You don’t really need a reminder about this but, in case you’ve been hiding under a rock somewhere for the last while, the Round 1 qualifier draw takes place tomorrow morning.
For reasons I’ve never fully fathomed, the qualifier draws have found a resting place on RTÉ Radio One’s Morning Ireland show. This means that it’s there, after the 8.30am news bulletin, that the Round 1 draw will take place tomorrow morning.
It’s an open draw, with no prohibited pairings, and so it’s in the lap of the gods as to which of the other seven teams in the pot with us we’ll get paired with then.
I’ve just closed the poll that was running here on the blog for most of the last week which tested the waters on who our preference might be in tomorrow morning’s draw. Not surprisingly, Louth – whom we’ve only met the once before in the Championship, in the 1950 All-Ireland final – came out on top but next came Tyrone, which I have to say rather baffled me. Do we really want to face them in Round 1? Is this some kind of death wish on our part? I really have no idea.
Meath are, according to the poll, our third preference so this means that we have in the past met all of our top three preferred counties in the All-Ireland final at some point, as well, of course, as fifth preference Cork.
Me? It’s got to be Louth, all the way. Followed by Limerick in Round 2, which should provide us with a more untroubled passage into the All-Ireland Series than we’d have got had we stayed up on the horse in Connacht.
But, of course, we didn’t stay the distance in Connacht and so we’re in the hat in the morning’s qualifier draw. Here’s hoping for the most favourable pairing possible for us then.
We’ll have instant reaction to the qualifier draw tomorrow morning on the podcast, with a special post-draw pod available to club members on Patreon shortly after the draw has been made. Stay tuned for that.
Too many good teams there. Hopefully, Mayo can do themselves proud in the next round, even if they do go out.
I will be tuning in to the radio (and podcast) in the morning. I was obsessed by them draws in previous years but it all feels a bit weary and exhausting now. Losing the last three important games, the mounting injuries, no word from management….
Any word on the result of the challenge match with cavan?
We lost mayomanindublin. Not end of world. Lots of big guns missing including whole FF line from Galway game. Hennelly played a bit
I agree WJ we need a morale boosting win to get us back on track. Year on year Mayo would expect to reach an AL Qfinal at least. And after reach last 2 AL finals tht is not an unrealistic expectation. Even if Covid distorted things we till got to the last 2 finals and we dont become a bad team in a few months. Yes we are well off Kerry and it would seem Dublin on current form but we should fear no one else.
In 2020 Connacht final we got a very lucky one point win over Galway. This year they got a one point win over us. Nothing in it 2020 and we went on to AL…nothing in it in 2022…have faith and hope…
I don’t know about a death wish Willie Joe, re a Tyrone draw in the morning.. Sure all of them are equally possible and Home or Away.. A Home Draw on a pristine surface would be a good result for us regardless… I wish it was April First, and someone was giving me all this bad news as regards even more injuries was just a bad joke.. I think my own head might just fall off with all the times I have shook it in disbelief at news of yet another injury in the past two months!
I think we will get Tyrone!
It will be Cork.
Interesting you mention the full forward line from the Galway game not playing @Paddy Ban. No shock on Ryan, but you’d have thought Cillian would need minutes more than anyone and Jason looked a little less than match sharp too.
Not exactly the prep we’d be hoping for.
Fingers crossed for the draw.
All feels a bit weary compared to other years …
Think it’s the injuries as well as the defeats that have the interest levels lower than normal..
Hard match, but can’t really complain. Will do well to get through.
Mayo supporters need to get behind the team and fill McHale Park!
It’s not bad tbh , we will know our worth that’s for sure . We really need to sell tickets for this , home advantage is big if we can make an atmosphere
Tough game. Good to be at home for it rather than travelling to Clones. If we can’t beat one of Galway or Monaghan at home then we can’t have any complaints. Armagh-Tyrone also one to look forward to.
Will this be on Sat or Sun do ye think?
We need supporters to play their part now aswell.
Remember the atmosphere is Machale Park for the Donegal game in the super 8s,that was amazing and drove the lads on.
I’m confident, Monaghan have gone backwards and I don’t rate their manager at all.In recent times when we’ve played Monaghan at home or away we’ve beaten them more often than not.
Also important to remember that Mayo in Castlebar was the the draw all the other teams didn’t want.