Hello WJ, just wondering if it is possible to have a general post or maybe something pinned at the top of the blog to discuss the championship generally? A lot of great games on and with the new structure lots of permutations that could impact Mayo in the group stage. Might be a hard task with comment moderation or not even possible - I have no idea how a blog works - but plenty things to comment on and generally on here I find a decent level of debate and discussion that isn’t available elsewhere.

Connacht council have confirmed this years Connacht final will take place at MacHale Park.

@yew-tree , .. logical choice. First time in a long time a big neutral game for Castlebar.. Sligo v Roscommon 2010 and was it the Connacht Final replay Galway b Roscommon 2017 replayed Connacht Final..I think Dr Hyde Park was out of commission?.. When you think of all the neutral games Croke Park gets, including Dublin game's, think it's a neutral venue for Dublin hurlers now.

MayoMayo1. Can I second that .Give us a few weeks and we won't be able to keep up with all the comments.
It would be great to read all that .you wise commenters are saying

Just hearing about Dr Mickey Loftus. A truly wonderful man. God be with him and bless his family. Ar dheis De go raibh a anam uasal.

A great man, rest in peace Dr Mickey Loftus.

So sorry to hear about Mick Loftus.A noble man.R.I.P.

Gave a lot to his county and the GAA. Rest in peace Dr. Mick Loftus.

Sorry to hear about Dr Michael Loftus having passed away, a great servant to Mayo football and the GAA his whole life, a true gentleman to all who came into his company. Rest in Peace.

Can I ask was he on the 1950 / 51 teams?

He was a sub

A great Mayo man. May he rest in peace after a long life well lived.

Things going from bad to worse for Donegal. Their performance against us in the league was the worst I've ever seen from a division 1 team, I think they'll be headed straight for div3 next year and will be a dream draw in the round robin this year.

Some craic if down bet Armagh. No chance though I'd say

Some comeback by Louth, what a year for them

I posted here after the mayo game of roscommon lack of score from play i think it was the 60th minute when they got the 1st against mayo and 30 minutes gone against galway and still no roscommon score from play. Definitely a problem for them even though they have great forwards

And this is the same team that beat us all over the pitch two weeks ago. Just to put things into perspective

Roscommons only game plan is to get in front then plant everyone behind the ball .dreadful game of football.Galway able to pick off scores and will almost certainly get in for a goal.goes to show how poor we were against Roscommon and is that where we really are .getting very difficult to watch Gaelic football now with totally negative approach

David, we tactically made heroes of them the way we set up, and with the changes we made on the day, and still could have won. Fair play to Bourke though, he won the battle in the line.
I'd expect a different result if we meet later in year.

It's only hard to watch because Ross are so bad. Galway could will win by 10 plus if Ross don't start to express themselves and go for it. Hard to believe Mayo couldn't beat this team, they're awful. Tactually Joyce has Burke beaten.

Having said all that, Mayo absolutely do not have a forward of Comer's class. Finnerty and McDaid are the bench for God's sake!!

Delete that last comment of mine WJ!!! What a goal!

I’m in the same boat as you, GBXI! I was busily saying how poor Ros were but they’ve been reborn since the break. Enda Smith is some player.

Much better second half .why would Roscommon play enda smith as a sweeper. a probable case of over thinking things .in my opinion the jury is still out on Galway.very impressive at times but comers decisive goal was slightly fortuitous.Shane Walsh’s over indulges at times .crazy reverse pass late on but they do possess very capable and dangerous forwards

@1985, When they're all fit Galway are very dangerous but Finnerty, Walsh, and Comer - not to mention McDaid, are very injury prone. To win it out, Galway will need Walsh to have one of his top days which he is struggling to find again - maybe he only does it in finals!

Ross were like a different team in the 2nd half. They'll need to show that adventure to take out another big team. I can see the provincial winners really struggle in their first group game.

Galway nothing special after that performance, Mayo in a better place missing today and a Sligo game in 2 weeks time where they would learn nothing but just risk picking up injuries.

