All-Ireland Series Sam Maguire 2026

[Captain Obvious]

When Tommy Conroy came on ROD moved out the field and Foley stopped marking him Captain Obvious. 24 mins I believe and ROD did his damage after that.

ROD general influence on any contest is out the field.  That's another example of the poor defensive effort by Kerry, too many cooks on the sideline for them?

[Armamike]

They have to do something like that or else the provincials are a dead duck.

Armagh won't be bursting a gut to win Ulster next year.

[Armagh18]

When Tommy Conroy came on ROD moved out the field and Foley stopped marking him Captain Obvious. 24 mins I believe and ROD did his damage after that.

I wonder how things would have fared out if Foley had followed O'Donoghue for the whole game

[Stall the Bailer]

Last year's was almost a nail in the coffin for provincials. Going further meant zero later on and was almost a negative. I am not sure how they rectify that.

Only 1 Provincial Champion made the last 8.

Perhaps let Provincial Champions straight to Round 2?
Have the 8 non Finalists play a prelim Round so 4 of them will be on their last life?

Why do that though?
After the provincial finals a lot of people were saying how good they were. Roscommon, Westmeath and Armagh certainly celebrated their wins and seemed to enjoy getting the titles.
The have their cups, why should doing well in that competition be rewarded in a separate competition.  I think a level playing field at the start of each competition is fairer instead of getting a leg up because you are already a winner. We had a great AI series, why mess with it?

[Blowitupref]

Last year's was almost a nail in the coffin for provincials. Going further meant zero later on and was almost a negative. I am not sure how they rectify that.

Only 1 Provincial Champion made the last 8.

Perhaps let Provincial Champions straight to Round 2?
Have the 8 non Finalists play a prelim Round so 4 of them will be on their last life?

Why do that though?
After the provincial finals a lot of people were saying how good they were. Roscommon, Westmeath and Armagh certainly celebrated their wins and seemed to enjoy getting the titles.
The have their cups, why should doing well in that competition be rewarded in a separate competition.  I think a level playing field at the start of each competition is fairer instead of getting a leg up because you are already a winner. We had a great AI series, why mess with it?

Not a separate competition when county in Div 3,4 or relegated in Division 2 can reach the last 16 of the All-Ireland championship by reaching a Provincial final.

Provincial runner up getting the same as the winner, round 1 home game is probably the main issue. Also holding the round 1 draw before provincial finals was so poorly planned.

[From the Bunker]

Kerry and Munster is the problem with rewarding Provincial Champions.

[weareros]

Last year's was almost a nail in the coffin for provincials. Going further meant zero later on and was almost a negative. I am not sure how they rectify that.

Only 1 Provincial Champion made the last 8.

Perhaps let Provincial Champions straight to Round 2?
Have the 8 non Finalists play a prelim Round so 4 of them will be on their last life?

Why do that though?
After the provincial finals a lot of people were saying how good they were. Roscommon, Westmeath and Armagh certainly celebrated their wins and seemed to enjoy getting the titles.
The have their cups, why should doing well in that competition be rewarded in a separate competition.  I think a level playing field at the start of each competition is fairer instead of getting a leg up because you are already a winner. We had a great AI series, why mess with it?

If a different competition, why was Malachy O'Rourke and his team in Hyde Park to study Roscommon. Because they knew in advance they were meeting Roscommon as a provincial finalist.

If it was really a different competition, then the draw should have no connection to the provincial finalists. The 16 teams should be ranked, based on league, and a draw done once the provincials are over, given its a new competitions and managers then could decide either the provincials are worth winning, or be used as a warm up for the All-Ireland series. And i think more would opt for the latter once that connection is removed. Mayo showed there's no shame in taking a beating in provincials and adapting for the All-Ireland series.

[armaghniac]

They have to do something like that or else the provincials are a dead duck.

Armagh won't be bursting a gut to win Ulster next year.

