donegal lots of space behind you to counter attack.
Kerry have the forwards to out score Donegal in a cagey encounter. Those same forwards aren't built for chasing Donegal backs into their own half.

I definitely think we have a panel of players to work with (and it appears that there’s a decent degree of talent coming through, but tbh it’s very difficult to say plus they’ve won nothing underage) but oh boy, do they need a shot of adrenaline and morale which can come from a new voice. It’s so important that whoever is in charge has the natural charisma and leadership, someone who can instill an unbending belief that they can beat anyone and win an All Ireland. If the manager hasn’t this, then don’t apply.

I read someone’s post on this thread or a recent one about us not having the right to be at the top given our history since 51 and in particular the 51-88 period. I don’t mean this personally, but it’s just more defeatist attitude. Look at Tyrone. Sweet FA for ever but they got their house in order and look at how successful they’ve been over the past two decades or so. Brilliant. And they do it with a lower playing pool than us…and arguably far less ‘tradition’ for whatever that’s worth! We need a much more bullish approach. We need to demand success. It starts with getting the structures in place (they’re way off as James Horan said recently) from primary schools all the way up. I don’t think the current leadership are the right people, with respect. And we need to change our attitude to losing. It’s not ok.

@ Moyside - very good point. Even if you are not on the pitch you have to stand and take the blows.

OK we haven't won an All-Ireland in a long time but people forget how far Mayo football has come since that semifinal in 1993. In the recent decades we have consistently been a Division 1 team with few exceptions and always there or there about's.

I'd say what has frustrated people these last few years is just not getting the rub of the green in some of those tight games that has prevented us researching quarter/semi finals. But we are light years away from 1993, and we need to make sure we never drop down there again.

I often think how similar types of players we have to Donegal over the last few years and its only when McGuinness takes them that their lads seem to turn into different animals, it cant just be fitness, must be something to do with belief in the system, belief in the manager. Remember playing them in a league game 3 years ago in Donegal and it was embarrassing how bad they were. A lot of the same players were in Croke park yesterday and they were oozing confidence with loads of ability.
It was mentioned on commentary that they often had 6 or 7 players inside the opposition 21 yard line when they had possession , no panic on the ball, loads of little moves, moving the ball in and out , eventually a gap will open up, total composure. We would often be the exact opposite, only 2 inside with 6 or 7 out around the arc going right to left with little or no composure and a feeling of panic.
Takes hours of thought and practice to perfect systems like this but when everyone on the panel buys into the one system it works.

On the 2 pointers - its interesting the two finalists are teams that didn't particularly focus on 2 pointers.

Seems the 2 pointers had a bigger impact earlier in the season when the weather wasn't as good.

@InExile: I'd imagine pressure (both mental and physical from more targeted defending) playing a role in the changes there (especially for Meath yesterday) along with the huge impact from weather conditions.

I'd have said both Kerry & Donegal focused on 2s plenty, when it was the right thing to do. They never chased them specifically, never forced them in games where they didn't need them, so if they were cutting through a defence (which happened plenty for both sides) they'd have happily taken the simple scores. They then happily took on & converted the long range shots when teams dropped off to clog up the arc and try and prevent the goal threats (e.g. Armagh's zonal system backing away from shooters on the arc).

Both sides were ~average for 2s as part of their total make-up of scores (Kerry with 22.73% of their total from 2s and Donegal with 21.67% of theirs, where the average was 22.94% - we had 4.92% of ours from 2s for comparison) with Donegal ever so slightly below the average scored per game (2.60 versus the average of 2.66) and Kerry a little above average (3.13).

There's a narrative they're the two sides who didn't focus on them, but the numbers don't agree. It suggests they just used them well and managed to put up as big scores in the games with 2s as the ones without, with both sides scoring above average throughout the year.

(Both sides above average for goals as part of their total - Kerry 20.45% & Donegal 16.25% where the average was 14.14% - so having the double threat of both great to keep defences on their toes so they're constantly questioning the goal threat inside versus the 2s outside... which opens the door to pop over so many of the simple 1s)

I agree mayonaze we need the structures in place to produce a conveyor belt of young talent required to keep us at the top table. Wanted: a director of football.
I'm not sure how much schools can do in this respect. Schools do their best but have their own agenda and are not particularly overflowing with expertise in football. There will need to be much more of a school/club effort, much closer relationship between school and club.
The best opportunities to develop youngsters is summer months when they are free of school and the expertise is there in club.

@TsuDhoNim thanks for that interesting statistic.

Basically as I read it for Kerry/Donegal the old saying can be adapted a bit to 'take your 1 pointers and the 2 pointer will come'.

Obviously again however it shows had we didn't take advantage of the 2 pointers at all really. Clearly this can be opportunity for next year if it's possible to improve on that.

TSU do you not think Meath completely overdid their two point attempts in the first half yesterday , forced it too much ?

@Sean Burke: Absolutely. A collection of poor shots from poor positions at very wrong times.

They've good shooters so no issue with any of those having a pop when they think it's on, but too many at the weekend were never on and when they strung a host of them together (on the back of some silly errors and turnovers when going for 1s or goals too) it gave Donegal all the energy and completely sapped their own momentum.

I think Robbie Brennan mentioned earlier in the year they weren't working with a sports psychologist (which was fairly surprising given how much confidence he had managed to build into the lads) but we saw at the weekend the results of that and how fragile that confidence was when a few early slips really rocked them.

When they needed real leadership and someone to take on the ball and ensure a nice safe score to wrestle back momentum, they instead had lads taking on a 2 pointer from 55m back the field. Tough lessons learnt, and learnt the hard way, but hopefully (for the benefit of GAA more than any personal wish) they can push on from it and be a real thorn in the side competing with Dublin/Louth/Kildare for the next decade they've the potential to be.

