Donegal v Mayo NFL Final

[Maradona]

That is fundamentally what is wrong with Mayo, afraid to go and f#cking win and admit to wanting to!! We should go out and win the bloody league, put it in a box, forget about it and then get on with the championship. I would rather win the league than get to the AI final and get hammered.
Jees, the way some of ye are talking ye will accept loosing another national final (providing the performance is good!). When will the penny drop with Mayo people that ALL that matters is winning.
In fairness we only won the league in 2001 because Tyrone could not take part!!

[Tubberman]

I'm with the Monsignor on this one.
He's not saying we shouldn't care if we win or not but Maradona, you're treating the league as if it's something we desperately need to win - it's not!
We won it in 2001 and what did that mean come September when Galway were winning Sam Maguire - f*ck all....
The focus is the Championship, we need to be gearing ourselves towards that.

[AbbeySider]

I'm with the Monsignor on this one.
He's not saying we shouldn't care if we win or not but Maradona, you're treating the league as if it's something we desperately need to win - it's not!
We won it in 2001 and what did that mean come September when Galway were winning Sam Maguire - f*ck all....
The focus is the Championship, we need to be gearing ourselves towards that.

here, here,

Its not essential that we win on Sunday. Its all about the All-Ireland championship and every game starting with Galway in 4 weeks time.
If we lose to Donegal not many will care apart from the knockers and people who run down the team and management every chance they get.

(that last bit was kinda rantish so il shut up now  )

[Maradona]

I accept the Championship is the much bigger fish, but we need to start getting a winning mentality.
If we loose to Donegal, then we are loosers once again in croke park final. If Donegal have more desire or hunger on Sunday, then we should pack it in
Well 2001 meant a lot to me - only time I saw a senior Mayo team lift silverwear in croke park and I have been following Mayo for 25+ years!

[Redgreenery]

I think it'd be nice to win the league and yeah it'd be great to see Mayo lift some silverware in Croke Park, but I think all this should be building up to the championship and I think JOM said prior to the league that he'd be using it to see the potential and would experiment and would be doing all this in the run up to the championship and for the championship. Part of the reason Mayo didnt perform well against Galway last week could well have been because JOM didnt want to give away too many tactics for May 20th so they didnt stick to the routine that they normally have for this league campaign and to be honest I don't think they gave away too much, but all of that could have been for the championship.

[Fishead_Sam]

Mayo should go all out to put down a marker for the year ahead, beating a good & strong team like Donegal in a National Final should set the tone for the year ahead.

Mayo should have the goal of blitzing all titles @ all levels, mens & womens, the ambition to win them all will ensure we win at least some & maybe even the big one.

[Redgreenery]

From gaa.ie:

NFL DIV 1 FINAL

Croke Park 4pm: Mayo v Donegal

These sides last met in the regulation rounds of the league, when Donegal saw off Mayo 1-13 to 1-10 at MacCumhaill Park with Ryan Bradley hitting the all-important goal.

Mayo boss John O'Mahony stated after his side's league semi-final defeat of Galway that it is the Tribesmen who hold the psychological advantage going into their Connacht Championship tie next month.

Given the league result, does this mean Mayo will hold a mental advantage over Donegal on Sunday?

Doubtful. The league has seen Donegal unbeaten to date with seven wins and one draw, while Mayo managed seven wins and one defeat - to the Tir Chonaill men.

Donegal (11-10) have never lifted a league title and the bookies have their opposition on Sunday as ever so slight favourites (Evens). Bookmakers in the north west though are likely to disagree with those odds.

The sides have similar styles, both playing quick ball into their forwards. Donegal appear to have an edge in the physical stakes, though, and the common theme at an Allianz National Football League final press conference during the week was of the game being won and lost at centre field.

Neither manager is expected to name their side until the weekend due to a host of respective injury concerns.

Mayo skipper and corner forward Kevin O'Neill has a calf strain, while goalkeeper David Clarke and centre back Billy Joe Padden are suffering from hamstring complaints.

