The week ahead

Willie Joe
Image: @MayoGAA

Monday’s almost done with on a week that’s set to be one of increasing excitement, anticipation and, no doubt, nervousness for Mayo fans everywhere. Yes folks, it’s finally a game week with the countdown now well and truly on ahead of our opening League match on Saturday against Down.

One of the by-products of our relegation from the League’s top tier last year is that we’ll get less airtime for this campaign. One of our matches – the Westmeath one – is on Eir Sport but we won’t be getting a look in on RTE or TG4 and there’ll be less attention given to us in the national papers as well.

That’s all as it should be. We didn’t do enough to retain our spot in Division One and it’s now up to us to force our way back up again. In one sense, it’s nice to be out of the limelight for a while, though I can’t imagine – given all they’ve written about us over the last decade – that we’ll be ignored completely over the coming weeks.

There’ll be plenty of match-related coverage, of course, of both the build-up post-game variety, in the locals starting from tomorrow. As it happens, I’m in the west myself at the minute and so tomorrow I’ll be gorging on paper copies of all that’s available locally.

Then coming on Wednesday is our Down preview episode of the Mayo News football podcast. That’ll feature voices from both sides of the fence and will, as always, be worth a listen.

Then – maybe Thursday, perhaps on Friday – we should be getting a team announcement. I think I’ll have to lie down after the excitement of that.

Finally we get to Saturday and not one but two Mayo matches to follow. With stunning synchronicity, the footballers get underway at MacHale Park at the same time as the hurlers get going against Roscommon at Dr Hyde Park, with both games starting at 2pm.

Aren’t game weeks great? It’s so good to have the matches back on again.

37 thoughts on “The week ahead”

  1. I don’t we in Mayo can complain too much about TG4 coverage of our league games.. For the best part of the last two decades, TG4 have probably covered Mayo more than any other team, of course I didn’t get to see too many of those games on live TV, being at the vast majority games myself. .. Watching the hurling on TV the weekend, it was hard watching Westmeath getting a 30+ point hammering from Galway… Limrick and Tipperary was pretty good tough, and what a fantastic new Jersey, Limrick had, and the traditional hoop of Tipperary always looks good.. Wish I could say that about yet another new Mayo strip .. I had almost forgotten about the 4 quarters that breaks up the games, nowadays and probably will be that way for the foreseeable future… Can’t say that I am a fan but are definitely nessary for now, .. The Manor Uisce is temporarly out of a job, I’m sure he or she delivered more than water on occasion, the odd message sent from the sidelines as well, …Well done to the Mayo hurlers yesterday, captained by Kieth Higgins.. Looking forward to Down next weekend.

  2. So is it fair to say its midwest radio, or can mayo match be got on you tube channel

  6. Great to have the games back; while I’ll miss watching the Down match live on Saturday afternoon I can’t wait to see the green and red run out when I catch it later that night! It’ll be interesting to see the team for Saturday. With the limited preparation time you think it would have close to a Championship feel from the off. Will the Loftus\Ruane partnership get a second year at midfield? What will the full back line look like?

    I’m based in the U.K. so I have to say GAAGo is amazing value at €49 for 2021/2022 League, championship and televised club games as well.

  7. Culmore – you’re posting comments here long enough by now to know that “I’m hearing that” comments aren’t allowed. If you can point to links about what you say happened then fair enough but absent that you simply can’t use this site for this purpose, as you know full well. Needless to say, the conclusion you then go on to draw in your comment is the other side of ridiculous.

  8. Willie Joe since officially there was nobody at the game, there cant be any links but if you don’t like the truth then I will leave it there.

  9. Good to see Conor O’Shea return to the squad going by today’s article in Mayo news. He deserved that call up, best player for Breaffy by a country mile last year, hopefully this is his time to shine in the Green and Red, never thought we seen the best of him at half forward, would like to see him partner Matty Ruane at Midfield the weekend, hopefully this means the panel is open till the championship and we see a few more names that deserve a chance.

