Well done to Aidan on his 200th game yesterday. Great achievement that will probably never be equaled by any player in the county.

Also well done to sharoize akram and Frank Irwin playing their first.

Enjoy it yourself too, wj.

I just hope the management enjoyed their post game drinks watching the Kerry Cork match. We have the players, give us the performance. McStay did do something besides putting a smooth spin after game, he made substitutions.
Sorry for AOS, on his 200th game, totally starved, and delighted to see Akram and Irwin, both can be pleased with honest performances

Mayo must be the only team that refuses to take on 2pt attempts. Cork, Kerry, Monaghan, Donegal, even New York were kicking them over from 2pt range. Maybe every other team has it wrong and Mayo know something that the others don't.

We're not afraid to let oppnents (Leitrem for example) have a crack at a 2 pointer. The best block of the day came from Jordan Flynn. Otherwise we stand off from opponents. This has been a fault all year. What in hells blazes are our coaches doing?. Oh yeah, the're coaching possession at all costs...

Bizarre situation to have lee Keegan and the gooch down in Ennis on punditry duty for the Galway v Roscommon game in salthill

Did you see where Kelly was on the throw-in? Pulling the piss, and imo should have been a free on the twenty in front of the goals to Roscommon.

Galway will rip us apart in the final. They're kicking the ball in fast at times and varying it at others.
Tigerish defenders, capable of two pointers and strength in depth.
It'll be a seven points plus hiding for us in a fortnight.

Brilliant mix from Galway. I hope our management team are watching and have their notebooks and pencils out.
Bit of luck with the goal and Galway look a bit susceptible to the early ball into O'Carroll. Any chance we might exploit this with AOS as target

Galway are physically very strong.
Very strong panel , will be hot favorites for Connaught if not All
Ireland

Galway are going to be very hard beat
So many long range shooters

I wonder if the breeze is a factor in Salthill today?
Ross might be in with a shout if breeze with them this half.

@the west is best

Kerry had no two point attempts from play in normal time last night. Donegal had one today. Monaghan had five two point attempts in the first half today and only scored one, would they have been better off working higher percentage shots?

I really wish people would stop talking about two pointers as if it's a no brainer tactic to kick loads of them. They're only good if they go over.

Breeze not a factor at Salthill today according to the lads on RTÉ.

Galway are flying look much fitter then the Rossies and to be able to bring in Comer is well they do have a strong squad to be fair .

Galway not in great shape

They won't go over if you don't kick them at all, that I do know.
Expected value of a 1-point shot (inside the arc): 0.654 * 1 = 0.654 points
Expected value of a 2-point shot (outside the arc): 0.44 * 2 = 0.88 points

https://www.gaelicperformance.com/thoughts-ideas-resources/rthe-gamechanging-2point-line-in-gaelic-football-learning-from-steph-currys-nba-revolution/#:~:text=Probability%20stats%20for%20Gaelic%20football,)%3A%2044%25%20(%20as%20above)

John Maher could play basil fawlty if they ever decide to do a remake.

If Roscommon had a bigger midfield they'd be right up with Galway. Tribesmen are very good in defence and the middle.

He could, No Doubt! But who would play Manuel?

@Fourtyfive

Mayo management have the same opinion as yourself. Sure they could well be right. It certainly looks like the Mayo players don't even consider it as an option.

Galway's movement on kickouts is class. Makes it easier for a keeper.

@Gizmobobs, that's a fairly rudimentary analysis of expected shot success based on data from the old rules and takes no account of how much easier one pointers are now with more space inside.

Roscommon are terrible

Davy Burke has to be a candidate for Manuel? Considering the intervening time factor and several chicken vindaloos.

Leitrim could beat Roscommon

Fairly routine win for Galway, they are tipping along nicely and will be strong favourites for the Connaught Final. Hopefully we can stop the 4 in a row but wouldn’t be as confident after yesterday.

Fortyfive, same argument can be applied to the 2pt attempts being easier with it being less crowded under new rules sure.
https://x.com/CahairOKane1/status/1895783591126450242?t=64VF4WJbDb5nw8bJ2bE25g&s=19
The 2 points are not for everyone, or the 3 pointer score we seem averse at trying for as well.

