Championship Draws RTÉ2 7-30pm

[Maguire01]

few shillings on monaghan to make the final you'd have to say.

Agree, definitely the easy side and Monaghan will learn from the 2nd half collapse in the semi this year.

Monaghan struggled past Antrim last year, who were without CJ McGourty. Wouldn't think that far ahead.

If O'Rourke is as good as some people here seem to think, you'd have to imagine reaching the final is a reasonable target with that draw.

[moysider]

As much as I would love to Beal Bocht this, but unless at least one other team and hopefully at least 2 other teams in Connacht improve alot, Mayo should walk this.

Alot may change and probably will in the meantime, but as of now I would much rather have Donegal, Tyrone, Dublin, Kerry or Cork in the first round.

Not sure what you mean by above?

Mayo away to Galway.

A Mayo final with Ros would be in Castlebar.

Only in 97 do I remember Mayo defending Connacht after a loss in an AI final. Hopefully we ll be able to avoid early back door but if we need to go down that road there ll be no excuses.

Hopefully Andy will be back and we should be a better outfit again next year - we could have been better than we were in final 2 weeks ago - and it s unlikely that management will be as indulgent again. Injuries aside, I d expect at least 3 changes from team that started v Donegal to team that will play Galway in next years Championship. And we ll be a better team as a result.

With Galway not being anywhere near the equal opponent they used to be, with Roscommon not yet back to that level (but coming) and with Sligo only able to give us a half a game (IMO), would it not be a more useful to get a huge challenge to start with. You have to beat these teams at some stage, why not at the start.

Yes I know form may change, yes I know tactics, training, injuries, new players, retirements will all make next year different from today. I am just basing it on current circumstances.

I dunno. We came from a very low ebb to an AI semi and final after the disastrous 07 - 10 years. And 10 was the abyss. So, I for one am not going to assume anything. Other teams can push quickly as well.

My biggest concern would be about ourselves.

Why would we want a huge challenge to start with? Believe me Galway will be huge enough.

The ideal route is through the province and do it without bursting oneself - if you re good enough!

We got a test a couple of weeks ago and we weren t ready for it so I wouldn t be looking for a fight in May or June.

If we look at the AI final hard there are a couple of things that need to be sorted before we look to sewing it into our neighbours.

In the AI fina lwe were outfoxed tactically.

Our selection was flawed as early as June but we carried on regardless. We took Higgins out of the game all year ourselves ( in fact his career has been destroyed by successive Mayo managements) - even if he gets an All- Star it has been a waste of talent. There were other glaring personnel problems in the team long before Croke Park but I realise that it is not easy to change winning teams and all that even though there are disasters there about to happen. Andy Moran was a massive loss because his presence took heat off others and when he was gone it was much bigger that losing just 1player and the captain.

  Apart from a couple of individuals our fitness was as good as there was about this year.

[The Burner]

I just wish we were in Ulster for a year so we could brutalise Armagh again.

We'll take your place in Connacht to take care of Galway!!

Personally I would love to see Connacht-Ulster Championship and a Munster-Leinster Championship, if the 2 Provinicial winners got a second shot if they lost their next match (or an automatic Semi-Final Place).

It could look something like this

New York V Cavan
Fermanagh V Donegal
         Winner A V B
Tyrone V Antrim
Roscommon V Armagh


                  
Down V Leitrim
Mayo V Derry
         Winner C V D
London V Sligo
Galway V Monaghan



Final Top group v Lower group.


A similar structure in Munster-Leinster might be

Kerry V Wexford
Tipperary V Dublin

Offaly V Laois
Wicklow V Carlow



Kildare V Cork
Westmeath V Louth

Clare V Waterford
Longford V Meath

What did Limerick ever do to you Mayo?

[Crete Boom]

 Well we got us as tough a draw as you can get in Connacht so Breheny & co can't complain about our easy path this year! Some Mayomen don't seem to be too worried but I am. Maybe it's jusy a sour taste from the All Ireland final but stats wise we haven't put three provincial titles together since doing four in a row from 1948-51. Also with Galway up in the first match I just have memories of 1998/2005/2007 stuck in my head which doesn't fill me full of confidence. Also if we beat them then we have the Rossies waiting to put the boot in and in fairness they do owe us a beating at this stage . We will just have to seen how the team shapes up during the league which will hopefully be a strong campaign like this year and then take it from there but anyone saying it's a cake walk for us because we are ahead of the rest of the teams out west could be in for a rude awakening!

[rodney trotter]

few shillings on monaghan to make the final you'd have to say.

Agree, definitely the easy side and Monaghan will learn from the 2nd half collapse in the semi this year.

Monaghan struggled past Antrim last year, who were without CJ McGourty. Wouldn't think that far ahead.