I wonder in hindsight were meath really any good. Looking back they took a couple of scalps in non knockout games and beat a struggling Galway team and when it really mattered they lost the leinster final to louth and got hammered by Donegal so I won't be surprised if they fail to impress in 2026. I might be proven wrong in time.

Yeah, Meath need to win Leinster next season to reinforce belief, not that provincial titles mean much in the greater scheme of things, but both finalists did happen to win theirs this campaign.

I can see Murphy leaving permanently after this final along with McFadden and one or two more seasoned campaigners. Murphy has to be admired for stepping back in to the fold all the same. He's some player.

We need to stop pretending that we're close. Phrases from a former player of ""This team is definitely capable of winning an All Ireland".
You could take a photo of the Donegal and Kerry players legs, homogenise the colour and you'd be able to tell them apart from the Mayo panel.
Playing the same sport, seeking the same goal.
Watch the Donegal players run downfield leaned over with a big boxcart driving them down field.
We've work to do on our skills, our speed and power.

I agree that we have a lot of work to do to get back on track . We were going no where with that style of play .

we've lots of young talent coming up who the new manager needs to call up . Sure man of the match for Donegal yesterday was 19 !

@Mayonaze

Yeah definetly agree on needing to change the attitude to loosing certainly not ok .

Also agree that the manager has to have that attitude as you said to install the belief in the guys that anyone .

We do need to face up to reality for sure. In cross comparing results (against Donegal and Tyrone) we are only looking for 'soft comfort'. We played two pressure games in this year's championship. Connacht final v Galway, we lost. Knockout game in championship v Donegal, we lost.
So we are not a 'winning' team. We've to travel this road yet and it's not an easy one. Ask supporters throughout the country, would they like to see mayo in the final, and the answer is no, because the only question to be answered would be, what way we'd find to beat ourselves. That's the hard reality, we've dug ourselves into a hole and we've got to dig ourselves out. Soft talking that we're not far off isn't going to cut the mustard.

Our fitness levels have dropped since Horan left,that can be rectified.
We need to install a. Win at all cost mentality.

@JR

Totally agree on the fitness levels and I don't know if this played a part in not being able to close out games at the death v Galway , Donegal and Dubs last year .

Every post ends in a discussion over whether this MAyo panel could be a contender or not. The fact is the management team didn't believe in their own bench and had no plan to use the bench to impact the game at all.

The subs used by Mayo v Donegal - 2 points from the bench - 5th sub left to 3 mins to go
Jordan Flynn (0-01) for Tuohy (23), Davitt Neary for McHugh (42), Seán Morahan for Hession (52), Paul Towey for Neary (55), Fergal Boland (0-01) for Coen (67).

Mayo v Tyrone - no point from bench, 5th sub left until 67th minute (4 sub only given 7 mins)
J Flynn for Tuohy (51) D Neary for McHale (51), F Kelly for Dawson (54), F Boland for Ruane (63), S Callanan for Durcan (67)

Mayo v Cavan - 1 point from bench - last sub put on in the last minute. No sub for 55mins
F Kelly for Carney (55); P Towey for Neary (58); P Durcan for Hession (59); F Boland (0-01) for Flynn (58); F Irwin for McHale (70).

Mayo v Galway - one point from the bench - 5th sub not even used. no sub for non injury reasons until 61 mins
Sam Callinan for McBrien (9), Paul Towey for O’Connor (HT), Fergal Boland for Neary (61), Fenton Kelly for McHale (66).

Until we have some lads who can make an impact from the bench on a regular basis, we will continue to lose close games in the dying moments. The concept of starters and finishers alien to Mayo teams.

Dublin, South Africa, Armagh, Man Utd etc - all mastered the supersub strategy to great success.

In a match of 70 mins - 2 players should know that are only starting and playing 40-45 min - so should be working to that goal, 2 more should be told at half time that they only have 15min left and really have to give it everything for that 15 min. The other 10 outfield players should be saving themselves to last the full 70 (by rotating into the 3 back/3 up set up).
The subs shouldnt be warming up too much before the match. 4 lads should be warming up from halftime to 45min and should be fed into the line up from 42 -55 mins.
The rest of the bench should be warming up from 45-55 mins with a view that one will come on with 5 mins to go and needs to be a full game speed.

Mayo have always had a hap-hazard substitute strategy. Normally waiting until the game starts to go away from them before making subs. A well prepared team should be making substitutes to put pressure on the opposition in areas that the management have seen possible weakness and/or removing lads form their own team who aren't impacting the game to any great extent.

Any management team worth their salt has gps stats and possession/kickout stats on a table at half time - and should be constructing a plan to improve the team in the second half. Mayo often try to hold what they have, only to watch the opposition change it up and win at the end.

@Tirawleybaron. They are shocking figures. The league should have been used to develop a bench. How much league football did Dawson get? Again, it would be to a players advantage to know he is to be substituted at 40. But all of what you say is advanced management strategy.
In the Cavan game, Supporters getting restless on the sideline encouraged management to look at their bench and then we had 4 subs in the space of 4 mins. I know your point is the readiness of subs to be introduced, but the whole scene is pathetic. Statistics coming back to bite them. As they say in Offaly, 'that beats Bannagher'

Some good points there Tirawleybaron in both of your posts Most of our subs used were forwards which suggested that our forward play was not up to standard and as you said there was not a lot of great impact from the bench with a few notable exceptions. Also the fact that we delayed so long to make subs probably reflects a lack of faith in the lads due to come in. Defensively we were not bad this year, conceding on average ( tsu might correct me here )less than one goal per game in championship . Also I thought we did very well defensively v Donegal in going man to man and stopping them from hitting 20 plus points.. Forward play will be crucial for the new manager but to build a platform for that we need to be better in midfield as well, an area where I feel we struggled this year

@Ontheditch: None.

Conal Dawson one of our 5 players that didn't see a league minute this year but featured in Championship (Coggins, Akram, Durcan & Thornton the others).