Galway not even near top gear and absolutely cruising , their middle is full of big strong units , their defence is flawless and tight , intensity to not let shots for goal be attempted is off the scale , forwards are the best around with better to come in .

I don’t often admit defeat before a game but I just honestly can’t see how we can beat them on all the evidence so far . We have to hope they dont perform on the day and we produce the best performance of 2025 so far .

May the forth be with you Mayo

Rod the only mayo player who would make galway team

Fairly impressive from Galway given no Walsh and only a short cameo from Comer. Still think then Connacht final will be very competitive all the same.

@williejoe. Has to be darcy with his tache tho he's a bit on the tall side for Manuel.

I hope the Mayo defenders remember the antics of Finnerty Last year in the forthcoming Connaught final

@larry David: That is exactly it. And even at that, Johnny McGrath regularly quietens Ryan.
We won't get within seven points of Galway. They really are that much better. It pains me to say it but it could get very messy.

Enjoyable game but we didnt seem to get into top gear. The Galway vs Mayo Connaght final is usually a 1 point game. I thought D'arcy was excellent, Tierney, Finnerty, McHugh, Maher, McGrath also played very well. Roscommon kept alive by two pointers in the second half. Relations in Roscommon said they had no chance and thats how it turned out even though I thought it would be a harder match. Roll on the final but win or lose there are bigger games ahead for Mayo and Galway.

Why is everyone praising up this Galway team they beat a woeful Roscommon team.

Galway will be favourites for the all ireland given the weekend performances. The media are all for them at the moment. Pj played with the kerry lads in tralee and they have dessie Dolan fawning over them at every opportunity. But that will bring its own pressure and if they don't win it or loose a third final in four years we all know too well how the good stuff you do all year is soon forgotten by the media...
They will beat us comfortably in 2 weeks but we are at very different stages in development unfortunately.
I personally am very disappointed with the current mgmt but from day one I wanted someone in there with a bit of bite and all ireland winning experience. I think teams reflect mgmt. We are too nice...
Yesterday on mwr they referred to the Leitrim manager fighting for every ball and free kick....
Our lads stand there with arms folded smiling...
Remember joyce in injury time in connacht final....
Maybe we will see a bit of fight in 2 weeks but i don't think we can just turn on on. Hope I'm wrong...

James , they are due all the praise they are getting here's us praising Aido for 200 appearances even tho he did nothing against leitrim and other lads for effort, culture is different and the gulf in class and game play is big but on connacht final day if everyone plays out of their skin, we always have a chance but we've been soft of late whereas they are on fire and getting better with returning players.

@Chesneychet congrats enjoy your posts .

Ye will be hard to beat in 2 weeks .

Wonder will it be near a sell out .

A small part of me wonders have we been boxing a bit clever and keeping certain things under wraps for the Galway game? For about 15 mins early on v Sligo we kick passed face ball and made hay, and then stopped.
I’m probably grasping at straws but I can’t see how we could show up so poorly in the last 2 games when we know we can be better.
Anyway, we’ll know soon enough.

That should say fast ball, not face ball

Any truth in the rumours that Galway got the Nestor Cup this evening. According to many experts we may as well not turn up for the final . Have been going to games for a long time and one thing I have learned is that Mayo and Galway is never a foregone conclusion In 2016 Galway beat us when we were unbackable .. In 1999 we beat them when they were AI champions.In 1990 they done us after us getting to AI final the previous year And just for the old folk amongst you, we beat them in 1981 when they were league champions. Lots of other surprising results between us. Obviously at this moment in time they look way superior but nothing can ever be taken for granted when Mayo play Galway

To win just once - In 99, we beat them and should have beaten them the year before. We were all-Ireland finalists in 96 and 97, so it certainly wasn't seismic. 2016 was a bit of a shock but it was Kevin Walsh, who was very underrated as a coach.
This time, there is no evidence that suggests this will be anytbing other than a Galway win (and I think it'll be a comprehensive one on top of that). Don't give me any of this guff like "never much between these two"
All evidence points to a Galway win. They have a better team and a better panel. They're stronger, faster and fitter than us. They have better finishers and better defenders. They have a game plan.
I'd love to be wrong but I won't. It'd take something freaky for us to be connacht champions.

