The team to play Cork in our League Division One match on Sunday has just been named. Here it is:
Mayo (NFL Division One v Cork, 31/1/2016): Robbie Hennelly (Breaffy); Brendan Harrison (Aghamore), Ger Cafferkey (Ballina Stephenites), Shane McHale (Knockmore); Lee Keegan (Westport),Caolan Crowe (Garrymore), Shane Nally (Garrymore); Tom Parsons (Charlestown Sarsfields), Jason Gibbons (Ballintubber); Kevin McLoughlin (Knockmore), Aidan O’Shea (Breaffy), Diarmuid O’Connor (Ballintubber); Evan Regan (Ballina Stephenites), Donal Vaughan (Ballinrobe), Jason Doherty (Burrishoole).
So, then, looking back to our most recent competitive fixture – last September’s All-Ireland semi-final replay against Dublin – there are six changes. In come Brendan Harrison, Shane McHale, Shane Nally, Caolan Crowe (the two Garrymore players making their League debuts), Jason Gibbons and Evan Regan, out go Keith Higgins, Chris Barrett, Colm Boyle, Seamus O’Shea, Barry Moran and Cillian O’Connor .
The above team also contains just six survivors from our last meeting with Cork, which was also in the League at Páirc Uí Rinn last March. These are Ger Cafferkey, Lee Keegan, Tom Parsons, Kevin McLoughlin, Aidan O’Shea and Jason Doherty.
Sunday’s team will be captained by Lee Keegan.
Best of luck to everyone selected to play on Sunday, in particular the two NFL debutants, and also to Stephen Rochford and his colleagues ahead of our first competitive outing of 2016.
Show your support for the team ahead of the new season: play the Mayo GAA Players Welfare Fund Lotto – here. Current jackpot is €7,200.
That’s some line up. Really looking forward to seeing how Donal Vaughan works out at 14
He’s likely to be a ‘false’ 14! He was nominally named there against Ros but spent most of the time further out the field. I’d expect to see AOS in nearer their goal.
A very strong middle eight named. We should own any long kickouts. Thats a brave and interesting defence, especially at half back.
Vaughan will likely fall back.
Good stuff , well capable , really looking forward to it now. FB line could be in for a right tester though.
A stronger and more experienced line up than Cork. I will stick with my prediction of a Mayo win by a point or two.
Looking forward to the match a very physically strong team but I do fear we maybe a little slow in fullback line but as I say it’s as tall and big of team as we have fielded in a while.
Little disappointed Conor Loftus not starting but excited to see Regan play. He will need to be scorer in chief. I’m struggling to see where all the scores will come from but if our fullback line isn’t exposed for pace then we will be hard score against as very strong.
Hope keegan picks up Kerrigan again as he really is a top player
Liking the look of that team – a nice blend of newer faces and experience.
Dont like this team at all but accept newcomers have to be tried.
Fan of Nally but not sure if any of the rest of newcomers will survive.
Best wishes to Shane and Caolan on their national league debuts and to Evan on what hopefully will be his first full senior game in a Mayo jersey in almost three years.
Now that is a interesting line up! Big chance for Harrison, Mchale, Crowe and nally. Places up for grabs, especially fullback line. Good enough to win for sure!
It’ll be interesting to see how our defence will get on as you could say that we only have two of our regular defenders playing, Lee and Caff. I wonder is Colm Boyle injured as it would have been nice to have him in there too. 3 newbies and 3 regulars might have been a better balance. In saying that he is a good man to have on the bench, if he is not injured, as with black cards and injuries etc. now been part and parcel of our game, he will be a great man to bring on. I can’t really think of anyone else that could or should be involved based on the no. of players that we have missing etc. Best of luck to all involved!
Keegan captain for league I wonder best of luck Mayo.
Really delighted for Shane and Caolan, two honest hardworking lads who have been largely responsible for the resurgence in Garrymore Fortunes.
Now that they have been given their overdue chance they must take it. I believe Shane will show his distribution skills with his long left footed clearances. Caolan is teak tough and I hope he plays his natural game and doesn’t get dragged into a man marking role on Kerrigan.
Club Allegiance aside, I hope Evan Regan gets through the game and he could develop into a super finisher.
Can’t wait to travel down to Cork, it’s always a little more special when you have some clubmen to cheer on
Great to see Crowe, Harrison and Nally named. But I have no idea what they are doing with Vaughan. He was running around like a headless chicken in the forwards against Roscommon. I hope they have a better plan for him
Hope they know what they are doing in the backs, if thats how they will line out.
