by Gerry Robinson

Those who populate the GAA’s corridors of power will be secretly hoping that Mayo navigate the Qualifiers and qualify for the All-Ireland SFC quarter-finals.

There’s no doubt that last year’s inaugural Super 8s series was greatly diminished by the absence of the westerners, who unexpectedly missed out, having been prominently involved in the business end of the championship for each of the seven preceding seasons, contesting four All-Ireland finals and three semi-finals during that time.

Alas, in 2018, almost inconceivably, with the new format introduced to showcase the best eight teams in the country over three rounds of high-summer action, the previously consistent challengers fluffed their lines, getting caught up in the eye of a frenzied Kildare storm in Newbridge (or nowhere) in their Round Three Qualifier.

Stephen Rochford’s men had lost their Connacht championship opener to Galway and negotiated their way past Limerick and Tipperary before coming a cropper against the Lilywhites.

Kildare had thrown a real spanner in the works. When the round-robin quarter-finals were dreamt up and introduced, it was largely assumed that the big guns would all be there – Dublin, Kerry, Tyrone and Mayo anyway.

But the Qualifiers are fraught with potential danger and a lot depends on the luck of the draw. Thus, the league winners have a nervy summer ahead of them and Monday mornings could be when they are jitteriest of all. Can they avoid a Round Two Qualifier meeting against Monaghan or Fermanagh? Kildare could possibly be there, too. If they come through that round, will they dodge the losers of Donegal V Tyrone? Or Meath V Laois? Or Cavan V Armagh.

Getting through to the fourth round of the back door could be challenging and of course there’s a possibility that Galway could await James Horan’s side there! And Mayo would be playing for the third consecutive weekend.

Whatever happens, those tasked with promoting and selling the game will wish for Mayo to advance to the last eight.

Of course, the teams that reached the Super 8s last year were all there on merit and the same will be the case again in 2019 – be that with or without Mayo. But, for the sake of the championship and amid all the talk about the slow, tortuous demise of gaelic football, the latter stages of the championship would be enhanced greatly by their participation.

Mayo need the Super 8s … but not as much as the Super 8s need them.

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