Feel free to save this for two weeks time!

Galway have the Nestor cup “to win just once “

But I know what ya mean of course & I take your point these games tend to be tight but unless we have been holding back we have gone backwards even in the last 12 months . It will take something very special to beat Galway in two weeks time .

Will travel in hope rather than expectation as they say but will believe and roar them on like my life depends on it , cause I genuinely hate Galway .

I'd say it will be a sell out Clare. Mayo will need to do much better than Roscommon in midfield and I believe ye will. Lot of it funny enough in that particular fixture seems to come down to form on the day despite whats happened in recent games played by either side, life of its own is the phrase I getting at. Hopefully its played on a fine, windless day and neither team suffers any injuries.

Galways range of high fielders is very impressive.
Ya , we are rightly complete underdogs for the final ..

@Chesneychet ye just seem to move the ball so easily and kick passing is great to why oh why mayo can't kick pass .

Rossies tried their best in fairness to them to.

Your right ye broke through Rossies midfield with ease .

Hopefully we produce one the best performances of 25 as we will need to if we are to beat ye.

Huge pressure now on McStay in his 3rd year and Rochford in his 6th or 7th and hopefully final year to win connacht. Going on form we should be well beaten but you never know with Mayo

Team I'd play against Galway
...................Reape
Mcbrien/comer....Mchugh/Tierney.....Hess/Finnerty
Eoghan Mac/Darcey...Sam/Mcdaid...Kelly/Walsh
............Flynn/Conroy.....Carney/Maher
Dairmuid............Ruane............Neary
...AOS...................ROD...........Irwin

We need pace, hunger and desire in halfbackline, guys to win breaking balls. No more static flat stuff, big men and pace in fullbackline to try handler their starline.
Tierney is on fire and Mchugh will have to pick him up.
Mcbrien will go to the corner. He's not cut it at 6 of late so back to corner add pace and aerial dominance, big battle wit Comer ...
Go for it, fight show something support runners and work AOS and irwin with decent ball .

The most obvious problem we have is the midfield sector.how can we get decent possession with the current personal.if there has been some well hidden kickout strategy worked on it will have to make an appearance on Connacht final day

To win just once, I was at the 81 game, great performance from Mayo that game to shock Galway.
I was also in Tuam for the 82 massacre. It's a repeat of that 82 debacle McStay and co need to avoid.
Galway already did a number on us in the league this year. A repeat of that will be totally unacceptable for the Green and Red fans. This squad need to pull a huge performance together in 2 weeks.
Joyce will have no mercy on us, if we're not ready for an unbelievable battle, Joyce will want his team to give us a 15 point drubbing.

Doesn't matter who we have out there, our style of play will trip us up every time. Look what we did to AOS on his 200th appearance.
Any chance that our management team could do a refresher course on the new rules.
I wouldn't write of the Roscommon performance too much. The goal was lucky. They dragged themselves back with two pointers, but Galway were so strong.

Surely we can't be as bad as we looked in the Sligo and Leitrim games.
Galway have improved all over the field but can be beaten if the doubts set in
It is Sam or nothing for this Galway team.
Championship starts after the Connaught final.
Galway didn't top their group last year but still made the final.
We have to be strong mentally and throw a few curve balls in the Connaught final eg bringing Ryan to a central position about 25 yards out to see how good a marker McGrath is out of the corner.

May I change topic to the Munster hurling game in Ennis between Clare and Cork . Congratulations to both teams on a fine skilful game today,and especially Clare on a great comeback in the second half .What a dinger of a game

I've faith in our players giving it a right rattle in two weeks. If they do and play to their own strengths they be well able to compete with Galway.
Smart money be on Galway naturally.

Two weeks time is our All Ireland as it was Galways when we were in our pomp and they ambushed us .
They have bigger fish to fry.
So I’m hoping against hope that we will have an enjoyable bank holiday weekend……

Galway are further down the road in terms of panel building, system building etc. Lots of these players have 10 years or more experience and it's really shit or get off the pot time. 1 or 2 years more it will be gradually downhill for them so it will be interesting to see if they can win sam while the iron is hot. It's a bit like the panel mayo had 2011 to 2017.I'm not making excuses it's more acceptance of the fact we are not a consistent top 5 team and have no devine right to be but that doesn't mean we can't have a long and successful season. I be as pissed as the next man watching the slow build up and negative play and hoping they can turn it around but feel they are real underdogs the next day.