At the risk of getting banned,I must just say that at least half of the Donegal players would have been twenty years or younger when Stephen Rochford was coach,also Michael Murphy retired in 2023,after Stephen left, on the Mayo county team of the players can't kick properly by the time they reach the senior panel they can't then be coached to become experts at kicking long range scores,the coaches will be them try and get the best results from what they have,the solution in my eyes would be expert coaching from twelve years upwards,it must be possible for our county board who have .millions on deposit with Croke Park to invest in top class coaches attending clubs like Belmullet,School and different clubs giving them several weeks coaching,I only want to say that our management teams had my full support going back to I believe was our first manager our first all-star player the great Johnie Carey from my club Kiltane,before that I think that it was selectors

@TSU that's shocking too. Not surprising that we regressed over the three years with that kind of approach.

There's definitely a place for yourself on any management team, club or county, that goes well beyond providing statistical data. Great to get definitive answers.

@Corick Bridget

Sorry but that's just nonsense. Of course you can train a player to take long range scores and two pointers at any age.

Corick, I think Murphy pulled out late 2022 with work commitments. Bonnar was definitely in charge then. I see McFadden is sticking the boot in about previous management saying they underachieved during their reign.

Bridget it’s time to give the rochford saga a rest .i have no idea what you think going back in time to previous managements is an any way relevant.you obviously have problems admitting when you are wrong.Best of luck to Kevin and Stephen but there time with mayo didn’t work out and I’m sure will look back themselves and be honest enough to admit that

Corrick. Face facts. Jimmy mcguinness is making the previous management look like a bunch of school boys.

Team rankings after the weekends games
1.Kerry
2.Donegal
3.Armagh
4.Galway
5.Tyrone
6.Mayo
7.Dublin
8.Derry
9.Meath
10.Monaghan

Craggy/Corick - the back and forth between the two of you in relation to the previous management team is both wearing and boring. It’s well gone time for you both to move on from that topic.

@Achill 75..Mayo didn't make the last 12...how you rank Mayo at No6 I dont know?, ...also Dublin and Meath both beat Galway, and Galway ranked well above both, and Galway only drew with Derry ...And Derry at No8...Derry didn't win a single competitive match in the entire league or championship in 2025. At least you have the top two, Sunday week will tell which is No1.

Unless something is done by somebody to get the mayo supporters back on board in big numbers it doesn't matter who the new manager is. Look at the huge vocal supporters at the semi - finals. The kerry supporters have come back strongly after a call out by david clifford to travel and support the team. I thought we were very quiet in the hyde against Donegal. I played club football for 15 years and always played better when the vocal support was there.

So far, this is my report card, only the first two positions can alternate, we will know by the time the last few stragglers have come down from the Croagh Patrick on Reek Sunday.... 1..Donegal...2...Kerry....3.....Tyrone....(beat Donegal in Ballybofey and Dublin in Croke Park) 4...Armagh....5....Meath...(beat Dublin, Kerry and Galway) ..6...Galway...7... Monaghan ..8...Louth (first Leinster title in 68 years) ..9 ..Mayo (just because I don't want to put Cork in front of Mayo...10 ..Cork ,

I'd rank both Dublin and Monaghan above Mayo.
Ranking Mayo 6'th is ridiculous. A team ranked 6'th wouldn't lose to Cavan or struggle to beat Sligo and Leitrim.

On reviewing my report card..I have to put Dublin at No 9 and Mayo at No 10...

@Observer

Dubs are finished for a few years they are in transition now cluxton should go as good as he was.

Donegal won yesterday playing their own version of Horanball. It just shows, that even with the new rules, there is a possibility to do very well with a hard running game. Their level of fitness was very impressive and it's having a very high level of fitness that kept Mayo at the top level since 2012. I believe Mayo let that standard drop over the past 3 years and it's one area that should be easy enough to rectify if the correct manager is put in charge.

InExile.......I was at that 1993 Mayo v Cork AISF too and left disgusted. The only time I've witnessed a Mayo capitulation to that degree (22 pts loss approx) caused by the team's surprising refusal to play in the last 10 mins when they stood like statues and let Cork get 3 quick goals. They sharmed themselves that day, ably led by a bunch of goons who had the audacity to lead a mutiny against the manager sometime before that due to his 'bizarre training tactics'.......Same bunch that should have built on the historic 1989 AIF re-appearance and driven Mayo football forward into the 90s. Thankfully we were there again in 96/97.....

Clare,provide some proof,I would bet that apart from ROD,and COC not one forward on the Mayo team would score ten out of ten from the the forty meter line without any ony opposition would score ten out of ten it won't happen

@Corick

With respect you said you can't train a player after a certain age to shoot long distance or to go for 2 pointers.

That's nonsense. If you've the right manager you can. It doesn't matter what age sure look at Murohy for crying out loud .

Honestly folks...the constant sniping between contributors is making this less and less enjoyable a place to be.
There was a time when everyone was just united in the cause.

It was interesting to see the lack of muscle bulk in the legs of one or two of the Meath players when compared to the Donegal lads. With all the skill in the world you still need power in the legs to prevail in almost every facet of the game.

@Freetheeastbank

Yes I agree. I guess we are all just very frustrated after the last 3 years to be honest so it's bound to happen .

Free the east bank I agree to a point but you have one contributer who just can’t ever admit to getting it wrong and continues to try to make ridiculous points which have become farcical about players kicking ten out of ten points from forty metres and wants proof of this .If we have jedward in charge next year and they lose every game we will hear the same story about supporting every manager since god knows when .Mcstay and rochford have moved and we have to as well

You’re not wrong there, FreeTheEastBank!

The ranking system is silly, say if Mayo were up against Monaghan or Meath in a quarter or semi final this year, I would say for sure Mayo would have beaten them without getting many or even any 2 pointers. A freshness will make the difference going into 2026.
Donegal have shown that there are other ways to win, slick movement etc.

In all honesty I think all intercounty forwards should be capable of kicking 2 pointers.

