We’re only two sleeps out now from the Kerry game but, after this yawning six-week gap since the Roscommon match, time seems to be dragging by so slowly. It doesn’t help, I guess, that the build-up has been as low key as it has ahead of what’s set to be the biggest clash so far in this year’s Championship.
The lack of jeopardy has been pointed to by some as the reason for this. On the RTÉ website (here), Lee Keegan was pointing the finger in that direction, noting that there are still tickets available for the Fitzgerald Stadium match. I’d reckon there’ll still be plenty available all the way up to throw-in.
Lee fancies Kerry to do the business on Saturday, noting in relation to us that there are “a lot of whispers around the place that there are a significant amount of injuries.” I suppose we’ll have a better idea on that front tomorrow when, as the new rules stipulate that counties must, we release our match-day panel for the game.
Another former player in the media at the minute is Seamie O’Shea, who took part in the formal launch of the All-Ireland Minor Championship yesterday. Seamie is also on the podcast today, chatting with Mike about his days playing Minor, when he was part of the team that reached the 2005 All-Ireland final, and also about those totemic clashes with Kerry in 2014 and 2017 and much more besides. The pod is available now over on Patreon – here.
There are pieces with Seamie today on the RTÉ website, Irish Independent, Extra.ie and the Irish News.
Other online articles that might be of interest include Donnchadh Boyle’s piece on Conor Loftus in the Irish Independent (here), Ian O’Riordan’s interview piece on Padraig O’Hora in the Irish Times (here), John Fogarty’s look back in the Irish Examiner at ten close shaves at Fitzgerald Stadium that Kerry have endured since they last lost there in the Championship (here, spoiler alert: all but one of those matches were against Cork) and Edwin McGreal’s look ahead in the Mayo News to the All-Ireland group stage in the Mayo News (here).
See what I mean? All very low-key. Hopefully, things start to ramp up tomorrow with the release of details of the match-day panels for Saturday.
UPDATE: Kerry have now named their panel for Saturday. Full details are here.
Can any changes be made to the 26 after its named ?
Great read WJ, I hope your don’t mind the below:
I have two spare stand tickets for sale at face value for this weekend.
DM if interested
Thanks
All very low key. Well yes, so hard to get excited about it. Only the diehards and fanatics are getting excited about this one I would say.
Does it really matter if team comes first, second or third in the Group? I don’t really think so to be honest. All it means is one less game if team manages to win the group (I hope I have got that right) – and that’s not a lot of good to anyone if having to burst a gut to achieve it!
Main thing for me is to get to the play off stages with no serious injuries or having players side-lined with red cards. And for the team to be playing well.
Kerry team up on Score Beo, very much on expected lines
The London Eye, 2nd place teams get home advantage against 3rd placed teams in the preliminary quarter finals
Who are the injuries supposed to be?
I’d like to see Tommy Conroy get 2 or 3 points. We need someone to step up and become our marquee forward.
Thanks to @TsuDhoNim in a previous thread for providing stats on scores from play and from frees.
No worries, MadMayoRob, fire ahead.
Paddy Joe – my understanding of the new rule is that when counties inform Croke Park about their match-say panels they must also list four stand-by players and can swap some or all of these for the those on the named 26.
Kerry could lose and still be able to claim that they hadn’t been beaten in Killarney – in a knockout championship game.
@TheLondonEye, sure isn’t it the excitement that keeps us coming back for more year after year.
Every game is there to be won.
Mayo must discover the form they had in the League.
We all know the biggest danger men in the Kerry team.
@Paddyjoejohntom: Players can be swapped in from the 4 Stand By places with a medical need from the team doctor. That said, how you’d police folks having a ‘dodgy tummy’ or ’24 bug’ in those kind of circumstances make it a bit of a “Pick 26 from the 30 named (4 of which named in private)” alright.