Good result for us in the end with Roscommon lively but lack a bit of class up front totally reliant on 1 lad to get the scores. Comer at 100% is a serious player. Few goal chances missed again but the goals will come if we keep creating the chances. As Damien just said Rossies emptied the tank to just get 1 pt ahead and then they were spent. Lots to work on for the future but we are building nicely.

Galway got very lucky with the Comer goal.Still look well of beating Kerry or Dublin later on in the Summer.

Mayo must be well off too then Achill75 dont you think. I dont believe Kerry are far ahead but hard to read the Dubs.

Absolutey Chesneychet. Judging by the second half we're rightly 3rd best in Connaught. Too many players going missing when it counts. And the age old problem of someone to put it over the bar, or in the back of the net.. Like Comer or Murtagh

@chesneychet we are hardly well off it? We're actually in a pretty good place Atm yes it was not our day against the rossies but every team has off days !

We will be back a different team in 4 weeks . Getting ahead of yourself saying mayo are well off it..

@David don't agree hardly 3rd best no one was saying that when we were bouncing through the league one loss and critics come out but your entitled to your opinion of course!

Sure we will see when we come back in form everyone will be saying different.

I thought Galway were exposed at the back a bit.Maher a good find for them.

@chesneychet.i don't think roscommon emptied the tank getting a point ahead seeing as they went a point up 5 minutes into the 2nd half I'd surely expect they'd be fitter than that. Very hard to judge where teams are at yet with so many one sided games. I'd say galway are solid at best not world beaters yet but will be tough to beat so we wait and see how the others use the break. Meath in the tailteann Cup and if offaly beat louth in the lsf kildare will join meath unless they beat the dubs (not likely). Interesting times ahead and as far as I can see the real stuff starts at the end of may.

I think the reference was if Galway are well off it then so are mayo.Galway will improve but they were opened up quite a bit and had daly tapped in the goal it could all have been very different.we are i a bit of a vacuum at the minute.the Roscommon game raised alot of issues but the pattern of a game changes with the score line.if mayo had scored the two early goal chances then Roscommon couldn’t use the tactics they did.in fairness the second half of today’s game was a decent game of football and both sides will take something from it

I thought the ref let too much go,lost the plot a bit.

Hi Clare, I judge Galway and Mayo as closely matched and Achill75 said we are well off Kerry and Dublin so I said that must mean Mayo are well off them too unless ye think Mayo are well ahead of Galway which I just dont see but everyone is entitled to their view. Id agree with No Doubt and add that whoever has scope to with squad and indeed does improve in next 6-7 games will lift Sam which unfortunately draws your eye back to Dublin. Its too early to say though.

@chesneychet oh right ok that's fair enough apologies misunderstood you!

I think Galway & mayo are pretty even Atm tbh I don't think mayo are far off ye at all.

Best of luck in the semi I think you will win connaught now

@chesneychet I also think Galway and mayo are still ahead of kerry and dubs you can't tell where they are they beat a poor tipp side and laois side no real test at all for them they've been both poor all year.

So where are we up to re the groups and perms ?

Let’s put the overwhelming favs as winners .

Is it .

Group one : Kerry , Sligo

Group two: Galway ,Clare

Are ros allowed to be in Galway’s group ?

If not it makes the possibility of an epic clash in salthill more possible .

https://twitter.com/RefComeOn/status/1650181041510928385?t=c0VYrMNY84s8Ej4ttYOAuQ&s=08

AhRef has an outline as it stands Sean Burke

Entertaining second half, hard beat a good diagonal ball into the danger zone. We should probably try it more, but only if someone running off the shoulder of Cillian/Aido or whoever is inside target.

Dublin for me are still the team to beat, started a few more lads today for first time in a while as they get up to speed for start of main championship next month.

Nobody seems sure on what the rule is in can teams be in the same group if played in provincial already .