Mayo 9/4 v Galway 4/9

Never in my adult life have I seen odds like that for mayo in a Connacht final

Last year we should have beaten Galway in Salthill. This year can't see us getting within 10 points of them. Hardly progressing as our Management Team would have us believe!

Just outside ballagh whilst I tend to agree it’s a factor but Galway just look so good as unbearable that is , it’s a factor in why everyone fancies them . The size of their men in the middle sector is incredible, we are like skinny minors in comparison and we will be bullied .

Definitely worth a right punt Sean...

Can anyone explain what the rule is regarding the ball being out of play for a line ball before the hooter went, as happened in the Mon v Donegal game. Should they be allowed take it or not.

Nephin, once the hooter blows for full time, if the ball is still in play (which it usually is) then the only way the game can end is when the ball goes dead. I think it has to go out of play.

It was the right call nephin

Mayo have had the same problems all year in midfield. It's the worst Mayo midfield I have seen in years in terms of aerial dominance. There is only one player capable of actually wi ring primary possession in the air and that's Aido. So it's like robbing Peter to pay Paul. Mattie is brilliant in terms of covering ground and off the shoulder finishing opportunities but winning aerial ball and primary possession it's just not happening. Cein D'Arcy stood up for Galway today, Peter Cooke still has to get involved. Galway will pressure our kickout forcing us to go long and that's where they will get joy. Problem is when we press them it won't help us either because we are so bad in the middle third and if you cant win ball around the middle third , you may get away with it against Sligo and Leitrim but you certainly won't against Galway. Galway will win by at least 5 points, this management team will have nothing to show for their tenure, and they really don't deserve to the way they have set team up to play, it's not the Mayo way. We are playing lads out of positions as well far too often.We need to look at playing lads in proper positions where they earn their trade week in week out. This team we may have some chance.
Reape, Eoin o Donoghue, McBrien, Hession, Durcan, Callinan, Coen, Ruane, Diarmuid Boland,Conroy, carney, o Shea, Flynn and ROD. I'd like to see Jordan at 14, he's very mobile and can win his own ball. He reminds me of a Ronan Clarke. Carney, Jordan can interchange. Coen or Mchugh is a toss of a coin but every team needs a workhorse like Coen. He does the simple things well and covers alot of ground.

I think we’ll win in 2 weeks but I think it’s irrelevant in the greater scheme of things and Galway are the team to beat for Sam. They’ve the best squad in the country, partly because for the past 3 seasons they’ve used lots of players and they have defenders who can defend properly ….unlike us because some of them are just middle third ballers whose natural skills are neither defending nor attacking. The new rules require defenders to be tight, dogged types who love nothing more than stopping opponents.

Galway are most people’s favourites now for Sam. They blew it last year. It’s this year or bust for Joyce.

Galway seem to be relishing the new rules, looked like they were really enjoying their football today! Pains me as well Sean Burke but you would have to say they are a team that have progressed from last year.

Surprised were even 9 /4 Sean .If Paddy Power was reading this blog we’d be 10/1

They also have an energy around the middle that we lack. IMO it’s the job of management to ensure that. Again, and for fear of repeating myself, I was a big fan of McStay and Rochford getting the gig but I’ve seen regression instead of progression over the past 2 n half years.

I read the managers comments after the game regarding training on Tuesday where he said there was much to work and that we
'have a full pack to pick from'
I'm clutching at straws here but does that mean Paddy and Tommy are potentially available but haven't been picked yet?

Form goes out the window when Mayo and Galway meet in a Connacht Final and there’s rarely more than a score or two between them. These games take on a life of their own and it’ll be no different in two weeks time. Mayo will be the underdogs and all the pressure will be on Galway after their convincing win today. The game is in Castlebar and Mayo are due a big performance, and I fancy our chances. At those odds it’s a bet worth taking!