  10. Mayo21 I thought he hadn’t got the call up I’m glad to hear he has, if that’s the case I expect to see him with Mattie from the get go. Though I also expect Jack Carney to be tried out in midfield, I believe he has great potential. Given the short amount of time the team has had for preparation it could be a good platform to have Hennelly at no. 1 and the two boys in midfield and build from that. I think we’ve got some great talent to be tried out in our half forward line, I hope Darren McHale is given a chance, though I’m a big fan of Ryan O’Donoghue at centre-forward. I’d also hope to see Fionn McDonagh get back to his 2019 form, I feel he’s a huge addition up front. I wonder what role Leeroy will play this year? I’ve been a huge fan of Eoin O’Donoghue over the last few years and I’d love to see him given another shot at corner back and much prefer for Leeroy to be given a freer role and maybe rotate the half back line game on game given the amount of talent we have in that area. Despite many here feeling Mullin should either play half back or midfield I suspect Horan is going to stick with him in the full back line, for what it’s worth I think Mullin is well fit to play any position and the full back line as of now is definitely short in numbers.

  11. Culmore – reporters are allowed at matches and can file reports to which there may then be links. I have no problem with the truth but I do have a problem with the comment facility on the site being abused in the way you attempted to do so. It’s not as if you can claim that you don’t know the rules, you’ve been posting here for ages. That particular rule is a long-standing one and is there to prevent people posting all kinds of makey-uppey rumour-filled nonsense.

  12. Think Conor has matured since he was dropped 2 years ago, use to go out of games and put the head down on solo runs, he has all the things to be a top Inter County midfielder pace, height, athletic and can kick scores. Would still like to have seen Kieran King, Cian Hanley and another Goalie option in panel.

  13. Delighted to see that Conor O’Shea is back in the panel. While competition for a place on it is pretty fierce I thought he was always worth a spot – at least for the past five years or so. He has been one of Breaffy’s mainstays for a long time now. I’m not sure about the Loftus/Ruane partnership at midfield although they did quite well last year. But as teams get wise to them I think that as a combo they will struggle. With both Parsons and Seamie O’Shea retired I think there is need for a bit of beef – and bone – there.
    I saw Jack Carney playing in the Hogan Cup final for Westport CBS and was very impressed with him, thought he looked like a player we would see more of if he were committed. It seems he is committed. So I expect to see more of him.

  14. Just finished listening to Billy Joe and Chris Barrett on the podcast. It makes me think of how much we will miss Chris in the coming year, how much more he had to give but more so how much he has given. How much they, the departing gang, have given over the last ten or more years. Thank you, guys, over and over again. I think the legacy they leave after them will be absolutely huge.

  15. Agree Conor OShea was in good form last year. He was less passive, he was getting after the game, being more decisive, running straighter lines. He used have a habit of circling around away from the first defender and handpassing back to safety. Love to see him running hard lines into the defence receiving the ball going towards goal. Sometimes you need a big man to open up the defence by beating the first defender.

  16. Conor well worth another run judging by his club form. Has all the skills that are required for the job and needs to add the ambition to the package he already possesses. Breaffy played a lovely brand of open football v Westport in the round Robin series last year and I believe that gameplan suited their talents best. I only have his club form to go on but it tells me he should be on or near the team

  17. Any update of when the €25 gaago package goes on sale nothing on their website yet when you click into packages it’s just a website subscribe option?

  18. @Nally stand
    – go to the GAA go website
    – click on ‘packages ‘
    – scroll down to ‘pick n mix’
    – in the drop down selector change it to 5 events and it costs 25 euro
    5 matches would cover Mayo televised this year or at most 6 matches.

  19. Hi JP thanks for coming back when I click on packages in top menu there is no information on the page that loads only the footer info, so I’m at a loss as to where this info is and why it’s not displaying

  20. I’d hold on yet Nally Stand. Says on Gaago facebook page that it goes on sell tomorrow, Thursday. Best wait till then, to make sure you get the right deal.

  21. I’m having the same as you Nally Stand- i think what JP sees might be different if he’s based in another country.

  23. Try a different browser Nally stand. When I click on ‘packages I have a fresh page of scrollable content so it sounds like it didn’t load the page.

  24. Hi, At the risk of causing confusion. From what I can recall from the gaa website last week there is a 25euro package which covers hurling and football of about 54 games.

    I think it was to open today per GAAGO?

    Hang on 4 a bit yet.

    Impatience got the better ot me and paid for a 1 off v Down.

    Was at Inisfail gaa yesterday and a lot of people working in the quiet lane,Building and Cemetery. Lovely pitch.

  25. I changed to a different browser but still got no result when I clicked “packages”. I decided to buy the Down game but they told me there was better value to be got in their packages! So I am hanging on until tomorrow

  26. Ok I messaged via Twitter and they said it should be going up later so hopefully it’s just a timing issue – thanks to all who came back with suggestions etc!

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