They've been coached to be risk adverse and they don't want to be highlighted in the post most analysis.

As for Sunday week,

I think Kerry getting to a final with the level of injuries has been remarkable.

Weve basically a 3rd choice midfield and were operating without a fit Paidi and Paul Geaney and Tom Sullivan, our 2 centre backs only came back on Sat aswell.

Roughly 6 starters.

Few if any team could manage that.

As for the game I believe Donegal are a fine team but they'll not have faced they level of forwards that Kerry have.

This team is peaking in age now and maturity and this will be most of them their 5th final.

Kerry to win and cement Clifford as the greatest of all time.

@Corick,

You’re 100% right, they wouldn’t kick 10/10 because Rochford would have them substituted before they even got to their 3rd shot. All he wanted them to do was handpass the ball sideways.

McGuinness is proving how average Rochford made Donegal. And I’m confident the next manager in Mayo will prove the exact same story.

You can defend the man all you want, but 9 attempts either managing or coaching at inter county level (with the 2 strongest teams in their respective provinces at the time) and not a single provincial crown to his name.

That’s a horrific stat that you can’t deny!! It’s high time you dropped the act because as a few have already said on here it’s getting annoying and your arguments are just getting more delusional by the day.

Next you will tell us Rochford is better then Gavin, O’Connor and Cody combined.

Hi,

A good friend of mine from Cork reached out trying to source 2 tickets for the hurling final. Reached out to a few sources but apparently they are especially hard to come by this year. If anyone has any leads please let me know thank you.

Fair post there green&red..hard to disagree with what you said. And the most important thing is respect. Respect your manager. My good god look at the respect Jim and Jack has among the squad. They'd go through walls for them..would mayo have done the same for Rochford or his assistant Mcstay? I fear not.

@Green and red

Great post . Your spot on. Everything I've believed in what's wrong with us the last 3 years .

Lads and girls it’s really time to move on from McStay and Rochford. McStay was a very good player for us and desperately wanted the managers job. In my opinion he got it 8 years too late. Rochford was a good manager for us taking us exceptionally close in 2016 and 2017. His years did not yield a Connacht title but he would be forgiven that had he landed the big one. I am sure both guys gave everything they had to the cause but it didn’t work out. Using McGuinness as a stick to beat Rochford ( who was not Donegal manager) is disingenuous. McGuinness is unique. He came in in 2011 after Donegal had been humiliated the previous year. He played a brand of football nobody liked but got Donegal to a semi, a remarkable achievement. The following year they were more expensive and beat Cork and Kerry before overcoming us in the final. In 2013 we destroyed them but in fairness to him they whacked Dublin in 2014. (Dublin wouldn’t lose another championship match for years) but came up short v Kerry. Donegal people adored him and deservedly so. When Donegal were in all sorts of trouble in all areas of their GAA in the early 20s there was a movement to get him back and to his eternal credit he did brilliantly again getting the absolute most from his players, persuading Murphy to return and getting a fantastic response from his young players. As regards us it’s time to move on. McStay and Rochford are no more and hopefully we will get a half decent management team who will do well with our relatively decent team. The new set up needs to be supported. We have been looking back for 75 years so now it’s time to look forward. For some we are not far away citing management holding players back and looking at results and performances v Tyrone and Donegal. For others we are miles away citing very poor performances v Sligo , Leitrim and Cavan. The truth is that we are probably somewhere in between. On our day we can match most but lack consistency. On our bad days we can be brutal. We have lots of good players with potentially some good lads coming through but they should not be over burdened with expectations. Hopefully we will get a good management and players, Co Board and supporters will buy into it. Such unity is crucial. That’s the sort of unity we see in Donegal. Mayo doing well benefits us all. Mayo doing well is more important than petty arguments that one manager is useless and another one is brilliant. Time to look forward. Hopefully our Co Board will make a wise choice and there will be a buy in from all components.

Good post to win just once

@To win just win just once

We all want to move on .

Mcstay is a very proud Ballina man. We wish him all the best .

Ah here using Mcguiness as a stick to beat Rochford a ridiculous statement .

Rochford had the best team we produced ever thanks to Horan .

Even Horan said he is not going again for Mayo as he knows himself we need a fresh voice .

Horan gave Rochford the end of our era team tbh .

Rochford made the worst call ever in dropping David Clarke for Hennelly . Unfair mostly on Hennelly a young goalie and then he got the abuse but that's not on him .

Why v Donegal did Rochford bring on Fergal Bowland in the last 5 minutes got a great point we all thought would get us to pre quarters . Disrespectful bringing any guy on in the last 5 minutes .

@winjustonce
Everyone united under the old regime in 2023.
They played some good football, won the league, beat Kerry in Killarney - not to be sniffed at. They had every player in the county wanting to play - even played two completely different teams in the last two league matches.

Team got complacent against Cork and the wheels came off.

Unity isn't the problem at the start, it becomes a problem when the team get complacent or don't put a shift in.
As for not putting pressure on the team.
If your willing to pull on the jersey, you should be doing so with the ambition to win the All Ireland. To do that you have to dedicate a lot of time. This is part of the gig. If you can't put in the effort or don't want to win, then stay at home and play club football.
There is no excuse for pulling on the jersey and playing half arsed.
A lot of blame gets thrown at the management but the players quit on them v Cavan in 2025, Cork and Dublin in 2023, Derry 2024, Kerry in 2022 also.
Regardless of the management of a team, a player can control 3 things (1) how hard he works (2) how brave he is and (3) his mentality to never give up

The players can't say they gave it their all in any of those matches listed above.
There is a bit of soul searching to do amongst the playing group this winter also.
Grown men shouldnt be relying on a manager to motivate them to give their best. That should be a given or why make the effort to tog out at all.

