A little disappointing that there’s nothing new being tried in midfield which is a bit of a worry.

Wasn’t Reid the player who came off in the 1st round of the league last year against Galway and hadn’t played since?

@Spotlight: He played well against Galway. Started the next game against Dublin too, picking up an injury early and we didn't see enough to know if he ever got back to full fitness from there.

I'd not overly read too much into any starting 15 for the league. Until you see the line-up at throw in there's significant room for change. (Think we averaged 3-4 changes per game last year. As did most sides)

A nice enough blend of experience and youth there and good to see Diarmuid start. Frank Irwin in FF is a bit odd, but happy to see him named though after the knock he took v Monaghan.

Will be watching Davitt Neary with great interest. I think he has huge talent and massive potential, but I've seen a few flashes of poor discipline there that would worry me a bit. But he is the kind of player that could just thrive in Croke Park.

Spotlight, Conor Reid had a great club championship just gone with Moy Davitts.

Are there many people travelling? I swore many years ago I would never again travel to a mostly empty Croke Park in the depths of winter to see Mayo play Dublin in the league, and until today I have held firm on that, but the prospect of three games including a club final over the weekend is tempting me. Five years ago I wouldn't have given it a second thought but times have changed!

Separately (and apologies if it has already been shared in another thread), Cahair O'Kane has an in-depth interview with James Carr in the Irish News that is very interesting and well worth a read. It covers the torturous road he has endured with injuries, and struggles with form. Given the emotional depths to which many of us supporters have sunk in the past, I think it's actually a really refreshing perspective when a player at the ripe old age of 27 is adamant that there is more to life than Mayo football:

https://www.irishnews.com/gaa/theres-probably-a-narrative-out-there-that-that-goal-went-to-that-fellas-head-hes-never-the-same-since-but-you-dont-realise-how-little-that-impacted-mayos-james-carr-on-football-family-and-farming-7HXLNVIOZRCJRN3SWJKZ64DUEM/

Decent lineup given the number of lads unavailable.

It's a lovely interview, good look to him.

Team conservative enough as expected. But would imagine a few changes as think some named are injured from what heard.

Colm Boyle's column for Patreon club members is now up.

Team to be taken with the usual caveat that there will be 2 or 3 changes last minute

Loads of experience in the team, 1-9 isn't far off what McStays 1st team selection the past few years.

Not much to get excited about in that forward selection tbh, good to see some new faces and good luck to them but I worry McStay is very much doubling down on the 'athletes over footballers' policy

James Carr is dead right at the ripe old age of 27 to decide theres more to life than football it took me till the ripe old age of 47 and an all Ireland final defeat to Tyrone to realise the same though I am very tempted to go to Croke Park on Sunday to support Crossmolina

You don’t bother anymore glory days ? I’ve noticed a lot of people who used to go have drifted away since 21 , seems to have really ended the journey for a lot of people .

Surprise to see such a strong team named.

There hardly naming dummy teams in January.

Hope you give them a good rattle.

Supporters in Mayo are no strangers to Dummy teams and no substitutes named. GAA should introduce a hefty fine and bring closure to the silly games. Management are getting well enough looked after to name a panel by 6pm Thursday.
Glad to see McBrein at 6, he's a future leader and 6 is where he can be most influential.
Style of our play is more informative than our starting 15. Are players given their heads to make decisions on the field or will we witness the over cautious sideline controlled stuff we endured last year.

Little surprised to see such a strong team named is. well . 1st game in league but then again make or break year for ncstay&co..

Sure there will be changes and good luck to the lads.
Sam at 2 is one of those hard to make decisions , just he's so good at wingback .
Excited with mcbrien at 6, new rules should suit him out there, like Sam if only we could clone him to have him at both 3 and 6 .
Good luck to conor Reid fine player but will have to step it up from the county final as Loftus and Flynn had his number.
Hopefully break through season for bob and unusual fullforward line on paper but again all.posotive and looking forward to it

I'm sorry, but I don't see the rational of DMB at 6. He's a tailor made number 3, All day long, or under lights for that matter

That 15 will certainly change but I like what I see, in an extremely tough league this is a great opportunity to pick up 2 points. So many great matches to watch this weekend, can't wait to see the new rules. Hopefully teams embrace an attacking philosophy and go for it

Will be a debate for along time and will never be a right answer as ideally Mcbrien should be playing at both 6 and 3 but :
At 6
Kick out option, speed, attacking power, good distribution,, High energy straight up tackling (rugby like hold up play tackling), great power to win second ball off kickouts .

At 3 we know his ability but under new rules you loose his attacking g play, might suit Brickedeen to have two lads beside him rather than him playing in two man fullbackline so I'm sure that's big part of the plan to play Mcbrien 6 but either way super talented player who can play in either position

I expect irwin to partner diarmuid at midfield. The forward line wouldn't frighten me apart from Ryan o Donohoe. Touhy really needs to up his game from what I thought was a very poor year last year. Reid I have not seen enough of at inter County to match the hype. Let's hope both of these men show us tomorrow what they are made of.