Concerned, but hopeful!!!!!
It’s always exciting to see what kind of a team is named in these kinda circumstances. Of course given the circumstances this is more or less what most would put out tomorrow.
I wonder did C Boyle get a hurt that day in Cbar!
I’m wishing S McHale well in the corner with Hurley hanging around. Also fair sailing to all the newcomers and I hope they all come through in good health.
We possibly could get a fair amount of ball around the middle which would be handy.
And yes,Vaughan will be out and about leaving a nice bit of space behind him!
So, lead on Lee Keegan and good luck.
Now that the team is named I an looking foward to it. I will be leaving Roscommon at 2pm tomorrow.Was in Killarney this time last year when Evan got injured. Hope he does well on Sunday.
Interesting team, that’s all I can say. Didn’t see Crowe coming and McHale at LFB suggests management are going for a no frills set up.
I can’t predict at all how they will set up, but that’s what I want the new management to do; things I didn’t think of!
Bring it on
I am happy with 3 of the backs. Other 3 to prove themselves. Midfield good forwards good. Well done management.
Happy enough with that team but I would like to see subs named to get the full picture. Hopefully Colm Boyle is in the subs as its nice to have a reliable fall back if things are not going according to plan. I would have liked to see Freeman starting but with him being just back from holidays it might be a bit soon. Good luck to all, with any reasonable luck they are capable of taking the two points.
Good luck to the lads! Will be great to get back to competitive ball.
Anyone know who’s on the bench ?
Great to see Leeroy as captain ?
Catcool, did you buy your match ticket yet ? There is a st holder over on Twitter based in Dublin looking to get her ticket scanned if you didn’t .
I’v been thinking that Jason Doherty in the full forward line is partly to do with opposition kickouts. Could be an innovative way of putting some pressure on short kickouts. Jason is all wirey brawn and elbows, a great tackler.
Plenty height in this team which I like. The middle eight is on average 6’1″ across the eight. A shorter guy like Keegan is a powerhouse. So it’s a team very suited to wet heavy ground. I really can’t see them beating us in the middle of the pitch. We’re taller/stronger and have simply better players in almost all of the eight positions.
Thanks Sean – my brother has a freebie for me as it happens – he just texted me before I booked!
Could this be the year Harrison makes that position his own?
Hard to know with Brendan Harrison. Hasnt had all that long a run. Is it ten games? Bits here and there off the bench.
Yet to see him crunch someone or make a big Block. Waiting on his ‘moment’ or his ‘game’ that really smashes the door down.
True JP. He seems to pace but needs for game time to show himself. His younger brother seems an excellent player too.
[Deleted]. Good luck to all involved especially newcomers. Crowe and Nally have been knocking on the door so now is there chance to burst through. Id like to see someone nail down chb position. A solid player with good distribution and the garrymore men certainly have those attributes.
Here we go again. I’m taking the trip down on Sunday more in hope then anything else. Based on that team with no pre season silverware ( even though it doesn’t matter ) against a team that does , I wouldn’t fancy our chances but all the best to the lads non the less. In oder to impress big preformence needed from the debut boys.
Delighted with the team selection. Best wishes to Leeroy and the boys. Harrison for me is a fine defender and just needs game time. McHale, Gibbons not back to where they used to be at club level, but they need serious game time. Delighted to see Vaughan at 14. I would only consider him in a 9 to 15 place on any team. I think he has all the attributes of an excellent alternate 14. Nally and Crowe are great club men thrown in the deep end here, and this is where they will make their mark. My only worry is for Evan Regan. Nice player that most supporters have not seen playing yet, but there is a huge amount of expectation built up around him from underage days or somewhere that I have been missing out on. Hype is not his fault but it is rarely a good thing. Similar situations emerging around some of the emerging U21 players. Best wishes to Stephen and his team Great times ahead.
I dunno about Vaughan as a forward. Bar one game for Ballinrobe 3 years ago I dont recall him playing well or even much as a forward.
He has got forward coming onto ball. But as a forward you will collect a lot of yet ball with back to goal. You are tightly marked.
Given his lack of a quick first ten yards I dont see him as a forward. He’s not able to catch high ball, so I dont see how he’d get enough posession. I expect him to drop back down the pitch.
Evan Regan has played well in his overall game time on all teams he has represented.
I only recall one scoreless game at u21 three years ago. It’s not hype, it’s the just the logic of looking at his scoring, he’s left footed, he can kick frees, he gets goals, he’s been a leader at Sigerson and Mayo division one level.
