In the round robin, Group 2 has gone to form so far and old friends are tossing out grenades.
Philly McMahon accused Mayo of running scared after the county board requested that the neutral venue game against Dublin not be played in Dublin’s home stadium.
I can no longer confirm whether Mayo are running scared or not. But certainly, there’s not much in the Croke Park atmosphere that would terrify you these days.
From my vantage point on the couch, Dublin’s opening group game against Roscommon at GAA HQ did not seem like the grandest of occasions. 11,167 paying patrons were attracted into Europe’s fourth largest stadium to watch the All-Ireland champions. We eventually discovered as much, the GAA having declined to announce the figure off their own bat.
Having drawn the short straw, I was on punditry duty for the Leinster quarter-final against Meath – which attracted a comparatively bumper crowd of 21,000. As regards generating the most noise, the seagulls were at least given a run for their money that day.
The time has surely has come to call a halt to these dismal spectacles. At this stage, I think Croke Park should be reserved for All-Ireland semi-finals and finals and no more.
The GAA probably made a mistake in the first place in allowing Dublin to nominate Croke Park – the national stadium, which hosts our biggest games – as their home ground. Parnell Park, Dublin’s official ground which they hardly ever play in, would have been more than sufficient for Saturday’s game. Indeed, in a more intimate venue, it might have been possible to get an atmosphere going.
Philly probably wouldn’t agree. I know he always fancied his own ability to rile Mayo players. He’s written in the past about the brief ruckus he caused on the way down the tunnel at half-time in the 2020 All-Ireland final. He was particularly chuffed with that one and, in fairness, it was probably his most telling intervention that day. (Although, I should note, his teammates came good to seal another All-Ireland final victory against us.)
Roscommon may not have brought a huge travelling contingent to Croker but their inside-forward line caused some problems for the Dubs and the 12-point margin in the finish seemed a touch harsh. The 2-19 to 0-13 scoreline wasn’t really a fair reflection of their efforts over the full 70 minutes – more a sign that the game got away from them down the stretch.
Roscommon playing Mayo in the Hyde for the 7,000th time probably doesn’t whet the appetite for the neutrals but we know Davy Burke is wound up for it. “The goal is to beat Mayo and nothing else,” he said after last Saturday’s game.
Psychologically, it could be tricky for Mayo geeing themselves to play a team they’ve already beaten in this year’s championship and at the same venue. The Rossies surely won’t want for motivation after two bad losses in the fixture in 2024.
It’s a free shot for them against a Mayo team who are reeling from the loss of their captain, Paddy Durcan, to injury. This is their chance to take a big scalp in what has been a damp squib campaign so far.
On paper, Roscommon have a really good crop of forwards but their cagey, risk-averse approach in the league wasn’t helping. The first three-quarters on Saturday was much more encouraging in that regard and their full-forward line. Murtagh, Cregg and Cox, all scored three points apiece from play against the best team in the country. The raw talent is actually there.
In the Connacht semi-final, their full-forwards got plenty of ball but wayward shooting let them down. That was rectified to a certain extent in the first hour in Croke Park and if they can replicate that this weekend, they could have a relatively inexperienced Mayo defence in bother.
One issue for them is the underwhelming form of Enda Smith this year. I don’t know if he’s carrying an injury or labouring under the burden of having a target on his back after winning an All-Star last summer. But if he can recover his 2023 mojo, then the Rossies could be in with a shout of ending their losing streak.
It’s certainly got the air of a banana skin for Mayo. The Cavan win was emphatic enough but didn’t generate any major buzz. The bright spot was Cillian O’Connor’s return to form for the county team, kicking four from play. I’d be inclined to keep him in the corner and perhaps experiment with Tommy Conroy at No. 11.
Naturally, I’d get pitchforked out of Mayo if I tipped them to lose to Roscommon of all teams, so I won’t go that far. But it could be a tasty encounter all the same.
In Celtic Park on Sunday, it feels like there’s jeopardy in the air for a change. Two Ulster big-hitters, both in a fragile state. It’s a tough one to call. Derry may be punch-drunk and reeling. Their half-back line has been gutted through injury and stupidity. Mickey Harte quietened the resentful elements in Derry by winning the league title at his first attempt. A third championship loss in a row will see the pressure ratchet up on him massively, and fuel the critics of the current format who feel three championship games is enough to be losing.
For them, a lot will hinge on whether Eoin McEvoy and Conor Doherty will be back in time.
Armagh didn’t exactly pull up trees against Westmeath but given the expected Ulster final hangover, a five-point margin was enough.
Weighing up the various factors, the game feels like a coin-flip. Home advantage, I suspect, will have a minimal influence. Given the pressure that’s on Derry, their injuries, and the sense that their momentum has gone into reverse, I’d be inclined to give the nod to Armagh on Saturday. But in reality it’s no more than a hunch.
No such uncertainty hangs over Sunday’s other TV game. Kerry will dismiss Meath in Navan without too much fuss. Last weekend was another marker of Meath football’s decline. I tipped Louth to win in the column last week but I didn’t foresee a ten-point pasting.
We should acknowledge Matthew Costello, who played in Inniskeen after his father Paul passed away that morning. It was a credit to him on what was a very tough week for him and his family.
Louth won one game in Monaghan last week and I’d fancy them to make it two this weekend. Vinny Corey’s side have been living in Division 1 for a long time but there’s a sense of two teams travelling in different directions, one coursing with confidence and another who feel jaded and reaching the end of the line.
Ger Brennan’s side have been rattling in the goals and I’d expect them to have four or five points to spare in Clones. Who knows? Perhaps there’s a ‘home’ preliminary quarter-final against Mickey Harte’s Derry in the offing…
Watch an All-Ireland SFC double-header, Meath v Kerry (2pm) and Derry v Armagh (4pm), on Sunday from 1.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to commentary on Sunday Sport with RTÉ Radio 1