He also said that this Connaught final has been their focus for last six months,so everything seems to be geared towards Sunday week... he's hanging his hat on this one.
It would be great to see those lads on the bench the next day, but we couldn't expect them to dig us out of a tight spot after such a long lay off.

I heard on the pod yesterday that Mayo have only won 2 Connaught titles in the last 9 years, if we exclude 2015 which was Homles and Connelley. It’s shocking hard to believe. And what’s worse is Stephen Rochford has been and will be on the sideline for 6 of those years, having watched Galway win 4 and Roscommon win 2. Honestly the PR machine around rochford is so impressive it’s hard to believe. The amount of games we should have lost in qualifying through the back door with him as manager and now getting hammered off Dublin and losing to a Derry team in utter chaos. He needs to win this or else his legacy will be nothing but regression. Mcstay is no better but he hasn’t had as much bites at the cherry and did actually manage to win a Connaught with Roscommon.

I think if we lose in 2 weeks, regardless of what happens in the rest of the championship (bar winning Sam) the management have to go. That’s how big the stakes are for this one. And with that pressure you would have to feel that free flowing expansive football is something we won’t see in McHale park in 2 weeks. Kevin will probably look for the “Mayo Roar” to help the lads

James Fleming. There are plenty of forums to discuss Munster hurling........this isn't one of them.
Had to be impressed with the way Galway swatted the Rossies today with the minimum of fuss. I'm presuming the fact that it's Galway in 2 weeks time means we don't have to rely on our management to gee up the players.
Is Paddy fit enough to start? If he is I'd go with a half back line of Kelly Callinan and Durkin. I know calls will go out for Coen and McLaughlin but this year I just can't see what they bring to the half back line. Sam Callinan for the first time this year seemed to be coming in to form yesterday and so naturally he was hooked. Coyne McBrien and Hession in the fb line and McHugh given a man marking job wherever needed.Flynn and Thornton in mf. Diarmuid at cf flanked by McHugh and Ruane. Ff line Aido Carney ROD.

My money would be on a Galway win but all the pressure is on Galway and nothing expected of mayo so I think they're in a great position going in as underdogs. Tho i said my money on Galway i wouldn't be one bit surprised if mayo lift the cup. @mayonaze.how can you say you think mayo will win and then big up Galway afterwards. If mayo win galways aura will be gone and doubt will creep in again and they could drop back into the pack.

Sad to read many views here, ye have given up completely before the battle, i hope the players are not thinking the same, there must be a bit of fight left in this Mayo set up, Galway probably expect to win.
I'm afraid this could be a Mayo style game with the old rules, hold the ball slow things down and keep possession away from Galway high fielders in the middle, this will be half the battle.

Utterly depressing reading in here today. A lot of anger about yesterday's performance mixed in with dread about the hiding we are seemingly going to ship in the Connacht final. I don't know is it the culmination of three years worth of disappointment in this management team or generations worth of hurt from all the final losses but all this fawning over Galway is sickening. Yes they were impressive today but the Rossies were no great shakes. Yet they were still within arms-length up the end of the third quarter. They are not invincible by any means. Galway will be the favourites but we will put it up to them, that I have no doubt. Support the team or **** off to some Galway forum. The team deserve better

The Galway love in is laughable. Our team of the naughties would have made mince meat of them, yet Galway nearly always put it up to us when we were the far superior team. They are no great shakes. As I've said many times, there are no great teams out there at the minute. They are maximising what they have. We are not

Thanks Green and Red / Sean Burke for your replies , re the line ball in the Monaghan game. Don’t know why the manager kicked up such a fuss so. I replied on the wrong thread.

@Green and Red, that's some angry commentary right there! Connacht titles don't matter a shite any more. In 2022 Mayo didn't even get to the Connacht final after losing to Ross in Castlebar but when the knockout football came around in Salthill it was Mayo, managed by McStay and Rochford, that got over the line. Give me wins in knockout games any day ahead of meaningless provincial titles. Also, are you seriously implying you'd swap getting to two All Ireland finals for two Connacht titles?

Mayo have limited talent right now, people need to accept that. That said, Galway are nothing special and Mayo will be up for it in two weeks time and I'd give them every chance of an upset.

