Photo: MichaelMaye.com
Sticking with the hurlers for a just a bit longer, it was announced today that the Christy Ring promotion/relegation play-off will take place this coming Saturday (11th June). JP Coen’s charges will face off that afternoon against Derry in Ballinamore, Leitrim, at 3pm to decide which of them gets to play in hurling’s second tier championship next year and which operates in the third tier for 2017.
Best of luck to the hurlers in this important fixture on Saturday.
By the way, Kenny Feeney’s exploits at Croke Park last Saturday have earned him a spot on the shortlist for the GAA’s Hurling Player of the Week (full details here). Make sure you vote for him if you haven’t done so already.
Good luck to the hurlers on Saturday. Hope to be there in support. Ballinamore seems to be a favoured hurling venue for the Croke Park fixture makers and Mayo have had a fair amount of success there in the past – I recall two minor titles at least.
Looking forward to Saturday
Hopefully the lads finish the job! Getting relegated last year was a blow but I always felt that it could mean a croke park appearance and hopefully more, especially considering their league opposition was almost all Christy Ring standard
There is genuine site of participating in the big one in a few years. I hope that would be the long term plan. Incredible considering there are only 4 senior clubs in Mayo. Badly need to stretch that to 10 in the next few years
Good luck to the hurlers but it terrible that it not automatic promotion .
Best of luck to our hurler,s on Saturday. How long tikk the football goes rot the same format. The Paidi O Shea cup , the ????? Cup and the Sam Maguire. It’s only a matter of time me thinks
Given the footballers are out against Galway seven days later, I wonder what will be the position as regards Keith Higgins playing in this match? He would be a big loss to the hurlers, but his importance to the football team must be taken into consideration.
It should be Keith’s choice, frankly, whether he plays for the hurlers or not. It’s a massive game for them, arguably bigger than the footballers game in the grand scheme of it.
I hope he plays both.
The hurlers are also playing the Rossies at 5pm before the Galway match in the Conn Inmdt game. Great time of year for the hurlers I’d say, playing 3 consecutive games. Been a great season, 2 more wins would be lovely!
Higgins im pretty sure considers himself a hurler who plays football. Cant see him missing this one and wouldnt expect him to.
Sure look it if he wasn’t playing hurling he be playing in an a v b game im sure this weekend so he as well to play for the hurlers as it there last game of the season.
From Rochfords interview on mid west It looks like he won’t feature for hurlers this weekend!
Higgins should play the hurling game this weekend, and give it his his usual all. It would be nice to see them play in the higher division next year and keep improving. Rochford knows what he’s dealing with and has to be admired for having the open mind that others in management don’t.
Should be the decision of the player.
Keith will be fine. Judging by his body language and interview after the match he seems to be in a good place right now. I actually think that he looks to have shed a couple pounds. He was never a bulky athlete but he looks particularly lean at the moment.
Really looking forward to another day out with this team on Saturday. I agree with Rock, whether Keith plays or not should be his decision. But I really, really, really hope he does and is facilitated in doing so if that’s his wish. This is an amateur sport, after all.
You’d hope that Keith is allowed to play on Saturday, but probably won’t.
If he does and he plays against Galway the following week, then it’ll be five championship games, five weeks in a row for him and a training camp for a week thrown in the mix too. A lot of action in a short period of time.
It seems crazy too, that winners of the Rackard don’t go up automatically, like they do nowadays from the Ring.
It should be Keiths decision alone. Its an important game for the hurlers and they deserve to be able to field their strongest possible team. If he wants to play on Saturday then his decision should be respected by all.
Too early to move away from the hurling for a moment?
The regular article by McGuinness in the IT is interesting this week. His five point gameplan for beating the Dubs refers more than once to us.
He goes back again to playing two big men inside, especially in the absence of O’Carroll. He also suggests a ball playing centre forward is crucial in terms of delivery and making sure O’Sullivan is occupied fully and therefore won’t always be able to sweep in front of the D.
I think we could see AOS and COC rotating between 14 and 11 to try accomplish this. O’Connor is a superb distributor and can score from distance if his marker drops off.
Dublin dismantled Laois as expected but were still vulnerable to the 14 men when they ran directly down the middle. The pen conceded was very similar to Boyler cutting through the middle last August. The second goal was also as a result of direct running down the middle.
The Dublin sweeper system can be attacked and rendered a weakness. As can their lockouts when pressed. The real challenge, as we’ve found, is to sustain this pressure for 70 mins.
You are bursting to get at the Dubs Rock and I’d say you are not the only one! It appears to me that much of what will be required to beat the Dubs will also need to be in the menu for Galway and whoever else is lined up as we head along our merry way in the weeks to come.There will be specific requirements here and there as we go along but there are a number of things we need to master readily and early.We all know what these things are but its always the execution that lets teams down. The least of the 32 in this comp.knows what they need to do to progress in the c’ship …to get to the provincial final and will also know how to approach the big knobs but as we know the bazaar gets in their way and ensures that they don’t need to worry about anything beyond their first or sec game!