@TheLondonEye: Along with the benefits of 2nd vs 3rd with the home venue the bigger benefit from topping the group for me is avoiding other group winners (guaranteed draw against a 2nd/3rd pQF winner) more than simply avoiding the pQF. We’re already avoiding Kerry on repeat pairings from Round One so it’d be nice to avoid some of the other sides hitting form across the country (you’d imagine on paper it’d be Dublin, Galway and Derry) for as long as possible.
If Lee reckons there are injuries he is probably right. That would be a pity. Lots on here were saying the 6 week break would allow the injuries to clear up. Unfortunately it doesn’t work like that. One is as likely to get injured in training as proper games
Will we be wearing those alternative red and green jerseys again this weekend? Can’t stop thinking they’re wearing bibs when I see photos of the jerseys in action and when I was at the league game in Castlebar.
The 2003 white and 2017 red/black away jerseys have been my favourite second strips in recent years.
@Travelling Wilbury I heard we are wearing the black jerseys and kerry are wearing their navy alternate one.
Good luck guys!
Whatever happens we should hopefully get out of the group stages. Hopefully not loads of injuries.
Safe travels to all.
I said it b4 if all irelands were won by injuries we’d be top of the winners list. If significant injuries is correct then i give up.
I’m the same , might sound infantile but I feel like fookin the train and match ticket in the bin at this stage . .
All the talk about those group games is silly, where 2nd and 3rd placed teams have to fight it out for a place in the quarter final.
The Provincial winners are currently the number 1 team in each group and I believe they will win their groups and probably also win the quarter finals also.
It remains to be seen if theirs an upset to this outcome, Mayo should be the one team to change this.
Strongly disagree , think all semi finalists will be group winners barring a very big surprise , finalists will certainly be made up of original group winners .
6 weeks ago there was barely any injuries. If it’s true that there is now a “significant” amount of injured players, you really do need to question what the hell is going on.
Then again, McStay said just last week that Cillian was the only one carrying an injury and it didn’t sound like a long term one. Also mentioned Harrison and Brickenden who have been injured all season nearly so there is nothing new in those two.
Either the rumours Lee Keegan refers to are bullshit or Kevin Mc Stay was withholding the truth last week.
Getting excited now for team and panel selection. The 6 weeks of training might possibly throw up a surprise or 2 .
Will Padraic O Hora start ?
Will Cillian be in the 30 panel and feature?
Will we see a change at mid field ( I doubt it ) .
Will Sam Callinan start ?
So much depends on the challenge matches and probably as much in the A vs B games and alleged niggles and injuries.
I’m still going for Kerry to win but I’d expect us to be really competitive..
I’d take your hand off for a draw .
Confirmation on in my house but Gaa Go will be on . Sure the kids will love it !!!
It would be hard to understand why mcstay would withhold the truth about injuries when it will become fairly obvious today what the situation is .lee keegan would still be in the loop and probably wouldn’t have mentioned it in his article if he wasn’t fairly sure .i wonder was the Connacht telegraph reporting more accurate than given credit for .anyway no point speculating we will find out later on
@Mikey3…” What the hell is going on ?” is lads going flat out to trying to get on the match day 26 …
Of course lads will pick up knocks , they are competitive beasts ..
We will know tomorrow if for once we have someone like Lee in our camp in the media.
6wks ago we had 9 or so injuries not including the perceived long termers (Harry, Brick). McStay’s update last week was very positive all round so I’d take it as he said it. I suspect Lee is using some borrowed yerra poetic licence with that statement (nothing to fear from us Keerry we are sending down a team on crutches). I’m sure when we here the 26 later any concerns will be abated..
I expect McStay to name hid league final team. Subs will be key: Conroy, Hession, MacLaughlin, and possibly Cillian will make a big impact.
@Sean Burke See you mentioned train tickets there. How do you undertake a train journey from Mayo to Kerry? I had a quick check and it looks like a very circuitous route that could take a couple of days.