If O'Rourke is as good as some people here seem to think, you'd have to imagine reaching the final is a reasonable target with that draw.

Yeah its a reasonable target, i think Antrim would be feeling the same though. The game is in Belfast so an added edge, They will have a new manager aswell. Its all on the day. If Cavan got past Armagh, be a big ask but they aren't as strong as they were, then they would have a great chance too, See how the league develops.

[anglocelt39]

few shillings on monaghan to make the final you'd have to say.

Agree, definitely the easy side and Monaghan will learn from the 2nd half collapse in the semi this year.

Monaghan struggled past Antrim last year, who were without CJ McGourty. Wouldn't think that far ahead.

If O'Rourke is as good as some people here seem to think, you'd have to imagine reaching the final is a reasonable target with that draw.

Leave the cute hoorism to the Kerry boys, Sam has to be the aim for you lot in 2013, especially with an Ulster final appearance guaranteed.

[Lar Naparka]

Well we got us as tough a draw as you can get in Connacht so Breheny & co can't complain about our easy path this year! Some Mayomen don't seem to be too worried but I am. Maybe it's jusy a sour taste from the All Ireland final but stats wise we haven't put three provincial titles together since doing four in a row from 1948-51. Also with Galway up in the first match I just have memories of 1998/2005/2007 stuck in my head which doesn't fill me full of confidence. Also if we beat them then we have the Rossies waiting to put the boot in and in fairness they do owe us a beating at this stage . We will just have to seen how the team shapes up during the league which will hopefully be a strong campaign like this year and then take it from there but anyone saying it's a cake walk for us because we are ahead of the rest of the teams out west could be in for a rude awakening!

I don't think many would consider this a cakewalk but if we are to mount a serious challenge for Sam, Galway will have to be swept aside. That's by no means a certainty.
Don't know what the FBD and the league are going to throw up but right now, I'd say we should be able to handle the heron chokers handily enough.
"There's many a slip twixt cup and lip" and all that.
Unless another Pearse Hanley is unearthed from the u21s, I can't see JH making many changes to his starting fifteen.
Fans can argue all they want but he'll go with the side that lined out against Sligo and Down with one exception if Andy is back to form -- Conroy would be in for Doherty.

[babarino]

Leave the cute hoorism to the Kerry boys, Sam has to be the aim for you lot in 2013, especially with an Ulster final appearance guaranteed.

Like your attitude. We're not showing enough ambition.

Mind you I was  looking forward to getting a crack at knocking Donegal off their perch, like we did in '93 in the 1st round. Suppose it'll have to wait until the final in Clones, or Croker, if they don't make it to the Ulster Final.

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

Well we got us as tough a draw as you can get in Connacht so Breheny & co can't complain about our easy path this year! Some Mayomen don't seem to be too worried but I am. Maybe it's jusy a sour taste from the All Ireland final but stats wise we haven't put three provincial titles together since doing four in a row from 1948-51. Also with Galway up in the first match I just have memories of 1998/2005/2007 stuck in my head which doesn't fill me full of confidence. Also if we beat them then we have the Rossies waiting to put the boot in and in fairness they do owe us a beating at this stage . We will just have to seen how the team shapes up during the league which will hopefully be a strong campaign like this year and then take it from there but anyone saying it's a cake walk for us because we are ahead of the rest of the teams out west could be in for a rude awakening!

I don't think many would consider this a cakewalk but if we are to mount a serious challenge for Sam, Galway will have to be swept aside. That's by no means a certainty.
Don't know what the FBD and the league are going to throw up but right now, I'd say we should be able to handle the heron chokers handily enough.
"There's many a slip twixt cup and lip" and all that.
Unless another Pearse Hanley is unearthed from the u21s, I can't see JH making many changes to his starting fifteen.
Fans can argue all they want but he'll go with the side that lined out against Sligo and Down with one exception if Andy is back to form -- Conroy would be in for Doherty.

I thought we were being kicked out of the FBD this year, we should really consider the McKenna Cup and get a game against Donegal.

[stew]

If............and it's a bif if Armagh can beat Monaghan away I think we can make the UF, great draw for Armagh altogather and it is great to see Tyrone and Down having to deal with the AI champions. 

We will see what PG is capable of, hopefully he can bring a strong panel together and the Og's bate Cross in the county final, that way we will have our best players for the national league.

[armaghniac]

We will see what PG is capable of, hopefully he can bring a strong panel together and the Og's bate Cross in the county final, that way we will have our best players for the national league.

Surely the Ogs will go on to win the AI club this time, having given Galls a handy one last time? How will PG cope  fighting with Ogs instead of Cross?

[fitzroyalty]

If............and it's a bif if Armagh can beat Monaghan away I think we can make the UF, great draw for Armagh altogather and it is great to see Tyrone and Down having to deal with the AI champions. 

