Mayo Football and Hurling - Discussion pages

[Owenmoresider]

The IT is out the enniskeillen road isn't it?

Yep Mayo4Sam, keep on the Inner Relief Road til the turnoff for Manorhamilton/Enniskillen and it's on the left, opposite the Hospital.

[Mayo4Sam]

From reading the western it seems one of the matches was against the U-21s. MacDanger injured, doubtful for league start.
Pleanty of players been given a shot at the mo

[Cllr Willie Power]

I see that Mortimer was sent off for picking up two yellow cards in the first half of last night's O'Byrne Cup match....

One thing I meant to ask re: the Blue Stars v Dublin game. If it was supposed to be the best players in Dublin club football how come O'Neill didn't make the team? Bit surprising seeing as two of his fellow Countymen did.

[muscles magoo]

I see that Mortimer was sent off for picking up two yellow cards in the first half of last night's O'Byrne Cup match....

Correct, and both were for dissent....

[Tubberman]

From this week's Western. Huge panel of players involved at various levels at the moment.

Net cast far and wide in trawl for talent
By: Anthony Hennigan

AS MANY as 25 players not involved in last season's Mayo senior football panel are currently being monitored by the new management team as preparation for the upcoming FBD and Allianz football leagues gathers momentum.

Team boss John O'Mahony over-saw a trial game involving Mayo under 21 and senior selections at Ballyheane last Saturday morning as he continues to familiarise himself with a mixture of players, some tried, others untested, and in total, over 40 players have been assigned various forms of pre-season conditioning and training.


O'Mahony has confirmed to the Western People that a panel of 30 players to compete in Division 1a of the Allianz football league will not be finalised until the week before Mayo's opening round clash at home to Kerry on February 4th but that even then: "the door will not be closed on any players that may have been left out but who later prove to be good enough."


In the meantime, a selection of noteworthy talent from all corners of the county has been called up for assessment, including three players with past senior inter-county championship experience and as many as eight more of last year's successful U-21 panel.


From that victorious All-Ireland winning team, Aidan Campbell (Swinford), Tom Cunniffe, Sean Ryder (both Castlebar) Kenneth O'Malley (Ballinrobe), Ger Cafferkey (Ballina), Chris Barrett (Belmullet), Seamus O'Shea (Breaffy) and Mark Ronaldson (Shrule-Glencorrib) have all been contacted by Johno, thus joining their team-mates of last season (and already established senior panel-lists) Keith Higgins, Trevor Howley and Aidan Kilcoyne.


Declan Sweeney (Knockmore), Marty McNicholas (Breaffy), Gary Mullins and Paddy Navin (both Claremorris) are among the more familiar names to receive call ups for trial matches while three more members of beaten county senior finalists Ballaghaderreen are also in the shake up, namely James Kilcullen, Barry Kelly and Stephen Drake. Other newcomers include Mickey Mullins (Claremorris), a brother of Gary, Ballina's Enda Devenney and Eanna Casey, Kiltane duo Edmund Barrett and John Scanlon, Colm Forde (Aghamore), Enda Casey (Charlestown), Brendan Prendergast (Tourmakeady), Martin Keane and Colm Cafferkey (both Achill).


The aforementioned Prendergast was yesterday (Monday), named as the Connacht GAA Sportwriter's Personality of the month for December 2006.


"Of all the players we are currently working with, a number of them are operating at different categories in terms of the sort of training they are doing. Some of the under 21s are on weight programmes and are being monitored by us, others are involved in Sigerson Cup preparations and are not training full time but we're giving them assistance," disclosed O'Mahony.


"While we may be looking at some of these younger players with a more long-term outlook, that's not to say that if they show up well in the immediate future that they could not become involved in the league campaign. Even during the league it's likely that we'll be having trial matches on Saturday's for the players not involved the following day so they can all play their part in shaping their own destiny and their efforts should certainly help keep other players on their toes," continued the former All-Ireland winning boss.


Five members of the 2006 Mayo senior panel (John Healy, Colum Lyons, Stephen Carolan, James Gill and Pat Kelly) are not involved in the current set-up for a variety of reasons, however, Mayo's medical team are currently working hard with Ciaran McDonald and Pat Harte to try and help both players recover from back and shoulder injuries respectively.