Mc Guiness’s five point plan is based on what he supposes to be galvins carefully thought out strategy . The strategy is based on a number of abilities which his team has in its arsenal. Funny thing is they haven’t changed much since we first encountered them under Galvin!
1…kick out …possession. We know this!
2….smart transfer of ball….whether it involves running or kick…no running daft into tackles and the kick finds the proper space. We’ve known this!
3…..And in this space knowing and able scorers negotiate with the score board!!
4…..presence of experienced sweeper when required. It’s not new!
5……players are fit and know what’s happening on the field at all times and can take responsibilities without having to go home and come back again.
So, all we have todo is nothing other than what we had to do two years ago or whenever. Unfort we weren’t up to it then. We let them have the ball.We were below par in transfer.We didn’t make scoring space efficiently enough. Our cover at the back was lacking in the face of the kinds of forward plays we were confronted with.Our overall team cohesion and shape was not what was needed.. And yet we did nearly enough to win our big games.
These must be wonderful times in the camp for players and management as they plan the next big move forward. I hope these will be remembered as the times when those essential elements were put in place which made all the difference in bringing home to Mayo for the first…….!!! …including tall twins up front… a no. 6 taken to task. You are right McG ….but sure what else is there???
Plenty of time to think about the Dubs.
Galway are very quiet on a lot of fronts in Gaelic football. Too quiet for my liking. It would be wise to remember that they have 9 All Ireland titles under their belts and lie third overall in the grand scheme of placings.
Much better to focus on them and leave the likes of Dublin on the back burner for the time being.
And you are bang on there JPM. A look back over the archives, thanks to the Boss will sorely remind us of what shocking times we have had with so many memorable players and teams! Is it any wonder that some of us want to blather on and on while the going is good?
But I agree, they need to plan for each game as it comes and leave the rosymantics to the likes of you and I who, as my father used to say probably wouldn’t kick a herring off a tongs!!
We have been involved in the championship in late August/Sept for the past five years. If we want to reach the end of Sept with Sam in our possession that is what we need to concentrate on. If a plan to beat Dublin, the favourites for Sam 2016, is likely to be successful it will beat Galway in June and whoever else comes along in July/early August.
Galway’s nine All Irelands are as relevant in 2016 as our three or Roscommon’s two are.
Just a thought as ‘We’ all wonder how to beat the Dubs. What are they thinking in Kerry?.
Is it not more likely more likely that they have a plan? I would prefer to beat Kerry in the All Ireland. Kerry seem to adapt to the opposition.
Hope to watch the Galway match on Sky Sports in Paddy Power or someplace but with the Eoro on – maybe not. It is far too much hassle and expense to go to Castlebar on a Saturday night for the Live action. Twitter will provide enough excitement for me.
Waiting for the Quarter Final or if need be a Qualifer. I know you will all keep me posted on what went right and wrong. Also i like to read James Horan and the other papers take a similar perspective.
I’ll be happy with a win. Ciaran 2.
Can’t disagree with you [JPM and Inbetweener] in relation to the necessary focus on Galway. They should always be respected and we’ll a decent performance to progress to the provincial final.
Having said that, I really don’t believe all is well there. Lundy has not made himself available and O’Cuarain has left the panel. They’re a division two team and if we have any aspiration of taking down the top teams, we need to be confident in dispatching our neighbours.
This time of the year is intriguing in many ways as teams are keen to bring some training patterns to the game environment but don’t want to give too much away. There’s no question we’re planning for August. We just need to make sure no chances are taken in getting there.
McGuinness hasn’t said anything that most observers of football don’t already know. My approach is to have a variety of attacking strategies and keep the opposition guessing.
I think Tomas o shea was spot on when he identified Cluxton as the key. Find a way to screw up his kickouts and you’re half way there. But that’s easier said than done.
Cluxton fell apart for ten minutes in the drawn game against us last year. His reaction to the equaliser is really interesting. He rushes out to place the ball, can’t identify an early runner and dribbles the ball out to a Mayoman.
He can definitely be rattled but I’m not sure the high press can be maintained for the full game.
Rock, well spotted there. Cluxton shit himself in the drawn game and as the clock hits 69.57 it becomes obvious. The guy next to him on the ground treating an injured player knows it too by the way!!
A similar thing happened in the 1990 world cup to a well known player in a game v Rep of Ireland when he stretched for a ball.
the Mayo team will respect Galway, as they do every team they play but will be going in expecting a result.
Galway are an average side, who have been average for a long time. They are a div 2 team and thats their level. Thats not disrespectful, its just stating the obvious based on their past results and their form this year, no number of past All Irelands will change that. Galway will come out all guns blazing at the start but they are simply not on Mayos level and I would expect Mayo to pull away and win by a comfortable margin, 7+ points.
Regarding Dublin, pressing Cluxtons kickouts is the way to go, thats no secret. I thing we are in a better position this year to put sustained pressure on him due to improved mobility in the forward unit. The introduction of Regan with Loftus and COC gives us more pace in the forwards to pick up men and add pressure to kickouts.