We’ve just drawn Galway in the preliminary round of next year’s Connacht championship, just like we did the year after our last All-Ireland appearance. And as was the case in 2007, we’ll be facing them on their home patch in Salthill. Hopefully this time it’ll produce a a different outcome to the one that befell us that day.
The only way is up……chin chest boot and ball.
Delighted with that draw. We should fear nobody and welcome three competitive matches before the All Ireland 1/4 final.
The intensity of these matches will help to prepare for the business end of the season.
Bring it on I say.
Galway in the first round? That’ll do. No sense in having it easy!
The Connacht Council sure gave us the scenic route if we are to get out of Connacht in 2013 for a first 3 in a row since 1950. Maybe we should have cobbled a team together to go to New York this week. Galway the year after we play in The All Ireland Final have tripped us up in the past. 1990, 1998, 2005 and 2007. They’ll fancy an ambush in Salthill again. On the plus side, if we get through the province we’ll be battle hardened for the All Ireland series. Thats for another day. First we can plan for a summer Sunday by Galway Bay.
Sooner it starts the better !!!!!
Thats enough to keep everyones mind focused over the winter. Looking forward to it already! What date is it?
The dates won’t be nailed down for a few weeks yet I reckon but going on previous experience I’d say we can expect it to take place in late May.
Thank god we got a real tough draw, the only way Mayo will win AI is the hard way. It might also stop lads moaning about the co board/ tickets/ fundraising/ James Horan/ weather/ government etc etc etc.
The more games the better and mayo should be even stronger next year to meet all challengers in Connaught. My only gripe is the joke of a traffic system in Galway on game day. hours to get out of the place.
Need to find a few players. Look seriously at bringing lads home. Time to get real. Good lads abroad in Australia,England and U.S.
Also need to sort out proper backroom team. Our injury list much higher than other counties.
Its a great draw, looking forward to May already. Team will be battle hardened come August. No fear in going to Pearse, we will get a good game but out expectations for 2013 are higher than either Galway or Roscommon. It will be a tour of our Connacht venues, Salthill, Castlebar and the final in Hyde again.
Prenty had big smile on face after the draw does he know something we don’t?
The dates won’t be nailed down for a few weeks yet I reckon but going on previous experience I’d say we can expect it to take place in late May.
May 19th i’m hearing the semi final three weeks later June 9th
Mayo can only plan for the preliminary round now. Talk of a semi final place and date only after victory. Remember the Rossies were looking forward to a final spot against us in Castlebar in July 2012. We all know where that dream ended. Galway in Salthill that will focus the minds, get over that fence first.
Of the last 6 finals we got to, we had a minimum of 3 games in Connacht,except for this year. This is a tough draw no doubt,but if we are talking of winning an AIF,like we should, we need those kind of games.Remember in 89, we had 4,Ros and Galway plus 2 replays,and they brought us on a tonne.Just wish it was next week, not next May.Its going to be a long winter.
Everyone here seems very up beat about the draw, I’m not so sure, that’s a very tough draw and should we be lucky enough to keep winning, will make for a very long season. On the plus side it will shift the focus away from loosing the AIF and give James and the boys plenty to chew on over the winter.
Who ever said Connacht was an easy Province to come out of ? It sure as hell won’t be next year ….
Defeat in Salthil and early exit from the championship is likely going by our qualifier tradition. Galway are in good spirits and planning ahead already . You heard it hear first remember, Galway will take us handy in Salthill,
Sean,
Do you do the lottery numbers as well? I would really appreciate next Saturdays ASAP.Thanks
Looking forward to the Irish Independent and Martin lashing Kerry and Cork out of it for the pass into the last 8/12. Kerry take out Tipp, Cork do likewise with Limerick and they fight for a quarter final or last 12 spot in the knockouts. Mayo never left the back page over this the season gone by because they drew Leitrim and Sligo.
The draw is boring and predictable, ask Tipp, they play Kerry every year. Already I can pick out the nine of the last 8 to 12, i.e the knockout stages. Kerry, Cork, Dublin, Meath, Armagh, Sligo, Donegal, Tyrone and Kildare. That leaves three spots to be fought or between Galway, Mayo and Roscommon, Derry, Derry, Monaghan, Down, Laois, Wexford….those being the main contenders.
We are where we are. Galway cannot stay as poor as they have been for the last number of years. Roscommon may have a Mr O Mahony on board. If they do and going on his previous record of kick starting Mayo (first time out), Leitrim and Galway then I would expect Roscommon with its fine record at U21 and minor over the last few years to shake a team or two.
