Maigh Eo v Ciarrai, 1700, 30ú Lúnasa, Gaelic Grounds

[thewobbler]

This is an intriguing prospect.

While I don't think it'll be a close game, i really don't know how to call it.

Mayo have been a bit dodgy all year, maybe playing at about 60-70% potential. But if they hit 80-90% of last year's form on Sunday, I reckon they'd wipe the floor with Kerry. They're simply a much better team on paper, and if they click, they're dynamite.

At 60-70%, and if Kerry hit a early goal or two, I reckon Horan's stint with Mayo would come to a rather inglorious end, with heads dropping everywhere, discipline going out the window, and a handful of retirements on the final whistle. It's proper sh1t or burst territory for this team now. They can't keep getting their hearts broken and not lose the plot.

Personally I hope it's the former. A confident and feisty Mayo is our only hope for a competitive AI final.

[larryin89]

If Mayo are unleashed, we will destroy that Kerry team. This holdin back craic is no addition at this stage of the championship and shouldnt of been a tactic in QF either.
Controlled performance my bollix go out and kill them for the whole 70 mins , 4 weeks to refuel ffs.

[Rossie11]

No Gooch, O'Sullivan, Sheehan to add to losses of Galvin and T O'Shea from last year. They are severely under strength.
Its a battle hardened experienced fully fit Mayo team V a young team missing all their leaders.

10/11 Mayo on that basis is a great price.
Mayo to beat Kerry by more than the Dubs beat Donegal...

[squire_in_navy_slacks]

If Mayo are unleashed, we will destroy that Kerry team. This holdin back craic is no addition at this stage of the championship and shouldnt of been a tactic in QF either.
Controlled performance my bollix go out and kill them for the whole 70 mins , 4 weeks to refuel ffs.

FFS Are you saying that wearing a thong ala David Brady

[Farrandeelin]

Good first XV. Poor bench as usual. Like Lar I dunno where the optimism is from. Our collapses haven't been adressed. Kerry's bench to win for them.

[larryin89]

If Mayo are unleashed, we will destroy that Kerry team. This holdin back craic is no addition at this stage of the championship and shouldnt of been a tactic in QF either.
Controlled performance my bollix go out and kill them for the whole 70 mins , 4 weeks to refuel ffs.

FFS Are you saying that wearing a thong ala David Brady

Nope.

Who in that Kerry team will stop AOS? We will murder them all over the middle third. Maher, moran buckley , give me a break , different league to Kerry as a unit esp round the middle.

[Canalman]

Fancy Mayo to win this one easily. Wouldn't surprise me in the least to see a hammering tbh.

[moysider]

[. We should easily have the measure of this Kerry team, that's the reality. I said to a few Kerry lads that we would take them by 6 or more ...... Mayo people have an air of confidence about our team .

This kind of talk can only have a sad ending...... when will they ever learn?

Syferus's frequent inclination to hyperbole when it comes to matters Roscommon football is typical of opinion in the county then?

[moysider]

I expect a couple of changes to Mayo starting 15. There kinda has to be if JH is to manage to keep the effort going for 70 mins. There are arguably as many as 10 players in the panel that cant/wont be used at this stage of the year.

[Jinxy]

Good first XV. Poor bench as usual. Like Lar I dunno where the optimism is from. Our collapses haven't been adressed. Kerry's bench to win for them.

Not like you to be so pessimistic Farr.

[Syferus]

Any team with aspirations of winning Sam should not have Donal Vaughan and Moran in the starting 15

You weren't watching the last game so.

I'd hope Andy would start after putting in his best performance since his injury (his substitution destroyed Mayo's cohesion when they had all but covered Cork's coffin in dirt) the last day but it could be a dummy team for all we know.

[Farrandeelin]

I could also argue against Barrett starting as his point v Tyrone last year has him nailed down to start.

[Jinxy]

I think Moran would more effective coming off the bench for the last 20 minutes when defenders aren't as fresh.
He has a good football brain, but he needs to be on the field and at his freshest when the game is there to be won.

[Zulu]

While I can understand why some think Mayo could beat Kerry comprehensively I don't expect that to happen. The Kerry jersey will give the younger players the confidence to perform (as trite as that sounds) and they still have plenty of quality in their team but if I was to pick a team made up of both squads then I think I'd have Hennelly plus four of the Mayo back six, the 8 and 9's on each team are probably about even and I'd have three of the Mayo forward line for sure. So that's 8-10 Mayo players and with the exception of O'Donoghue I think you could also make an argument for 5 Mayo forwards on a joint team, though some of them wouldn't be any better than the Kerry alternative.

[joemamas]

This is an intriguing prospect.

While I don't think it'll be a close game, i really don't know how to call it.

Mayo have been a bit dodgy all year, maybe playing at about 60-70% potential. But if they hit 80-90% of last year's form on Sunday, I reckon they'd wipe the floor with Kerry. They're simply a much better team on paper, and if they click, they're dynamite.

At 60-70%, and if Kerry hit a early goal or two, I reckon Horan's stint with Mayo would come to a rather inglorious end, with heads dropping everywhere, discipline going out the window, and a handful of retirements on the final whistle. It's proper sh1t or burst territory for this team now. They can't keep getting their hearts broken and not lose the plot.

Personally I hope it's the former. A confident and feisty Mayo is our only hope for a competitive AI final.

Cannot agree with your second last paragraph, to be honest, I was worried that this could have been the case V Cork, and when Cork were let back into the game and equalized, Mayo did not collapse but in fact showed incredible mental strength to kick on.