Forward Trevor Mortimer is ruled out with a broken leg but full back James Kilcullen might recover in time from his groin problem. To evidence the concern - just 11 players took part in a training session in Castlebar on Tuesday night.

Brian McIver's panel, meanwhile, has been hit by a mini injury crisis of its own. Leon Thompson has been ruled out for the remainder of the year after suffering severe ligament damage in the sixth round clash with Limerick.

Brendan Devenney and Paddy McConigley are rated highly doubtful, but Rory Kavanagh and Neil McGee may recover in time.

All-in-all, Donegal have made immense progress in little over a year and the step up to Division 1 hasn't fazed them one little bit. Mayo on the other hand are going well but they seem to hit a mental barrier on the big days. Whether O'Mahony has instilled the necessary steel so early in the season will become known around a quarter to six on Sunday evening.

VERDICT: Donegal.

[stephenite]

Mayo team named

David Clarke (D. Ó Cléirigh) - Beal an Átha
Liam O'Malley (L. Ó Máille) - Buireas Uamhaill
James Kilcullen (S. MacGiolla Chaillín) - Bealach an Doirin
Keith Higgins (C. Ó hUiginn) - Béal Átha hAmhnais
Enda Devenney (E. Ó Duibheannaigh) - Beal an Átha
Billy Joe Padden (L.S. MacPhaidín) - Béal an Mhuirthead
Peadar Gardiner (P. Ó Gairnéir) - Crois Mhaoilíona
Pat Harte (P. Ó hAirt) - Beal an Átha
David Heaney (D. Ó hÉanaigh) - Béal Átha na Muice
Ger Brady (G. Ó Brádaigh) - Beal an Átha
Kevin O'Neill - Captain (C. Ó Néill) – Na Fianna
Andy Moran (A. Ó Moráin) - Bealach an Doirin
Michael Conroy (M. Ó Conraí) - Na Daibhéidigh
Alan Dillon (A. Diolún) - Baile an Tobair
Conor Mortimer (C. Ó Muireartaigh) - Sruthair-Gleann Coirib

[The Real Laoislad]

Donegal to win

[dodo]

Donegal to win

The GAAboard analyst at his terse best !

[aodhruadh]

Cassidy is free to play on Sunday

Heres hoping for a better game than the 1992 All Ireland Semifinal.

Donegal to come from behind and win by 2.

[AbbeySider]

Mayo team named

David Clarke (D. Ó Cléirigh) - Beal an Átha
Liam O'Malley (L. Ó Máille) - Buireas Uamhaill
James Kilcullen (S. MacGiolla Chaillín) - Bealach an Doirin
Keith Higgins (C. Ó hUiginn) - Béal Átha hAmhnais
Enda Devenney (E. Ó Duibheannaigh) - Beal an Átha
Billy Joe Padden (L.S. MacPhaidín) - Béal an Mhuirthead
Peadar Gardiner (P. Ó Gairnéir) - Crois Mhaoilíona
Pat Harte (P. Ó hAirt) - Beal an Átha
David Heaney (D. Ó hÉanaigh) - Béal Átha na Muice
Ger Brady (G. Ó Brádaigh) - Beal an Átha
Kevin O'Neill - Captain (C. Ó Néill) – Na Fianna
Andy Moran (A. Ó Moráin) - Bealach an Doirin
Michael Conroy (M. Ó Conraí) - Na Daibhéidigh
Alan Dillon (A. Diolún) - Baile an Tobair
Conor Mortimer (C. Ó Muireartaigh) - Sruthair-Gleann Coirib

Stephenite I wonder is that the correct team? Im guessing you got the above from the Mayo GAA site?
There is a different team selected on RTE Sport - http://www.rte.ie/sport/2007/0419/mayo.html

Mayo team:
D Clarke,
K Higgins,
J Kilcullen,
L O'Malley,
E Devenney,
BJ Padden,
P Gardiner,
P Harte,
D Heaney,
A Dillon,
A Moran,
M Conry,
C Mortimer,
G Brady,
K O'Neill


I have a feeling that RTE got it wrong. I doubt that Conroy will be wing forward. Id say he will swap with O Neill


Edit:
The hogan stand have gone with the team RTE have announced...