I see Mayo taking the back door. I base this on the 1996 scenario where a great team did so well. The next year despite reaching a final we had seriously regressed. We would need to buck the history trend if we are to kick on looking at 1986,90,98,05,07. Despite a feeling that we have much solved and the addition of a big forward or two , I actually see us with problems still at 3, 6, 11 and 14.
But history is there to be made and challenged. Much can happen between now and then.
Slightly off topic, but have managers for minor and U21 been decided yet? When you look at the way Dublin nationally and Ros locally are setting the bar at these levels, we need to bring some continuity to our underage structures.
Look at the way DUB teams from minor up all play with the same style as pointed out by Dara O Shea in his column.
We need to be grooming youngsters with the right stuff all the way up and not be left with a group like Ray Dempsey complained about in his parting shot from the U21 post this year.
A team that had appeared in AI finals at minor had no fight against Ros and he couldn’t seem to instill any into them.
Is hanley going back to oz? If not he could fix a problem we have with..great Target man. Kg have a chat please…
A GOOD OLE TOUGH CHAMPIONSHIP DRAW AN TH,S WAT WE NEED[IT STOOD TO THE DUNNYS THE LAST 2YRS AN THEY GOT THEIR REWARD EVEN IF WE MADE IT EASY FOR THEM AT THE LAST HURDLE] IF THERE IS ANY GO IN THIS TEAM TO GO TO THE NEXT LEVEL[SAM] THA IS THEY WILL GO THRU THE FRONT GATE BY BEATING THE HERRING CHOKERS IN SALTHILL ,THE SHEEPSTEALERS IN CASTLEBAR AND THE MAGPIES IN THE CONN. FINAL ABOVE IN THE DUMP. WAS NEV. AS DEPRESSED BEFORE A CONN. FINAL IN ALL I,V GONE TO AS THIS YEAR ABOVE AROUND ROSS. TOWN BEFORE THE MATCH, MAYBE SOMETHING TO DO WITH RECESSION BUT IT WAS DIRE, NO BUZZ NOTHING, A BIG WAKE AN AS SOON AS FINAL WHISTLE COUD,T WAIT TO GET OUT AN HIT FIRST STOP BALLYHAUNIS WERE THEIR WAS SOME LIFE..A GOOD LEAGUE AGAIN IS REQUIRED AN BLOOD,N AFEW LADS ON THE PANEL… BACK DOOR , FORGET ABOUT IT…
Caps lock Johno? & since when did Ballyhaunis have some life to it?
John
I wouldn’t be happy with Mayo simply taking back doors…….certainly if we have to, but it’s important that we give the CC a real shot……………….If we deal with the Galway threat (…and I welcome it as our first round clash….get straight in to it), then we should aim to win Connacht and progress from there. Apart from anything else, I think it’ll give us a 44 to 43 CC title tally against the Tribesmen…..If we’re not winning AIFs…yet…..to me it’s important that we hold our stature against the other big side in the province.
I’m going to post this message under two different headings. This and the Championship draw.
I’m incensed. All this talk about how Galway cant be as bad as they were against Antrim and the Rossies, under new management ,will kick on from their under age achievements.
Well, if that is your train of thought, then why aren’t you saying that Mayo will be a wounded animal from their ALL IRELAND defeat and wipe the floor with the opposition??
Its time Mayo people became proud of how well our county has done, we are all too quick to scruitinise our defeats.
Mayo came second in the League last year, FACT!
Mayo came second in the All Ireland last year, FACT!
Christ above, I was at Croker a few short weeks ago and every Donegal man, woman and child was confident of them winning,not because they had a history of success over the last number of years, not because they had a great understanding of the game, not because the press was saying so, but simply because they believed.
Forget past failures simply look at where the current team and management have risen to. Is 3 in a row possible? Too right it is because the only way we wont achieve this is if we dont believe. I have kids and teach them that they can achieve whatever they want, the only person that we stop them from achieving what they want is them.
Mayo fans really need to learn how to walk with their chest out and truely believe that what we set our minds to is achievable. We have achieved more than most and we will join that top table this year, give me one positive reason why we wont?
10 allstars nominations for mayo against 0 for rest of connaught,tell me again why we should fear or respect galway,ross or any county in the game.they should fear us.cant wait
Mayo2012…. Wat i meant was it had more life to it[ballyhaunis] than rosscom. town had on conn. final day and that was,t to hard for it..
Well said ‘st pats oldie’…….
Jesus hanley be a silly man not to come back to Aus. He was 3rd in there best and fairest for the year.. Sum all round player..