We will see what PG is capable of, hopefully he can bring a strong panel together and the Og's bate Cross in the county final, that way we will have our best players for the national league.

Nippy and S Forker?

[mayogodhelpus@gmail.com]

I just wish we were in Ulster for a year so we could brutalise Armagh again.

We'll take your place in Connacht to take care of Galway!!

Personally I would love to see Connacht-Ulster Championship and a Munster-Leinster Championship, if the 2 Provinicial winners got a second shot if they lost their next match (or an automatic Semi-Final Place).

It could look something like this

New York V Cavan
Fermanagh V Donegal
         Winner A V B
Tyrone V Antrim
Roscommon V Armagh


                  
Down V Leitrim
Mayo V Derry
         Winner C V D
London V Sligo
Galway V Monaghan



Final Top group v Lower group.


A similar structure in Munster-Leinster might be

Kerry V Wexford
Tipperary V Dublin

Offaly V Laois
Wicklow V Carlow



Kildare V Cork
Westmeath V Louth

Clare V Waterford
Longford V Meath

What did Limerick ever do to you Mayo?

I sent them to Nowlan park, but the Kilkenny lads so the bigball and bate them to death with their hurls in a confused frenzy. They don't tolerate difference to the Sliotar mantra in around the Marble City and surrounds.

[moysider]

Well we got us as tough a draw as you can get in Connacht so Breheny & co can't complain about our easy path this year! Some Mayomen don't seem to be too worried but I am. Maybe it's jusy a sour taste from the All Ireland final but stats wise we haven't put three provincial titles together since doing four in a row from 1948-51. Also with Galway up in the first match I just have memories of 1998/2005/2007 stuck in my head which doesn't fill me full of confidence. Also if we beat them then we have the Rossies waiting to put the boot in and in fairness they do owe us a beating at this stage . We will just have to seen how the team shapes up during the league which will hopefully be a strong campaign like this year and then take it from there but anyone saying it's a cake walk for us because we are ahead of the rest of the teams out west could be in for a rude awakening!

I don't think many would consider this a cakewalk but if we are to mount a serious challenge for Sam, Galway will have to be swept aside. That's by no means a certainty.
Don't know what the FBD and the league are going to throw up but right now, I'd say we should be able to handle the heron chokers handily enough.
"There's many a slip twixt cup and lip" and all that.
Unless another Pearse Hanley is unearthed from the u21s, I can't see JH making many changes to his starting fifteen. Fans can argue all they want but he'll go with the side that lined out against Sligo and Down with one exception if Andy is back to form -- Conroy would be in for Doherty.

Can t agree. Andy back and at least 2-3 other changes a must. We ve been poor at 6 and 11 all year eg.

Not a lover of the All-Star thingy but it must be some kind of record that a team that reached the AI final doesnt get a nomination for the ff line. A condemning stat that.

We need at least 3 players to come along that are better than lads that were starting this year. According to an insider we need 5!

[Lar Naparka]

Well we got us as tough a draw as you can get in Connacht so Breheny & co can't complain about our easy path this year! Some Mayomen don't seem to be too worried but I am. Maybe it's jusy a sour taste from the All Ireland final but stats wise we haven't put three provincial titles together since doing four in a row from 1948-51. Also with Galway up in the first match I just have memories of 1998/2005/2007 stuck in my head which doesn't fill me full of confidence. Also if we beat them then we have the Rossies waiting to put the boot in and in fairness they do owe us a beating at this stage . We will just have to seen how the team shapes up during the league which will hopefully be a strong campaign like this year and then take it from there but anyone saying it's a cake walk for us because we are ahead of the rest of the teams out west could be in for a rude awakening!

I don't think many would consider this a cakewalk but if we are to mount a serious challenge for Sam, Galway will have to be swept aside. That's by no means a certainty.
Don't know what the FBD and the league are going to throw up but right now, I'd say we should be able to handle the heron chokers handily enough.
"There's many a slip twixt cup and lip" and all that.
Unless another Pearse Hanley is unearthed from the u21s, I can't see JH making many changes to his starting fifteen. Fans can argue all they want but he'll go with the side that lined out against Sligo and Down with one exception if Andy is back to form -- Conroy would be in for Doherty.

Can t agree. Andy back and at least 2-3 other changes a must. We ve been poor at 6 and 11 all year eg.

Not a lover of the All-Star thingy but it must be some kind of record that a team that reached the AI final doesnt get a nomination for the ff line. A condemning stat that.

We need at least 3 players to come along that are better than lads that were starting this year. According to an insider we need 5!

I know but I also said:
Fans can argue all they want but he'll go with the side that lined out against Sligo and Down...."
Our James is not for turning when his mind is made up.