Fair point earlier about the lack of muscular development in the Meath mens legs but, so long in the shadows etc etc. I'm sure Robbie Brennan will have a comprehensive shopping list to hand the county board and he'll get everything on it. There's no shortage of money in Meath as we know.
Looking forward to the final and hoping the contrasting styles make for a cracker of a game.
I have visions of McGuiness locked away in some attic conjuring up demons to frustrate Kerry.

@tirawleybaron

Grown men 'shouldn't be relying on management to give their best '

Sorry but management is key to success . Just look at Donegal compared to where they were enough said !

tyrawleybaron, while I accept that it looks like players quit in the games you mentioned you'd have to ask why management kept plugging away with most of them if that was the case.

When teams win players get the praise.

When teams lose management gets the blame.

It seems here that some are obsessed with the previous management and are letting the players off with their responsibility.

Has every manager from the 1950s been at fault ?

There is obviously quality in that Mayo team and in my opinion they've let their management down and regardless of who is the next manager they have to take their share of responsibility.

Fair play to a few posters not far up the page, who have highlighted the role of the players in some of Mayo's biggest flops in recent years.

There is a mindset among the Mayo Gaa public, that if things go wrong for the Mayo team, it's the fault of either management or the County Board. All the wides that cost us All Ireland Finals were on the players responsible.
Was it management's fault that we missed a penalty in the 2021 final.

I cringe when I read people on here saying " we're not far away " and " bring back Cillian ".
This Mayo team should not be in anyone's Sam Maguire conversation in the next few years, because the players are not good enough.
We've seen in every county how some talented underage players never make it at senior and fall by the wayside. Some of the upcoming young talent in Mayo will also suffer this.

Clare, please stop using what McGuinness has done in Donegal as an example of what will happen in Mayo. No relevance at all.

It was fairly obvious over the last few years that we didn’t have the players in crucial positions to challenge for an all Ireland but unfortunately for Kevin mcstay he stated when he came in that there would be no transition period and we were good to go .After year two it was blatantly obvious we weren’t at the races but did anyone imagine us finishing outside the last 12 this year .while it’s been discussed numerous times the management are responsible for the style of play and that was certainly restricting players and we know from at least one player that left that it wasn’t enjoyable.citing that we haven’t won an all Ireland in 74 years and it can’t always be the managers fault is irrelevant.Tyrone and Armagh hadn’t won any all Ireland 25 years ago .in all sports the management is crucial.i have sympathy for mcstay and rochford in the sense that they probably didn’t have the strongest playing hand but managers live and die on results

I agree Observer2.

My sense is that many players are happy to wear the jersey and that is enough for them. They don't have the burning desire to make themselves the very best they can be and a Summer in America with pats on the back is a nice fallback when things go wrong. I think it is evident from our fall off in fitness and conditioning and what happens in those last crucial minutes of games.

Some will think that harsh, but I do not believe that the standards and drive of the past are being met.

We are more at risk of falling to Division 2 and a battle for Sam Maguire status than Sam Maguire challengers. A new manager needs to being a sweeping chamge in attitude and cull some of the panel and see if they have the desire to be better.

Someone ruthless is required to make the changes. I concur with green and red when he talks about outsiders. An outsider is needed, for a while anyway, to smash the culture within. Mayo isn't the first county to have to face up to this.

@Observer

Fair enough . I'm just using it as a comparison . I'm not the only one comparing it to Donegal and McGuiness either .

I'm also not saying a new manager will get us to a final like McGuinss has done either .

It is relevant to use it as an example though because Donegal were in a terrible place before he came back nearly worse then us . It proves what a good manager can do .

@Ever the optimist

Totally agree we need someone absolutely ruthless .

@West Kerry good to get some external perspective on the management vs player responsibility. There certainly should be enough experience on the Mayo squad to deliver leadership on the field as well as sideline.

I think ye will win this year. Its a real clash of styles and makes for a fascinating final the Donegal machine vs Kerry class (Germany vs Brazil).

No point making direct comparison between mcguiinness and rochford but to say that it’s not relevant what mcguiinness has done in Donegal and what might happen in mayo is extraordinary.surely that’s exactly what we want to happen in mayo.mcguiinness come into Donegal in 2010 when they were going nowhere and wins the all Ireland.he leaves in 2014 and Donegal fail to get past a quarter final until he returns and they make a semifinal and final in successive years.that just can’t be some miraculous coincidence

I find it funny someone from kerry says that when things go wrong the management gets the blame and not the players . You were all asking for O ' Connor to go not so long ago .

We all said on here players have responbilities of course they do . Unfortunately though if you don't get results over 3 years it's on management.

Ridiculous is well to say the players let the management down. It was the other way around.

If I've followed it correctly, we need someone who'll:
- step up solo & do it on their own
- blame the players
- be an outsider
- be ruthless
- ideally be a farmer

It seems to be Jeremy Clarkson's job to lose.

Clare,

Your a fan and fair play but you are completely blinkered when it comes to Mayo.

You flip and flop from one thing to the next and nobody can critise your boys.

Maybe if you step back and take off the Mayo glasses you'd be amazed what some critical thinking can do.

@tsudo😂. Where else would ya get it, as my father used to say.

Has anyone the top scorer charts from the league , used be easily accessible on mayo gaa page but not anymore.

Anyways be great to see who's performing on the score charts and see who's on form and worth watching come championship to see if they can shine and make new managment take note.

Also can we stop the two pointer and Rochford mcstay debates.
We were forewarned by liam mchale the Defensive approach the managment wished to play, it was there choice and so be it but it ended up short.
Rochford isn't evil, it's a style of play he and mcstay aswell as Mulligan chose to play.