Dublin based , heuston to Killarney , change at mallow . I do remember in my youth travelling to feile in tipp for example (fuck that’s a long time ago ) but we changed at portarlington from the Westport train . I’d imagine it can be done somehow
1985, he may Just mean Cillian and Paddy have ? over them having sat out the challenge game.
Catcol, agree, McStays teams have had minimal changes in every game (outside Monaghan) bar injury/U20 enforced.
Well Sean ill see you on the train in the morning so as I’m travelling south from Heuston aswell.
The craic on the train 2019 was great…
Breakfast and a pint before with depart.
Safe trip to all the Mayo fans travelling to Kerry tomorrow you are all very welcome here.
For those traveling with Kids if you need a break and some fresh air after the long drive you can walk in the national park which is right beside the town and walkable from town with kids.
Looking forward to a great day .. Up Kerry.
Really looking forward to the big games the weekend. Starting tonight with the minors against Roscommon. Then onto Kerry tomorrow. I think Mayo will have fire in the belly after losing to Roscommon in Castlebar 6 weeks ago. I know it will be a close game, but I think Mayo will get over the line by 2 points. Be interesting to see how Kerry deal with the treat of Aido at full forward. He was magnificent in the league win in Castlebar earlier this year.
I have all your podcasts ready to go Willie Joe for the long spin down. Looking forward to hearing the top class preview and the opinion on what the match ups will be Willie Joe.
One problem for the weekend is that our hurlers are in action tomorrow at half 1 in Derry. Pity it’s on the same day as the footballers. Hard to see the hurlers getting the support they deserve. I wonder was it looked at to have a double header with the footballers?
Reape
Coyne
McBrien
Callinan
Durcan
Loftus
Coen
Ruane
O’Connor
McDonagh
Carney
Flynn
O’Shea
Carr
O’Donoghue
Team and subs announced WJ
16. Rory Byrne Castlebar Mitchels
17. Tommy Conroy The Neale
18. Jason Doherty Burrishoole
19. Enda Hession Garrymore
20. Darren McHale Knockmore
21. Donnacha McHugh Castlebar Mitchels
22. Eoghan McLaughlin Westport
23. Kevin McLoughlin Knockmore
24. Padraig O’Hora Ballina Stephenites
25. Paul Towey Charlestown Sarsfields
26. Bob Tuohy Castlebar Mitchels
Turf man- Kerry will try to do what they did in the second half in Castlebar – they will put Casey on Aidan and he will spend the day pulling and dragging him off the ball. That was very clear to see in Castlebar and guaranteed to happen again tomorrow.
Question is – will the umpires allow it continue all day or bring it to the attention of the referee to put a stop to it early on
Thanks, My Ball, I was just typing it all up. Took a bit longer than usual as it’s the full 26!
Team looks good probably only Hennelly, Plunkett and Cillian missing from our strongest 26 ?
Hennelly and Plunkett might have their work cut out to make it back in.
Slightly relieved tbh , is leeroy on the wind up with that piece earlier ?
Southmayo Exile,
You are completely overplaying that.
Casey got physical and was able to keep him quieter albeit the game was well over at the stage.
Let’s not be complaining about something that hasn’t happened yet.
Team and squad named. Cillian not in the 26
https://twitter.com/MayoGAA/status/1659486229216342023/photo/1
@Sean Burke – We will know for definite tomorrow there is still players on a reserves list who can come into the 26 so i wouldn’t rule out some last minute changes before throw inn.
Why bother jkell88 , I understand if it’s a thing you know a couple of big named players are good to go and ya don’t name them only to put them in before throw in to disrupt the opposition but naming players like paddy Durcan knowing he’d play no part for example would be just complete stupidity , shur you’re just handing the opposition a lift
Sean Burke – They might be just giving lads every chance to prove their fitness. I am sure Kerry will have a few players in a similar boat.
Bench looks decent, so lots of options plus there maybe a change or 2 to who actually starts. Assume Cillian is close per last weeks update and Plunkett didnt make the 26 based on form / fitness. You could say a novice full back line but no better test for them