They did not bust a gut winning one this year either, they were quite casual in the Ulster final and did not play as well as in the Ulster finals in the previous years.

[Stall the Bailer]

Last year's was almost a nail in the coffin for provincials. Going further meant zero later on and was almost a negative. I am not sure how they rectify that.

Only 1 Provincial Champion made the last 8.

Perhaps let Provincial Champions straight to Round 2?
Have the 8 non Finalists play a prelim Round so 4 of them will be on their last life?

Why do that though?
After the provincial finals a lot of people were saying how good they were. Roscommon, Westmeath and Armagh certainly celebrated their wins and seemed to enjoy getting the titles.
The have their cups, why should doing well in that competition be rewarded in a separate competition.  I think a level playing field at the start of each competition is fairer instead of getting a leg up because you are already a winner. We had a great AI series, why mess with it?

If a different competition, why was Malachy O'Rourke and his team in Hyde Park to study Roscommon. Because they knew in advance they were meeting Roscommon as a provincial finalist.

If it was really a different competition, then the draw should have no connection to the provincial finalists. The 16 teams should be ranked, based on league, and a draw done once the provincials are over, given its a new competitions and managers then could decide either the provincials are worth winning, or be used as a warm up for the All-Ireland series. And i think more would opt for the latter once that connection is removed. Mayo showed there's no shame in taking a beating in provincials and adapting for the All-Ireland series.

Malachy being at the match was due to the timing of the draw, not due to it being a different competitions.
Changing the date of the draw to the Sunday or Monday after the last final could be done and would fix that. That is a separate issue and nothing to do with why a winner should get a leg up in another competition.
I'm not a fan of early draws, especially the provincial draw done before the league even starts, but that is also a different issue.

[AustinPowers]

Last year's was almost a nail in the coffin for provincials. Going further meant zero later on and was almost a negative. I am not sure how they rectify that.

Only 1 Provincial Champion made the last 8.

Perhaps let Provincial Champions straight to Round 2?
Have the 8 non Finalists play a prelim Round so 4 of them will be on their last life?

Why do that though?
After the provincial finals a lot of people were saying how good they were. Roscommon, Westmeath and Armagh certainly celebrated their wins and seemed to enjoy getting the titles.
The have their cups, why should doing well in that competition be rewarded in a separate competition.  I think a level playing field at the start of each competition is fairer instead of getting a leg up because you are already a winner. We had a great AI series, why mess with it?

Not a separate competition when county in Div 3,4 or relegated in Division 2 can reach the last 16 of the All-Ireland championship by reaching a Provincial final.

Provincial runner up getting the same as the winner, round 1 home game is probably the main issue. Aldo holding the round 1 draw before provincial finals was so poorly planned.

Typical John Aldridge 

[AustinPowers]

I don't understand this "under the radar" angle. Do you not watch National League football?

5 of Mayo's defence (along with 6 others who played in both) lined out in the 2025 NFL final.

12 of the 20 players used by Mayo last weekend played in a national league final 3 years ago.

10 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2021 Ai final

8 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2020 Ai final.

Stephen Coen too. He would have featured last weekend but for injury and he played in all the above.

They brought through a seam of quality players earlier this decade - Coyne, Hession, Callinan, McBrien, Carney, ROD - when the old guard were done. And they stayed competitive whilst waiting for those lads to mature into men.

Mayo have been hiding in plain sight for the past 5 years I reckon.

League stuff and knockout championship football aren't comparable, the only thing that could be compared looking back was Kerry's defending against Tyrone,Dublin and Mayo was as poor as it was against Donegal in the league final.  One Kerry poster on here thought Jason Foley whould mark Ryan O'Donoghue out of the game, instead O'Donoghue was Man of the match. The same Kerry poster hasn't posted since I wonder why?