Re two pointers , lads in general our forwards weren't kicking 1 pointers never mind two. The set of 6 forwards weren't sharp shooters and our supposed sharp shooters in Towey and Boland have had many a chance, fact is even if they are good shooters, they not fit to win their own ball.
Please look at things in light of day and enjoy seeing proper forwards play in the All ireland Final.
We need to refresh, take stock of what we have and build again with fresh ideas and we as fans need to chill out and enjoy club football cause county scene was dour and all you will do is drive yourself mad saying if Fergie B or Towey or if we kicked it into Aido . All lovely lads who try best for county but none of the would get a sniff at any of the semi finalists . For every ball that sticks with aido, he does the big turn out and hop, slows it down defenders get around him, he slips or let's ball slip, they turn him over and big cheer goes up .

I have no issues with these lads but just for a second , take breath look at them relative to any of forwards on other teams and then let it sink in why we aren't at top table, we haven't the quality , at least not on the pitch YET.

@West kerry

In fairness I've criticised our guys who haven't stood up .

I do not flip and flop from one thing to the next. I certainly do not wear green and red tinted glasses either .

Just because you don't like any of my posts doesn't mean I'm delusional. I said we have a lot of work to do . You don't like when anyone says anything against Kerry .

I'm not in cloud 9 when it comes to Mayo either . We are a young team and players have to take responsibility but at the end of the day Management decides on tactics, who goes in what positions and style of play .

Sure poor Conor Loftus was put in number 6 and didn't suit him at all but he's a great player when in the right spot same goes for Tommy Conroy in full forward when he's clearly a half forward.

Tsudho you probably have started the mad suggestions again like davey Fitzgerald.would Danny Healy Rae not fit your requirements

Fair Comment @West Kerry.

There are a few posters who are on here just clogging up the feed, arguing about utter nonsense. Give it a break for a few weeks.

I've no feelings one way or the other regarding Rochford but please stop calling the decision to start hennelly as the worst decision ever. From what I can see the keeper dropped a bread and butter ball leading to a goal and sending off.If he held the ball there would be a statue to Rochford in every town in mayo. Now if any manager could have foreseen that i reckon they'd have won the lottery 10 or 12 times at this stage. I know... forget it

@1985: I'm not sure if he'd tick the box for doing it solo? He'd probably have half the family involved in the backroom by the end of the first week.

@Outside of the Boot: No, sadly.

I was hoping to put something together (more looking at 2s than anything else, but once I'd pulled in the base data for that it wouldn't have taken much to segment off stuff like overall scoring stats), but there's just too many gaps in the games to do anything meaningful for league at the moment. Outside a few clubs doing it themselves (a huge hat tip to the folks running socials for Ardnaree, Crossmolina, Moy Davitts & Garrymore - superb work being done providing a fantastic level of detail) the rest of the league is very hit & miss.

Did we have that level of data for the league last year? I'm not sure if I remember spotting it (and can't find it at a glance).

Our Championship coverage is normally excellent, both in local media and in the summary stats available (be it BillHillWicklow - where we've a contributor or two here helping do phenomenal work - or the official Mayo GAA accounts), so we can have a lot of fun with stats there. I'll certainly be messing with bits and pieces around Championship numbers, so if there's anything specific someone is hoping to see feel free to mention it to me (I'll very likely spot a comment here or else a DM on the pod Discord/boards/Twitter I'd be sure to catch) and I'll see if I can pull it together.

On the discussion of 2 pointers, you still absolutely need them in your locker.

People making too much out of the fact donegal and kerry didn't rely on them at the weekend but thats largely because they played the game in front of them and led from the off, their players are smart enough to know when you're in front just keep the scoreboard constantly ticking over.

If either team needed 2pointers they had several players who could kick them at their ease (Gallen/o'donnell/murphy/McBrearty/Langan & SoS/Clifford/Geaney).

Being brutal about it, our forwards outside of ROD don't have the smarts or the capabilities of the 2 teams above and several others, until we get to that point our ceiling is limited

Clare,

You love your county and I respect that.

Believe it or not id like to see Mayo doing well because Mayo bring so much to the summer.

But if you continue to apportion all the blame on the management then invariably you be disappointed.

@West kerry

Fair enough .for when it's worth I think you will be bringing sam back to Killarney .

All the blame is not on management that's not what I was trying to say players do have to take responsibility is well.

@Supermac before the 2 pointers came in I was of the openion we'd have a lot of players in the squad that could kick 2 pointers - ROD, FB, PD, MR, JF, COC, CR (for a free) but we just didn't seem to engage that option. Maybe management were correct that if you become too reliant on the 2 points toward the end of the Championship you'd get found out (as was the case with Meath and to an extent Galway).

I would hate to see an outside manager.
Fine if we were in say Galways position with a settled seasoned team .
We need to blood new players that only a manager with local will unearth.

@Jr there's no need for an outside manager, we have plenty of talent in the County

Agree with you but also important it's someone who has demonstrable Inter-county experience in getting the most out a team under the new rules

A question for the Galway posters what are thoughts on Padraig Joyce after what was a very poor year.generally considered very strong contenders but from Connacht final on a very poor level of performance considering the players available to Joyce

Any chance of Mayo GAA TV covering the league finals in McHale Park this weekend?

https://www.con-telegraph.ie/2025/07/15/doubts-cast-on-multi-million-euro-mayo-gaa-centre-of-excellence-project/

Not to overly labour the point on Donegal but if someone said at end of 2023 that they would in this position right now, they'd have been laughed at. A semi final in 2024 was an astounding achievement after 2023. Things can change very quickly. Horan turned the ship around quickly after 2010.

But it takes a very good manager to do that. And hopefully we'll get one. And that's even if we have a squad capable (personally I think we could challenge with a new mindset & a lot of new players being blooded over next few years)

If Horan has ruled himself out of senior job, is there any chance he'd take U20s,

Gizmobobs…an awful lot of red flags around that Bohola site. We need the infrastructure, that’s for sure, but I think a better investment in the short to medium term would be to invest in two locations. Two Mayo GAA Hubs. One in north/northwest of the county and then someplace in south Mayo. Bekan could still be used for some teams. There was good discussion around this on the Ah Ref pod a few weeks ago aroubd how it work, how it makes sense and how it could in fact be more beneficial for our underage teams.

