It’s Mayo News time again, hombres. Here’s Mike Finnerty’s upbeat match report from Sunday and here’s a good in-depth assessment from Sean Rice about how each of the players fared. His comments about how BJP, Trevor Howley, Seamus O’Shea and Mickey Mullins performed are fairly encouraging and he also notes that the whole team was a lot more physical than it’s been in the past. Here’s to belting! If it’s scelping we want, why don’t we go the whole hog and add Peter Ford to the backroom team?

Here’s an interview with new captain Ronan McGarritty who, amongst other things, says that the priority for the league is to “stay up and get a settled team”. That’s good to hear: as I’ve said before, we shouldn’t get too upset about losing league games this year once it’s in the cause of building a settled team for the championship. Ronan obviously agrees with me – that’s good, we’re going to get along just fine.

And here’s another piece from Mike Finnerty, where he talks to Johnno about love, life and the FBD. Johnno says that, because it’s the Sheepstealers on Sunday, we’ll be a bit more revved up. Sez he: “The first two games were against colleges and for some reason they just don’t evoke the same passion and interest in supporters. I’m expecting a bigger crowd and more energy around Sunday’s game.” He confirms that the same group of players that have been used over the first two games will feature against the Rossies – where’s Pat Kelly by the way? He was supposed to be playing in the FBD – and he gives these lads every incentive to perform well by saying that some of them are “very much in contention” for starting places in the Derry game.

The same report says that there’s a challenge game against Westmeath arranged for the 26th (a Saturday evening, under lights) at Ballinrobe, which will be the first time that the whole squad will be available to play and which will provide a good lead-in to the opening NFL clash with Derry (also under lights) the following weekend.

Johnno also discusses in this report his “charity” bet of €1000 on the lads for this year’s All-Ireland at 20/1. Sounds like one for the Mahon Tribunal, if you ask me. It’s also one that should send economists scurrying to their textbooks to consider whether or not this is a case of adverse selection (or should that be moral hazard?)

Enough of that. In other news, I see that Kilkelly’s own Frank Harrington has been named as Mayoman of the Year. Well done, Frank, on this long-overdue award.

That’s about it. Oh: before I forget – the third season of Prison Break returns to RTE 2 at 9pm tonight.