Only thing craggy is remember we have to keep 3 inside. If irwin goes out then only one with inside experience is Tuohy who played few mins here and there at 14 , not to any great effect but was still tried in salthill and elsewhere .

I don't know about Boland, man's had his chance, like we have some lovely real corner forwards in Cian Mchale and likes of Maheady ok he's playing for cross but give mchale the start and the 3 in rule will work for him
The only other viable option I see rather than Tuohy in and Irwin out is back to play diarmuid at FF

@ Sean Burke I dont go as much in comparison to pre the Tyrone final where as before I was at every single match including NY and LDN. At the end of the day though the team owes us nothing and are to be admired for all the sacrifices they make to represent us

I like the look of that team. Kick out will be very important under the new rules and that half forward line suggests at least trying to be competitive under high ball and for breaking ball. You’d expect a few changes but it’s still nice to see something different, albeit some of it is enforced.

Very much looking forward to this match, I think the new rules should suit us if we work the ball fast with a low error count.

The dome damage a real sickening blow, a top class facility gone, hopefully it is a quick enough rebuild.

@Outside of the Boot: Something like Carney for DO'C (with Irwin swapping out to m/f) & one of Towey/McHale for Tuohy (& Fergie swapping out to 11) wouldn't be too surprising yet.

With plenty of potential for a couple more tweaks.

It's the Ideal opener against a team upended by Fenton's retirement. Perfect match to test what'll be an unassured midfield etc. I'm not sure this Dublin side will be firing on even half cylinder capacity after Cuala's long championship either.
Mayo and Donegal to win this weekend.

All, just looked at the Dublin panel for the year. Still a lot of household names in there so rumours of their demise may be exaggerated, even with Fentons retirement. I had them completely written off the last time they won the All Ireland!

Was thinking the same Seamus, plenty of intercounty recognised names there, not going to be easy but hopefully a good game

Wonder who the three lads who will stay back will be. It looks like Brick and coen. Callinan and Hession would be wasted in the fullback line if they have to say back. Boland at corner forward could flourish, we know he can kick a point. Hopefully irwin starts in midfield. Intrigued by this team but almost guaranteed that it will not be the same team

@Seamus Thornton: A lot of household names, but the others that could end up being the real exciting ones to watch.

Not sure too many will be familiar with Brian O'Leary but if you've watched Na Fianna in recent years there's a fair chance you'll have seen him putting on an exhibition. He's back to the kind of form that had himself, Archer & McGarry breaking scoring records for the Dublin u20s some years back.

Throw in lads like McEneaney (putting in huge to games in the Sigerson for DCU), Murphy (was a key player for them last year pre-injury), MacMahon & McGinnis all looking to step up from (impressive showings) last year & new additions like Madden (blistering pace, just back from 6 years in Oz so hopefully the ball skills still a bit iffy) or O'Donnell that might surprise us and it'll be an interesting year for them.

I'm 50/50 between them pushing to win it or being deep in the relegation fight. They've enough talent for the former, psychology & leadership will decide if they end up near the latter.

We badly need the likes of Flynn and Conroy on that half forward line to have some attacking power. That half forward line has no ammunition

Very very difficult and really impossible to even hazard a guess as to how the match will go, with the much changed teams along with the new rules. I have no idea what the outcome will be, but it might give us some clue as to how we are approaching this new game. As regards the team, one thing that worries me is Brickenden at full-back, as he is not a good 1 v 1 defender/man marker, which I feel is vital, with the rule changes. Possibly he is there as he is a good kick passer. Personally I would have McHugh as one of our back 3 defenders.

Subs

16. Adrian Philips Ballyhaunis
17. Cian McHale Moy Davitts
18. Darren McHale Knockmore
19. Eoin O'Donoghue Belmullet
20. Evan Ivers Belmullet
21. Fenton Kelly Davitts
22. Finbar MacLaughlin Westport
23. Kevin Quinn Ballinrobe
24. Paul Towey Charlestown
25. Sean Morahan Castlebar
26. Shairoze Akram Ballaghaderreen

Digits, you beat me to the subs list!

Isn't Adrian Philips an outfield player?

@catcol: He's a forward for the (Mayo & Ballyhaunis) hurlers. Plays all his football in goal for the club.

Or you might be thinking of Eamon Phillips. I'd have mentioned him in the past. He'd have been close as a big, rangy inside forward option.

Yes TSU, it's the latter guy I was thinking of, and I was conscious of your comments on him. Adrian Philips must be pretty good if he's keeping Vahey off the panel.

Not sure that I agree that the Allianz has been buried from a marketing point of view. The new rules have generated swathes of comment and explanation over the past few months and they will get road tested tonight. TV coverage is good too - Galway v Armagh is on RTE 2 at 5pm, and our own match is on TG4 later. Both of those will be attractive to neutrals or stay at homes today. Contrast that with last championship Summer when Saturdays on RTE were a desert, with any sport you like, except Gaelic games, taking up airtime.

Still trying to make corner backs from half backs, never learn.

Valid point. Outside the boot