Another thing Mayo GAA should prioritise is bringing back Divisional teams so that we are maximising our talent pool. Kerry doing it for years. We aren’t. It’s so bloody obvious and is something leadership in Mayo need to insist upon. Restructure the league if required. Make it work. It’d be enormously beneficial in our quest for All Irelands.

“Any chance of Mayo GAA TV covering the league finals in McHale Park this weekend?”

Pretty certain they are

Lots of debate about whether players let managment down etc. I think Kevin slowly lost the dressing room over the last few seasons, bit by bit and it culimnated to an embarrassing loss to Cavan, where by the sound of ppl who were at it, the players downed tools.

Kevin gave very strange interviews after defeats. The podcast he done after the first season, he seemed to deflect blame on to Conor Loftus when it was put to kevin that his tactical move to put him CHB failed.

After the Derry loss, he was quick to name check Sam Callinan’s skill execution when he missed a fisted point in the dying minutes. Callinan’s form took a serious dive after that game.

After the Galway game this year, he crazily stated ye had planned for that game for 8 months a d he was so dissappointed etc etc. Players aren’t stupid, they know when they are being thrown under a bus etc. A right man manager will never name check a player in a negative light, but McStay couldnt help himself to save his reputation as a manager.

It looks from the outside that the players weren’t fully happy, and as said by someone on here, possibly voted with their feet against Cavan. But its 3 years in the making when you add everything up. Never mind the players that “stepped away” this year.

Mayo can probably take the credit for Jimbo's return and Donegal's revival. I was in Ballybofey in March '23 when we demolished Donegal (and their proud home record if I'm not mistaken), and left poor Paddy Carr shell-shocked. Such was the outcry in Donegal - a bit like ourselves they are in the hysteria stakes - that the way was paved for another spin with the Messiah. That game was one that will merit a little footnote on Aido's CV; he terrorised Sean Patton on kickouts and there was one incident where Patton raced along the endline to rescue a ball, but our hero was there before him and a score resulted.

@Eyesontheball: They're covering the Division 1 & 2 finals on Saturday from 5pm.

https://x.com/MayoGAA/status/1944748270242107852

I wonder who will get the Referees job for the final?, this may be a decisive factor in deciding the winner, probably not the 2 Referees that were involved in both semi finals ( McQuillan retired ).
No special treatment for the media's golden boy, D Clifford, he gets away with a bit to be honest.

Simple tactic for Donegal, win the middle third battle and starve him off scoring opportunities, this will mean trying to cancel out the best midfielder this year and Kerry's go to man, Joe O Connor.

Willie Joe, Donegal and Kerry to both wear there 'away' jerseys for the final.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41670131.html

@Batetheblanket: Brendan Cawley was confirmed (by Kildare GAA rather than HQ) as the man for the job today.

I think most felt it was a pretty straight shot between Cawley and McNally (personally thought he had a better year, but understandable giving it to Cawley based on his consistent performances the last number of years), with Cawley in the clear driving seat once Meath got beaten.

Thanks Paddyjoe - that looks like the sensible option. As Eamon Fitzmaurice noted ahead of the start of the semi-final between Donegal and Meath, it’ll be all green and gold in the stands.

Good to see some of the new refs getting the big game, change from the revolving door of whistle happy McQuillan/Gough/Coldrick

Cawley and mcNally both very good refs, was at the galway meath game and McNally let loads of physicality go and ignored lads playing for frees which really added to the game. Galways Daniel o Flaherty attempted 2 dives, both of which were ignored

Can I be first to ask if anyone on here has or knows of a ticket to spare for final.

It will be interesting to see who puts their name in for Mayo job, Mcnatee seems to be favorite now, could this be the posiones challace that nobody wants.

@Ahh not again

Mcantee wouldn't be a bad choice he did well with Sligo .

Grok AI with an absolute belter :D

The Green and Red Redemption

The sun hung low over Croke Park on that fateful July Sunday in 2026, casting a golden glow across the hallowed pitch. The All-Ireland Senior Football Final between Mayo and Galway was locked in a ferocious stalemate, 0-15 apiece, with just seconds remaining in extra time. The air crackled with tension, the stands a sea of green and red flags warring against maroon and white. Mayo, haunted by decades of near-misses and the ghosts of 1951, stood on the precipice of destiny. Galway, their fiercest rivals, were equally desperate to claim Sam Maguire.Paddy Durcan, Mayo’s warrior captain from Castlebar, stood at the heart of the maelstrom. His legs burned from 80 minutes of relentless running, his jersey torn from a tangle with Shane Walsh earlier in the game.

The score was level, and the clock showed 80:47. Mayo had possession, but they were deep in their own half, pinned back by Galway’s suffocating press. The crowd roared, a mix of hope and dread, as Mayo’s supporters clung to the dream of ending the 75-year curse.It started with a desperate turnover. Diarmuid O’Connor, Mayo’s engine, wrestled the ball from Damien Comer near the Hogan Stand sideline. With a quick handpass, he found Ryan O’Donoghue, who darted through a gap, only to be swarmed by Galway’s Johnny Heaney. O’Donoghue, cool under pressure, spotted Durcan breaking from wing-back, his blond hair flashing under the stadium lights. A pinpoint pass landed in Durcan’s hands, and he was off, tearing up the pitch like a man possessed.The Galway defense scrambled, but Durcan’s speed and vision were too much. He weaved past Liam Silke, then dummied Sean Kelly, opening a sliver of space 40 meters out. The crowd held its breath as Durcan glanced at the posts. A point would win it, but a miss could hand Galway the chance to counter. Memories of past failures—John Maughan’s wides in ’96, Cillian O’Connor’s near-misses in ’21—flashed through every Mayo fan’s mind. But Durcan, the man who’d carried Mayo through Connacht and beyond, was unshaken.He steadied himself, his eyes locked on the black spot between the posts. The Galway crowd roared, trying to rattle him, but Durcan was in a world of his own. With a fluid swing of his right boot, he struck the ball cleanly. It soared high, arcing against the Dublin sky, hanging for what felt like an eternity.