Do not underestimate Mayo.
Since January, they would have themselves laser focussed for a Connacht Final at the start of May.
It would be either Roscommon or Galway and they’d be prepping for Galway, as the tougher of the two.
Nothing else really mattered this year so far bar surviving in Division 1. Appearances might be deceptive.
I’m thinking the lads will be looking for payback for having the CF snatched from us unfairly last year, even if we couldn’t hold a lead.
Also - we need to prove to ourselves that we can hold a lead this year. It was a problem in 2023 and 2024 - we need to nail it this year.
Galway may be further ahead of us in development but we want this game and we have our eyes on it from far out. Don’t bet against us when we are wild.

I agree, building up for Galway.
Rockfords paws are all over this team, remember several teams nearly putting us out in our prime to nearly beating Dublin.

GBXI

With the quality of mayo football right now, Connaught titles mean a hell of a lot. We can’t let a “decent” Galway team win 4 in a row.

In 2022 we knocked Galway out of the championship as you correctly pointed out. The very next week we shipped our biggest defeat in Croke Park, since I believe the 2006 All Ireland Final. With our manager then coming out and calling our GK a baby.

In Stephen Rochfords first run with Mayo, we had the best team our county has ever seen (other then the 50s team) and on all 3 occasions Kevin Walsh’s very average Galway side bet us. Twice in McHale Park. The 2016 and 2017 qualifier runs were as much luck as anything else. I remember going to extra time against a Div3 Derry team, with Conor Loftus having to score a worldly of a goal to win us the match. And then when we did reach an AI final, he made, what will have to go down as the single worst tactical decision in managerial history, switching a goalkeeper for a replay. That decision alone cost us a minimum of 1-5 that day. And eventually we got caught in 2018 to Kildare.

Just this year alone, we shipped our biggest defeat to Galway in god knows how long, only got to a league final because Donegal put out their second team, missed a peno and hit the crossbar. And in that league final we didn’t even lay a glove on Kerry.

We have been cleaned out in midfield in the majority of the games we have played this year, despite playing a minimum of 5 midfielders every single game. To add insult to injury, a Leitrim player, No8 was awarded man of the match yesterday, playing his first competitive game of the year.

Our management have taking a cautious approach to the new rules, refuse to move the ball fast into our best player in ROD. Keep AOS at the edge of the square and never put the ball into him. The Leitrim FB picked up a yellow card in the first 20 minutes yesterday and we never once tried to isolate him on AOS and put him under serious pressure. Add in the fact that we didn’t even work a shot at goal and failed to kick a two pointer against a team that couldn’t field during the Div3 league, would leave the vast majority of Mayo fans frustrated to say the least. How we topped the league with a negative score difference I’ll never know.

Yes the ultimate target is an all Ireland, but we are so far away from that goal it’s not even in sight. So that’s why I view the Connaught final as a vital game. To at least get something out of a pretty flat season.

Connacht final is a huge game. Obviously Galway want to take us down but worryingly from reading this blog ( which is usually quite moderate in views) I fear there are a number of Mayo people who wouldn’t mind seeing us lose either. Then they will be justified in “ I told you so “ about McStay and Rochford. Reminds me of 2005. Mayo were well beaten in 2004 AI final. People had the hump about John Maughan. So when we qualified for AIQF in 2005 v Kerry some were hoping Kerry would whack us so they would be justified in their criticism of Maughan. . Kerry won alright but only by 3 points. Maughan left but we haven’t won an AI since. Personally I want to always see my county do well regardless of manager so get behind the team in two weeks. There will be plenty time for whinging afterwards.

Did Armagh get to kick a sidline ball against us in the League?....after the hooter

Was listening to OTB there and Joyce said that Walsh is unlikely to make the Connacht final. I presume Comer will be on the bench again. If you said Mayo were playing Galway at home with no Walsh and Comer starting for Galway, most would be expecting a Mayo win.