[MrC]

The Donegal team will be names at 1pm.

Great news about Cassidy getting his clearance - we'd have been a much weakened side without him. Hopefully his fellow Gaoth Dobhair man, Neil McGee, is okay to play. Rory Kav, Devenney and McConigley also struggling so hopefully some, if not al, will be okay. Will be a tight one alright, but hopefully big Neil will be collecting the silverware on Sunday.

Tir Chonaill Abu!

[Msgr. Horan]

That is fundamentally what is wrong with Mayo, afraid to go and f#cking win and admit to wanting to!! We should go out and win the bloody league, put it in a box, forget about it and then get on with the championship. I would rather win the league than get to the AI final and get hammered.
Jees, the way some of ye are talking ye will accept loosing another national final (providing the performance is good!). When will the penny drop with Mayo people that ALL that matters is winning.
In fairness we only won the league in 2001 because Tyrone could not take part!!

Your not getting my point, of course I want Mayo to win the league, they've got this far might as well win the bloody thing and the last thing I want to hear is every man and his dog going on about how Mayo "always choke in finals". I live in Cork so trust me its not fecken easy listening to da boys who rattle off an All Ireland in some grade whenever they feel like it. What I'm saying is that win lose or draw I want to come out of there reasonably confident that we know where we are going for the championship.  A win alone with a shite performance with lots of questions hanging over the team will not be filling me with the joys of spring. Sam is all that matters. Louth have won the f**king thing more recently than us for Gods sake (no offence Louthmen)

[SuperDooperCooper]

Just looking at the teams records over the last couple of years - both have had bad losses in Croke park.

Mayo may not have won Sam but they have been consistently picking up Connaught title over the years (and a national league title in '01).
While Donegal have won nothing since 1992.That is a long, long time without any silver ware.

The context makes this a big game - the boost from winning a national title for either side can't be over estimated.
2006 - Kerry - All Ireland Champions
2005 - Armagh - Ulster Champions
2004 - Kerry - All-Ireland and Munster Champions
2003 - Tyrone - All-Ireland and Ulster Champions
2002 - Tyrone - Lost to Sligo in qualifiers
2001 - Mayo - Lost to Roscommon in Connaught final and Westmeath in qualifiers.
2000 - Derry - lost Ulster final to Armagh.

The other point I would like to make is that the loser of the national league final in recent years have disintegrated when the championship comes around.
Only Galway have won an All-Ireland quarter final after having lost the league final and that was the first year of the back door.
2006 - Galway (lost to Mayo in Connaught final and to Westmeath in the qualifiers)
2005 - Wexford (lost to Dublin in Leinster semi and Monaghan in qualifiers)
2004 - Galway (Lost to Mayo in Connaught Semi final and to Tyrone in qualifiers)
2003 - (Laois - won Leinster and lost to Armagh in Quarter final)
2002 - Cavan (don't know who beat them in Ulster but lost to Limerick at home in the qualifiers)
2001 - Galway (Lost to Roscommon in Connaught semi but had a small measure of consolation by winning the All-Ireland)
2000 - Meath - lost to Offaly in the Leinster Quarter Final.

I only saw the games against us on telly and the Mayo one came too early to tell us anything.
Would loved to have seen what would have happened if Mr Donaghy was on for the whole game against Donegal.
Donegal outscored us 1-5 to 0-1 in the last quarter and deservably won and I was impressed with their style of play.
A far cry for the poor forward display shown against Cork last August.

As stated I think defeat will linger with the loser into the championship even if people says it's only the league, If Mayo were at full strength I would back them but Donegal get my hesitant vote.
Donegal 1-12 Mayo 1-10. Really looking forward to the game.

ps Best of luck to Tralee CBS who are aiming to become only the third Kerry school to win the Hogan cup following Killarney (2 Titles) and Intermediate School Killorgin with their 1 title.