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Mayo GAA Thread

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Replying To yew_tree: "Who did McStay cut that was brought back?" McStay didn't cut any player. I remember he tried his best to convince Keegan to stay on another year too. MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 563 - 02/06/2026 13:28:32 2677309 Link
Replying To MayoDan: "I don't think we can realistically expect to be on top against Tyrone for the full game." We are a long standing Division 1 Team, having maintained our D1 status with ease without showing our hand. We have got as good a run as can be expected following defeat to Roscommon. Look, if you were offered a QF place by defeating 2 division 2 teams you would surely have said yes please. We have shown ourselves to be a team that improves through back door/ QF routes. I think we are well on the way to a successful transition to the new Mayo for the new football. Coen, Loftus and O'Donoghue were the only 3 starters on Sunday last to have played in an All Ireland Final, so the old guard are all but gone. In this regard Mayo are further down the road than Tyrone. martinjoe (Mayo) - Posts: 590 - 02/06/2026 13:51:22 2677319 Link
ITs fair to say that if Mayo go up to Tyrone with the same defensive performance, it'll be a long evening as Tyrone wont miss as many as Monaghan did. tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1861 - 02/06/2026 14:13:18 2677330 Link
How Monaghan did not win on Sunday is hard to understand. We had enough posession to be within a point or two at half time and we got zero luck on the day with all goal chances. Kobe McDonald is a great talent though and its a shame to lose him to Aussie rules next year. I thought the way Mayo played in 2nd half, they seemed content on trying to protect their 11-12 point lead rather then going for the jugular. They seem to want to waste time in 2nd half by just keeping posession and playing back and forth around the arc then trying to build upon their lead. on a couple of occaisions they even played it back to players inside their half way line and swaped players back to avoid a breach. Needless to say, if that was Galway, Donegal, Armagh or Kerry, there's no way we would have been allowed back into it. Mayo v Tyrone will be an interesting game and very hard to call, Mayo should expect high intensity from Tyrone though for 70 mins, not the 20 mins they experienced against Monaghan. Had good craic with a few Mayo fans around us though, they have to be up there with the best sporting fans in the country. SouthMonMan (Monaghan) - Posts: 178 - 02/06/2026 14:14:53 2677332 Link
Replying To martinjoe: "We are a long standing Division 1 Team, having maintained our D1 status with ease without showing our hand. We have got as good a run as can be expected following defeat to Roscommon. Look, if you were offered a QF place by defeating 2 division 2 teams you would surely have said yes please. We have shown ourselves to be a team that improves through back door/ QF routes. I think we are well on the way to a successful transition to the new Mayo for the new football. Coen, Loftus and O'Donoghue were the only 3 starters on Sunday last to have played in an All Ireland Final, so the old guard are all but gone. In this regard Mayo are further down the road than Tyrone." Flynn played in two all Ireland finals as a sub FYI. I would say we have roughly a 50:50 shot at beating Tyrone the next day out. I don't understand people saying we need to see a dominant 70 minute performance from Mayo. It doesn't work like that.. when we get our purple patches we need to punish Tyrone on the scoreboard, when Tyrone have us under pressure players need to dig in and limit the damage. Another scrappy 1 point win would be an excellent result no matter how it comes about. MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 563 - 02/06/2026 15:14:25 2677358 Link
Replying To yew_tree: "Who did McStay cut that was brought back?" Without naming names did certain players not make themselves unavailable. I think stepping away but not retiring was the term used. Cavan nailed you from the long grass but you put in some performance against Donegal after that. eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 2471 - 02/06/2026 15:56:21 2677376 Link
Replying To eoinog: "Without naming names did certain players not make themselves unavailable. I think stepping away but not retiring was the term used. Cavan nailed you from the long grass but you put in some performance against Donegal after that." Opted out yes but they were not cut. yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 12121 - 02/06/2026 16:41:43 2677380 Link
Replying To yew_tree: "Opted out yes but they were not cut." The writing was on the wall for them. They were not going to get a look in. Mc Stay was going with youth. eoinog (Sligo) - Posts: 2471 - 02/06/2026 16:59:07 2677388 Link
People that were not happy with McStay was to do with the style of play, it was far to cautious and no interest in 2 pointers. They had a good first year but regressed each year after that. If you are on about Cillian O Connor and Hennelly coming back into it, no harm having O Connor around with the good young forwards that coming through, and Hennelly came back in as Reape was taking the year out. Biggest issue is the full back line, and it be great to have any older players call on, a Barrett, Harrison but them type players arent there anymore. Coyne was nominated for all-star last year so Andy needs to get him back into that form. Tyrone will surely use Con Kilpatrick in full forward the next day and Im not sure do Mayo have anyone that could mark him. tommy132 (Mayo) - Posts: 676 - 02/06/2026 17:02:48 2677392 Link