These young lads just need to just go for it from the off. And play with huge intensity, passion and belief. Who knows will it be good enough, but they need to preform this game. Now is the time. This needs to be their All Ireland. Look at Cork yesterday, completely written off. Honestly I haven’t seen a good performance from us since Dublin last year. And even with that they let the lead slip. Let’s just go for it and get that illusive Connaught Title we’ve been starved of for so long. Let’s do whatever we can to make it as torturous as possible for the herring chokers. Ignore Rochford and McStay on the sideline and play our own natural game not this conservative safe crap, we been forced to look at these last few years. Drive at that Galway defense hard and kick it into Aidan and O Donoughue and go for those two pointers. What we have is pace to burn and two full forwards who can win their own ball. We are built for running If we can get into our groove we are dangerous for anyone. There has been signs in small purple patch periods in games but we’ve failed to make it count and drive it home. These new lads have to be brave and take on their own score. Someone needs to step up. Also as Micko would say if you haven’t the ball you defend like your life depends on it. From top to bottom. Next man up type philosophy. Let’s give it to them hard. Our core defense has been very stand offish this year, they need to be tighter. Galway, they’ll want us to roll over. Not on your life. This reminds me of 98 when we were strong favorites to beat Galway. Like Galway back then this could be a great launch pad game if we play our cards right. I’d concur maybe on paper right now we don’t have as good of quality as in that Galway panel but I do not believe we are that far off either, and our boys should be salivating at the bit to get their hands on Galway after what happened to us last year. I think the writing is on the wall for this Mayo Management team. They revolted against Holmes and McStay years back for way less. If this year goes south under this management then I say tear up the script and get someone new. If this doesn’t happen then force them out. It’s plain for the whole country to see they don’t have these lads prepared enough in a way that team can be successful, that’s even if the talent right now is slightly below what we are used for. It’s still the same crap game play since they started the job no plan b or C. Jesus just saw the Darren O Sullivan reel he’s right kick it in to O Shea and make hay from it. On his day their isn’t a defender in the country who can deal with it. But it hasn’t been happening often enough, it’s like if it doesn’t work right away then we quit doing it. As O Sullivan says it’s like our lads don’t have the ability or level of skill to to foresee or execute that killer long pass which other teams have. We had feck all goals this year which has got to be worrying. The ball has to go in early and quick and high and O se and donoughue have got to stay around the full forward line and square. Look Galway are a good side but are look lads it’s Galway Mayo everything is on the cards. I really think Kerry and Donegal have better panels and quality than Galway. Currently I think it’s Kerry, Donegal, Armagh, Galway, Dublin. I think right now we fall into the next group with Tyrone, Monaghan, Cork. Not too much between anyone, but between both these two groups we are 4-5 points behind the front pack when it comes to quality. Also I wasn’t that impressed by the Rossies today. Didn’t put up too much of a fight. I think it will be close if we preform to the best of our abilities. If we preform badly, I wonder do we have the heart to fight and keep going. I hate saying it but it’s either going to be really close or a hiding, I hope I’m wrong. On a side note where are Durcan, Loftus? cos it would make a big difference, if we can get those lads back. Joyce will not want to lose this one. All set up nicely the way it should be.

When we beat Galway two years ago this was the team .

Pearse Stadium, 25/6/2023). MAYO: Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, David McBrien (1-0), Eoghan McLaughlin; Sam Callinan, Kevin McLoughlin (0-1), Paddy Durcan (0-2); Stephen Coen (0-1), Jason Doherty; Diarmuid O’Connor, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn; Aidan O’Shea, Tommy Conroy (0-2), Ryan O’Donoghue (0-2, one free). Subs: Enda Hession for Doherty, Cillian O’Connor (0-1) for McLoughlin, Matthew Ruane for Carney, James Carr (0-1) for O’Shea, Donnacha McHugh for Coyne. MOTM: Diarmuid O’Connor

That’s Kev mc , Jason doc , paddy , Tommy , cillian and James Carr gone or injured since

The scoring contribution alone from them is significant and then factor in the dogged nature of some of them players in Galway battles . Unfortunately the lads who will line out in their place just aren’t at that level yet anyway

@citog: That was under different rules.

There was no "final play" at that time and every dead ball was allowed to be hit, it just couldn't be touched by anyone else after the kicker.

Now there's a whole host of plays that are different (45s still follow that version where the kick is allowed but it can't touch anyone on the way over) from R6 of the league on.