I find the rules confusing but I suppose its the first year of this format. Near end April will be all over in what 10 weeks.

Re ah Ref, no certainty that Derry and Armagh will contest the Ulster final, Down and Monaghan still have to be beaten.

Are Meath gone from Sam now. Disappointing start for O Rourke so Kildare just in as long as Down dont get to Ulster final. It seems possible to be in a weak group or a potential pool of death with the likes of kerry, Ulster runners up and one of the stronger fourth seeds or alternativey a weak second and fourth seed. Overally the second seeded teams look the weakest . Provincial championship is losing its lustre. Down beat donegal but Donegal may be in the competition for Sam while unless Down beat Armagh they will be in Tailteann Cup.

Draw I understand is on Mat 2 on gaa go

May sorry

@seanburke. It doesn't really state anywhere about keeping teams apart until the quater final stages and @to win just once kildare will also drop to tailteann cup if offaly beat louth and then louth would be seeded 4. If galway win connaught maybe mayo should get the lawyers and challenge the paragraph where it specifically states that the league winners will be ranked higher than the team they beat in the final. Jeez it would really make the headlines.

A clash with Galway in salthill would make or break the season imo . its the one i want anyway

I actually laughed at this to from keegan haha
O Rourke probably does want his rte job back haha

https://www.sportsjoe.ie/gaa/lee-keegan-sean-cavanagh-286801

@ Sean Burke I agree,a good draw and np overnight for the team.
Make or break I am not so sure, remember our minors last year.

Maybe one the reasons RTÉ cleared the decks of all the old analysts last year like O'Rourke, McStay, Spillane etc. The games moved on :)

Joking aside, could be some milage if drew Dublin, Louth and Cork.
Could you have two trips to Croker and one in Castlebar?

@Gizmobobs yes but so funny haha!

Really confused also about the rules and the whole new format to be honest ha so you've to win 3 games out of 4 to get through ? Hmm could they have made it anymore confusing haha!

Clare, you only have 3 games, and way it is set up you could conceivably lose two, draw the third and get through on scoring difference :)

@Gizmobobs ah Ok thanks for the info all confusing haha!

@Gizmobobs

Dublin, Louth and Cork isn't possible. You can't have a 1st and 2nd seed from the same province. Mayo are 3rd seed, and Cork 4th (if they make it)

FrostT if Offaly beat Louth do they go to 4th seed?

Whatever combo we get I see us as being far to strong for at least one of them, I'd still see us like the bookies as in the top 4.

If Offaly beat Louth they’re in the Leinster final and so would be either first or second seeds. It’s that chance, plus Down’s opportunity of making the Ulster final, that could put the squeeze on the lowest two seeds who are still in the frame to be in the round-robin stage, i.e. Cork and Kildare.

Willie joe , can Roscommon draw Galway’s group . (Galway Connacht champions assumption)

I don’t know what the position is on repeat pairings, Sean.

Hi Sean Burke. It was my understanding that repeat provincial meetings would be avoided at group stage. However, the draw for the groups is being made before the provincial finals, so I can't see how they could actually manage that with all the permutations involved. Again the GAA have cocked up here, the draws should be made after the provincial finals. It's common sense. In theory, a team in Ulster could throw the provincial final because losing it would put them in an "easier" group. Granted, Dublin would be in too but the other teams might not be as strong.

Yep seems a little messed up tbh .

Anyway I see Padraigeen is having what I think is a little pop at Mayo .

“I think people say, when they lose a match, ‘Oh sure, it’s only the provincials.’ They’re only saying that to gloss over getting beat.”

Please god give us salthill , be some craic anyway . Box office material

So to avoid Roscommon been in the same group as Galway - they will have to be put into the group of the Leinster or Ulster champions. Thry cannot be drawn against Kerry - assuming Kerry are Munster champions. Ridiculous draw is being made before provincial finals are completed.

@sean Burke that definitely sounds like a dig at us! Ha He's such a child sometimes!

Yes it would be great to have another craic at Galway haha