Vaughan will float back as a sweeper. I like the balance of the side given the players we’re missing at the moment. We’re trying a few guys out and now is the time to do it. We’ve probably been a little too conservative in this respect over the last few campaigns.
Totally agree with jp re Evan Regan . I’d love to see a ff line eventually with AOS on the square Evan one side and Conor loftus the other with Cillian moving out to the 40 to supply them .
Vaughan is not a forward in the conventional sense which is about a lot of sensible running to make space,gain possession,tie into a pattern,score regularly and defend when required.
He’s def not in that mode. If he’s to be used he’s best given a roaving commission around the middle and half back to mop up and initiate and move forward with a movement. He can cover ground when he gets going and has scored a bit in that role but prob not as much as he should.
He’s more than likely in for tomorrow on a short term basis…he will be monitored!
I’m wishing big time for Regan to make his mark over the first few games….what an addition himself and Lotfus would make if they could show that they both have what’s needed at this level!
Guys – I’m marvelling at the speculation as to how, we are going to play, who, where, and so on. I haven’t a clue.
Finally got my booking sorted – 9am Aircoach express from Dublin.
Hon Mayo, let’s get this show on the road!
toughnup – I’ve deleted that bit in your comment where you’ve named a player and made the claim that “he’s not county standard”. It’s one of the oldest rules on this site that making a lazy-minded, generalised comment like this about a specific player isn’t allowed here. Please bear in mind for future reference.
Liam Hayes Daily Mail has predicted we will be relegated along with Down.
Safe driving to all the mighty Mayo supported traveling to Cork, Today Sat outs not great driving conditions very cold hail stones and so on. Tomorrow will be a little better golf by the forecast Not making the trip myself, Might be giving the season ticket to a neighbor to get it scanned. A utile disappointed to see Freeman hereby made the starting 15. But the very best of luck to Rochy (as Big Aiden referes to him) and the Mayo team. 2 points would be a great start.
Decent team. I feel for Ronaldson though.
I like Keith Duggan’s line in the Irish Times, we have a team good enough to win the All-Ireland title but not a squad good enough. The first step in changing that happens tomorrow. The last two years it was the players that Dublin and Kerry brought off the bench that beat us.
i would not take much heade of liam hayes rita. He said some years ago Andy Moran was to slow and not good enough and he ended up with an all star that year.
Ah sure Liam Hayrs is only giving an opinion, don’t think much of his opinion but it’s all speculation. Myself I think we will be OK. You know we cold win the league. After the 6 the Feb we will have two Coens available. What a fixtures balls up that is Mayo V All Ireland champions Dublin in Castlebar. And ttwo of our clubs take in action oin Croker the same day. Good luck to both Ardnaree and Hollymount/Caramore next Sat. We will have to wait about 6 weeks longer for the Mitchles men to come back into the squad. With a bit of luck all our club teams will be Victor’s. The championship is played in summer Mayo will have some pick. Remember it will be 3 years since Mayo last won the minor All Ireland. Micheal Hall plus one or two more might just be mature enough to give Mayo another injection of talent. I’m absurdly certain that Mayo’s Panel is good enough to lift Sam whatever Kieth Dugan writers!
Liam Hayes has a definate dislike for the Red and Green. Mark my words by the end of 2016 these so called experts will be calling for Mayo to be split in two. Believe.
Good luck to the team.In cork tonight but not hopeful.It is difficult to get balance right in trying new players and yet getting off to good start so we stay up or better.
Think Backs a little light on experience and could cost them.
That said hoping Im wrong and we wallop them.
Really excited that we are back in action again. Looking forward to another fantastic year following the Green and Red. As usual we are starting with an experimental team back boned by a lot of experience players. Wishing the new lads all the best and a special word to Evan Regan, Was in Killarney last year and witnessed his unfortunate injury. Was shaping up very well before that so expecting great things from him. I am expecting some thing different tactically this year in how we play from the new management set up and more of a long ball game. Winning the league would be nice but maintaining Div 1 status is crucial. Looking forward to our games with Ros as nice to have a bit of local rivalry in the league. I expect Galway to return to Div this year as not missing any club players from the start. A bit early to talk about the championship but no reason we can’t go a long way again this year. Won’t make it to Cork as other sporting engagement in Donegal. Will be in McHale Park for the visit of the Dubs. Thanks WJ for providing this excellent forum to air our views.