The ref got that one spot on (sideline same as a goal kick, needs to be back in play before the hooter sounds - though we have seen a kickout allowed after the hooter under these rules that further muddies the water for fans). Even on GAA+ it was clear the hooter went before the kick. I was shouting at him to rush it and had time for a torrent of abuse between the first (faint - it got louder just as he kicked it, but was audible before that) sound of the buzzer & when he finally got it in after two stutter steps.

It did seem though, that as he was about to kick a green bib walked across him... don't know was it fried or foe , but it caused the kicker to do a double take and the buzzer going in the meantime.... anyway we've enough issues of our own to be worrying about .

“Lots of these players have 10 years or more experience and it’s really shit or get off the pot time. 1 or 2 years more it will be gradually downhill for them”

@Nodoubt I don’t know where you’re getting that from. The Galway team is based around the All Ireland U20 winning team of 2020.
The ages of outfield players yesterday
McGrath 23
Fitzgerald 25
Glynn 25
McHugh 29
Sean Kelly 28
Silke 32
Conroy 36
Maher 27
Tierney 25
McDaid 28
Darcy 27
Thompson 21
Finnerty 27
Mulkerrin 26

Subs
Comer 31
O’Flaherty 22
Sweeney 25
Sam O’Neill 22
Tomo Culhane 23

@Big Mike. I'm referring to the panel in general and even the management. Even the youngsters you named they all have bags of experience and been around for 2 all irelands losing both in 3 years and add in the lads going back to Kevin Walsh tenure and b4. Games like that brings bags of experience and if/when they lose again this year it all adds up and I'm sure you know well from looking over the fence the previous decade that this knocks the stuffing out of lads and players move on and harder to find lads as good to replace them.. I like the detail you went to in making your point. It's amazing how a comment can stir lads from another county who come across calm most times to defend their team. Anyway good luck in the final hopefully ye come 2nd.

Big Mike the average age profile is very good absolutely however of the big names in Conroy, Comer and Walsh have a lot of miles on the clock. Maybe there’s a hope if Galway don’t do it this year, they won’t have enough to go to well again and again

I think there’s a mixture of teams fused into that current Galway team though

Galway u21 2013 All Ireland - Walsh, Comer, Silke
Galway u18 2016 All Ireland finalists - Darcy, Maher, Finnerty, Mulkerrin
Galway u21 2017 All Ireland finalists - McHugh, Kelly, McDaid, (Finnerty, Darcy too)
Galway u20 in 2020 All Ireland - Glynn, Fitzgerald, McGrath, Tierney, Sweeney

Strong underage showings illustrating strong talent being reflected in a strong Galway panel

I am calm, just pointing out facts.
Johnny McGrath was an unused sub for all of 22. Sean Fitzgerald, John Maher, Cein Darcy, Matthew Thompson, Sean Mulkerrin weren’t on the panel in 22 so not sure how they’ve been around for that loss but fair enough.

We could be naming players for the rest of the day. Sure enough there will always be a few young players but in general they are or soon will be an aging squad. I think you'd agree. We'll leave it at that and btw i enjoy your posts and often seek them out. Good luck the next day hopefully we'll get a good entertaining game.

2026 Mayo vs London Connacht football championship fixture Knock Airport will have flights to & from all 4 London Airports unite Juniors, Minors, U-21's & Seniors for the match build up going to England for the fixture. When it was postponed in 2001 during Foot & Mouth disease London had withdrew from 2021 championship draws pre to being made because of Covid-19. Put in the newspapers as soon as possible.

??

That's a lad that has just broke out after doing the lent!

Mayo should have greater hunger in Match against Galway. Heavy loss in League couple of months ago, Loss against them in Connaught championship last year, in which we were robbed. Galway going for four in a row. Mayo need to treat this as an all-Ireland final, need to front up big time. Mayo big problem against Galway will be ball winners, they have way more than we do, so how we get away our kick outs going to have big bearing on Sunday week. We struggling with Division 3 midfields, how we going to cope with best middle 8 in country at catching a ball. Tyrone have my opinion best midfield partner in 8/9 position, but Galway have great ball winners in half back/ half forward line.

“That’s a lad that has just broke out after doing the lent!”

Brilliant