The stadium fell silent, every heart in Mayo willing it over the bar.The ball sailed true, splitting the uprights dead center. The referee’s whistle pierced the air, signaling the end of the game. Mayo 0-16, Galway 0-15. Croke Park erupted in a tidal wave of green and red as Mayo fans lost themselves in ecstasy. Durcan was mobbed by his teammates, O’Donoghue and Aidan O’Shea piling on top of him, while the Galway players sank to their knees, stunned.In the stands, grown men wept, and children waved flags they’d carried since childhood, finally seeing their county climb the mountain.
Manager Tony McEntee, the Armagh man who’d brought discipline and belief to Mayo, stood on the sideline, arms crossed, a quiet smile breaking through his stoic demeanor. The Mayo GAA Blog would later call it “the point that broke the curse,” with posters hailing Durcan as a legend for the ages.As Durcan climbed the Hogan Stand steps to lift Sam Maguire, his voice cracked with emotion during the post-match speech. “This is for every Mayo man, woman, and child who never gave up,” he said, his eyes glistening. “For every heartbreak, every near-miss—this is yours.” The crowd roared again, chanting his name, as the sun dipped below the horizon, bathing Croke Park in a victorious glow.Paddy Durcan, the boy from Castlebar, had etched his name into Mayo folklore, delivering the point that finally brought Sam home.

Now this one is even better

The Green and Red Rebellion

The final whistle echoed through Croke Park on that electric September evening in 2026, as Mayo clinched a heart-stopping All-Ireland Senior Football Final against Galway, 0-16 to 0-15. The score that sealed it came from Paddy Durcan, the Castlebar captain, whose pinpoint point in the dying seconds of extra time sent the green and red faithful into a frenzy, ending Mayo’s 75-year wait for Sam Maguire. But the drama didn’t end with the whistle—tempers flared, and Croke Park became a stage for chaos.The match had been a cauldron of Connacht rivalry, every tackle dripping with history. Mayo’s Aidan O’Shea, the towering Breaffy warrior, had clashed all day with Galway’s Matthew Tierney, their personal duel a microcosm of the counties’ feud. As the whistle blew and Mayo’s fans erupted, Tierney, frustrated by the defeat, shoved O’Shea near the Hogan Stand, muttering something about Mayo’s luck. O’Shea, his patience worn thin after 80 minutes of Galway’s niggle, snapped. With a single, thunderous right hook, he caught Tierney square on the jaw, sending the Galway midfielder sprawling to the turf. The crowd gasped, then roared, as stewards rushed to separate them. O’Shea stood tall, unapologetic, his chest heaving, while Tierney clutched his face, dazed but defiant.Meanwhile, on the sideline, another storm brewed. Mayo’s manager, Tony McEntee, the Armagh man who’d masterminded the victory, locked eyes with Galway’s Padraic Joyce. The pair had traded barbs through the media all summer, and Joyce’s pre-match claim that Mayo “couldn’t handle the big day” still stung. As Joyce stormed across the pitch, gesturing wildly about a late call, McEntee charged to meet him. In a moment that would dominate the Mayo GAA Blog for weeks, McEntee launched into a perfectly timed slide tackle, catching Joyce’s legs and sending the Galway boss tumbling into the grass. The crowd roared again, half in shock, half in delight, as McEntee sprang up, brushing dirt from his tracksuit, a sly grin breaking through his usual stoicism.Croke Park descended into pandemonium. Mayo players rushed to back O’Shea, while Galway’s squad squared up, shoving and shouting. Stewards and referees struggled to restore order as the stands pulsed with green and red flags, Mayo fans chanting Durcan’s name alongside “Aidan! Aidan!” for their enforcer. The Mayo GAA Blog later exploded with posts, some calling O’Shea’s punch “the spirit of ’51 reborn,” others hailing McEntee’s slide as “the tackle Sam Maguire deserved.” Commenters debated suspensions, but none could deny the raw passion of the moment.As the dust settled, Durcan climbed the Hogan Stand steps to lift the Sam Maguire, the crowd still buzzing from the post-whistle chaos. His speech was raw: “For Mayo, for every heart that broke, for every soul that believed—this is yours.” He glanced at O’Shea, who stood bloodied but unbowed, and McEntee, who’d already shrugged off the slide tackle as “just a bit of craic.” Galway’s players, bruised in more ways than one, trudged off, Joyce rubbing his shins, Tierney nursing his pride.Paddy Durcan’s point had won the day, but O’Shea’s knockout and McEntee’s slide had made it legend. Mayo had their Sam, and the west was awake, wild, and victorious.

@ Rusty Bridges..it is a belter alright, but AI has a little to learn yet..Firstly we can only have extra time in an All Ireland Final replay bringing the game to August...secondly at 80.47 on the clock in extra time there would be the second half of extra time to play..2 periods of 10 minutes would make the game to 90 minutes, and the sun wouldnt be that low in the sky in July or early August... but still I think I'll go to bed early and hopefully dream thats exactly whats going to happen..No better man than Paddy to finally lift the cup.

AI will soon replace AN Other who was a previous stalwart of the GAA. !!! Western Gael while it’s nice to see comments from posters from other counties it would be an interesting experience to read a post from you which was not ultra critical of McStay. I get it that as a Ross fan you are not too keen on him and that’s fair enough but he is no longer manager of any team so it’s time to move on. He won a Connacht with Roscommon, a relatively rare ( 2 in the last 15 years) achievement , something which Mr Burke did not achieve during his term

I'd imagine it was injury time but the hooter must have been broken that day..

Making up all Ireland victories now
Jesus wept !!!

@facetheball

Who made up all Ireland victories no one here anyways ? .

See above

Just a bit of craic facetheball