"Ciaran's injury dates back to pre-All Ireland final time and we're monitoring his progress at the moment. It's important to get it right," concluded John, non-committal as to the likelihood of the Crossmolina man being ready for league duty next month.

[Tubberman]

I saw a bit of Laochra Gael on TG4 last night (the Dooley brothers) and they said that next week it will be about John O'Mahoney - at least I'm nearly sure that's what they said, or my Gaeilge is gone v bad!

[rosnarun]

maybe some of the knockmore heads might have an opinon on Declan Sweeney for full back has always looked a class player but has never found his position on the mayo team
any takers?

[AbbeySider]

Nice one Tubberman, I was checking the WP site all day waiting for it to update the sports section!

gotta be up pretty early in the morning etc etc 

To reiterate what I said in November:

JOM wont leave a stone unturned so there is hope.

[AbbeySider]

Last year I came on here and said that Mayo were 18-1 this time of year with PaddyPower for the All-Ireland.
I backed them each way so got half the odds back. It still didnt make up for losing the way we did. 
(apparently Cashmans bookmakers in cork were giving 33-1 last year and they are actually giving 16-1 at the moment!!)

Mayo are currently 12-1 (16-1 with Cashmans) for the All-Ireland. I think I will back them each way again because it is very possible that we will win Connaught, beat whoever we meet in the back door, and beat the winners of Ulster (probably Tyrone) in an All-Ireland Semi Final.

My prediction is that Kerry will come out of Munster and beat Dublin in their AISF so we could be meeting them again IF we get that far.

I wont predict what will happen in the AIF because there is too many conditions in my statement.

Am I being too much of an optimist?




BTW
16-1 with Cashmans are an excellent bet each way.

Im looking at their odds... He has to be taking the piss
(http://www.cashmans.ie/antipost/gaa1.html)

Kerry 7-4
Tyrone 3-1
Dublin 6-1
Armagh 13-2
Cork 14-1
Mayo 16-1

Cork and Armagh favorites over us ?

[An Gaeilgoir]

Cant see why we are at 16-1. Tyrone, i'm not so sure about this year,a bit past it in my opinion. Besides Kerry, we can match anyone else,especially Cork and Armagh, but then again you never see a poor bookie! Glad to see Brendan Prendergast getting his award. Its great for us smaller clubs. Roll on the Intermediate Semi-Final!

[stephenite]

Think the odds are fair enough, let's be honest, we had a favourable draw last year. It was flagged by all and sundry that whoever won Connacht had a damn good chance of getting to the final. If we had to play Armagh last season in the quarters that would have been the end of us I think.
Dublin were on a hiding to nothing last year, however if Vaughan can step forward and give Brogan some support than the Dubs will not be far away this year, ditto Cork. Tyrone need McGuigan back to his best, if he's not 100% they might well struggle

[Mayo4Sam]

maybe some of the knockmore heads might have an opinon on Declan Sweeney for full back has always looked a class player but has never found his position on the mayo team
any takers?

Well he did actually, corner forward in the first championship match of 97, got injured after that but ya deccie is a class act, would like to see him given a go at full back alright

[dodo]

Declan Sweeney is too slow and immobile for county football. Has been given a run by every manager since 1951. What age is he at this stage ?

[Mayo4Sam]

Deccie is 30, hardly an old man & defo not immobile, if u dont mind me asking when was the last time u saw him play?

Not wanting to fall into the trap of a lot of posters here in going hell for leather defending my own clubman, i do have my reservations about whether he can still cut it but give him a chance to prove himself without writing him off

[An Gaeilgoir]

No doubt every player that is fairly close to county level will be given a run out in the next three weeks or so. But ability alone is not enough anymore. I think Mayo should look towards the younger brigade now who are proven winners on the national stage. A lot of the faces that have re-joined the panel have been tried before,some by a couple of different managers and they always come up short on the big day. Are four or five under-21s enough to be bringing into the squad at this stage? It always seems we are only looking towards "next year or two years max." and players who will be needed over the next 4 years are sitting on the side-lines,not getting this "blooding" experience.We should be laying down the foundations for the next 10 years with this team of u-21s.I know we need a mix of youth and experience, but there is too much "experience",in my opinion. John o has his work cut out i think. We need a total transformation of the mental make-up of this team,how many more times can we go to the well with the same men still playing in key positions,with the same frailties still there.