Those stats are inflated by saying matchday squad instead of starting 15 which was much changed from the 2021 All-Ireland final

Mayo in their previous 4 championships was last 16,last 12 exits and hammered by Kerry,Dublin in All-Ireland Quarter-finals.  Mayo and their supporters can correct me if wrong,  7 or 8 of their starting 15 played in their first ever Croke Park championship match against Cork in this summers All-Ireland Quarter-final,  if that isn't the definition of coming in under the radar I don't know what is


After winning All-Ireland semi-final by 17 points the under radar stuff should have been over however Andy Moran played the media like a fiddle after that match asking a room of journalists did any of them really think Mayo would win the All Ireland final and he was greeted with silence.

Even though we have a more offensive based game All-Ireland finals are still won by the team that defends the best and the defensive work out of possession by Mayo forwards and midfielders was the stand out feature in them ending their 75 year famine.  Food for thought for teams with potential in what is sure to be another open championship in 2027.

I thought that was genius. It took the pressure off his team yet provided them with all the    motivation  they needed to go and win   the final .

[thewobbler]

I don't understand this "under the radar" angle. Do you not watch National League football?

5 of Mayo's defence (along with 6 others who played in both) lined out in the 2025 NFL final.

12 of the 20 players used by Mayo last weekend played in a national league final 3 years ago.

10 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2021 Ai final

8 of last weekend's matchday squad were in the 26 man panel for the 2020 Ai final.

Stephen Coen too. He would have featured last weekend but for injury and he played in all the above.

They brought through a seam of quality players earlier this decade - Coyne, Hession, Callinan, McBrien, Carney, ROD - when the old guard were done. And they stayed competitive whilst waiting for those lads to mature into men.

Mayo have been hiding in plain sight for the past 5 years I reckon.

League stuff and knockout championship football aren't comparable, the only thing that could be compared looking back was Kerry's defending against Tyrone,Dublin and Mayo was as poor as it was against Donegal in the league final.  One Kerry poster on here thought Jason Foley whould mark Ryan O'Donoghue out of the game, instead O'Donoghue was Man of the match. The same Kerry poster hasn't posted since I wonder why?

Those stats are inflated by saying matchday squad instead of starting 15 which was much changed from the 2021 All-Ireland final

Mayo in their previous 4 championships was last 16,last 12 exits and hammered by Kerry,Dublin in All-Ireland Quarter-finals.  Mayo and their supporters can correct me if wrong,  7 or 8 of their starting 15 played in their first ever Croke Park championship match against Cork in this summers All-Ireland Quarter-final,  if that isn't the definition of coming in under the radar I don't know what is


After winning All-Ireland semi-final by 17 points the under radar stuff should have been over however Andy Moran played the media like a fiddle after that match asking a room of journalists did any of them really think Mayo would win the All Ireland final and he was greeted with silence.

Even though we have a more offensive based game All-Ireland finals are still won by the team that defends the best and the defensive work out of possession by Mayo forwards and midfielders was the stand out feature in them ending their 75 year famine.  Food for thought for teams with potential in what is sure to be another open championship in 2027.

That "7/8" surprised me but it might be right.

Livingstone, McGreal, Beirne and Kobe made their first Croke Park championship starts vs Cork. Diarmuid Duffy came on early to make five.

Maybe McHugh, Brickenden and Towey didn't get any Croke park minutes over the years, I'm not sure.

I guess the point I'm trying to make though is that Mayo had been developing the core of that team since 2020. Aside from injury, Coyne, Hession, Callinan, McBrien, Carney, Flynn, O'Donaghue and Conroy (along with Coen and, until this season, Ruane) have been everpresents whilst the older guard were phased out and the younger lads brought through. Along with Brickenden, Tuohy and McHugh, they don't really know anything apart from D1 level football and what it entails. League isn't championship, but if there's a better prep for marking the Clifford's, Walsh etc than playing against them, I don't know what it is.

There's definite parallels with Tyrone in 2021. They were also a team with the right age and experience profile to win an AI. They just needed a few cards to fall in their favour.