Replying To eoinog: "The writing was on the wall for them. They were not going to get a look in. Mc Stay was going with youth." I don't think there's a single player that McStay gave a debut to in his 3 years that's still starting for the mayo team now. McStay said himself when he took the job how Horan had already managed the transition. MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 563 - 02/06/2026 17:44:18 2677406 Link
Replying To MayoDan: "I don't think there's a single player that McStay gave a debut to in his 3 years that's still starting for the mayo team now. McStay said himself when he took the job how Horan had already managed the transition." Callinan, McBrien, Colm Reape, Jack Coyne recalled after 2 years out, Fenton Kelly, Donnacha McHugh - just 4 of the current 6 backs tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1861 - 03/06/2026 17:44:55 2677722 Link
Replying To tirawleybaron: "Callinan, McBrien, Colm Reape, Jack Coyne recalled after 2 years out, Fenton Kelly, Donnacha McHugh - just 4 of the current 6 backs" Reape and Kelly aren't starting now. The other 4 were all introduced by Horan and in the case of mcbrien would have played a lot more if not for injuries. MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 563 - 04/06/2026 10:10:06 2677781 Link
Replying To MayoDan: "Reape and Kelly aren't starting now. The other 4 were all introduced by Horan and in the case of mcbrien would have played a lot more if not for injuries." The fact is that Callinan, McBrien, Colm Reape, McHugh and Kelly - all made their championship debuts under McStay McStay recalled Jack Coyne recalled after 2 years out (Horan played him once v London, and not again) You cant go counting league matches or FBD. Horan would give any dog on the street a run in the league or FBD only to cut them loose when the rubber hit the road in championship. Sure Horan once described Brian Gallagher as " the real deal". tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1861 - 05/06/2026 11:24:25 2678077 Link
Replying To tirawleybaron: "The fact is that Callinan, McBrien, Colm Reape, McHugh and Kelly - all made their championship debuts under McStay McStay recalled Jack Coyne recalled after 2 years out (Horan played him once v London, and not again) You cant go counting league matches or FBD. Horan would give any dog on the street a run in the league or FBD only to cut them loose when the rubber hit the road in championship. Sure Horan once described Brian Gallagher as " the real deal"." Well that's just not true at all. Look at the 2020-22 championship seasons under Horan... Mullin, eoghan McLaughlin, ROD, Tommy Conroy, Hession, Flynn, Carney all became starting championship players. McBrien would definitely have as well if not for injuries. Callinan and McHugh were too young really to be starting in championship back then but they played in the league. MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 563 - 05/06/2026 12:20:27 2678108 Link
Replying To MayoDan: "Well that's just not true at all. Look at the 2020-22 championship seasons under Horan... Mullin, eoghan McLaughlin, ROD, Tommy Conroy, Hession, Flynn, Carney all became starting championship players. McBrien would definitely have as well if not for injuries. Callinan and McHugh were too young really to be starting in championship back then but they played in the league." In the All ireland final v Dublin in 2021 Rob Hennelly, Pádraig O'Hora, Lee Keegan, Michael Plunkett, Paddy Durcan, Stephen Coen, Oisín Mullin, Matthew Ruane, Conor Loftus, Diarmuid O'Connor, Aidan O'Shea (c), Bryan Walsh, Kevin McLoughlin, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O'Donoghue In the All Ireland Quarter final clipping v Kerry in 2022 (horans last game) The team was Rob Hennelly; Lee Keegan, Oisín Mullin, Enda Hession; Paddy Durcan, Stephen Coen, Eoghan McLaughlin; Aidan O'Shea, Matthew Ruane; Jordan Flynn, Diarmuid O'Connor, Conor Loftus; Kevin McLoughlin, Jack Carney, Cillian O'Connor in 2023 group game away to Kerry - (mayos last serious win) Colm Reape, Jack Coyne, David McBrien, Sam Callinan, Padraig O'Hora, Conor Loftus, Eoghan McLaughlin, Matthew Ruane, Diarmuid O'Connor, Jason Doherty, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn, Aidan O'Shea, James Carr, Ryan O'Donoghue In 2025 - McStays last Game v Donegal Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Enda Hession; Paddy Durcan, David McBrien, Rory Brickenden; Stephen Coen, Matthew Ruane; Conal Dawson, Darren McHale, Bob Tuohy; Jack Carney, Aidan O'Shea, Ryan O'Donoghue. So from Horans last Game to Mcstays last game - there were 7 new players - its simply nonsense to say Horan completed some great transition and handed it to McStay to finish off. The reality is any decent team should be changing 1-2 players per year to keep standards up. tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1861 - 05/06/2026 13:23:27 2678130 Link
Replying To tirawleybaron: "In the All ireland final v Dublin in 2021 Rob Hennelly, Pádraig O'Hora, Lee Keegan, Michael Plunkett, Paddy Durcan, Stephen Coen, Oisín Mullin, Matthew Ruane, Conor Loftus, Diarmuid O'Connor, Aidan O'Shea (c), Bryan Walsh, Kevin McLoughlin, Tommy Conroy, Ryan O'Donoghue In the All Ireland Quarter final clipping v Kerry in 2022 (horans last game) The team was Rob Hennelly; Lee Keegan, Oisín Mullin, Enda Hession; Paddy Durcan, Stephen Coen, Eoghan McLaughlin; Aidan O'Shea, Matthew Ruane; Jordan Flynn, Diarmuid O'Connor, Conor Loftus; Kevin McLoughlin, Jack Carney, Cillian O'Connor in 2023 group game away to Kerry - (mayos last serious win) Colm Reape, Jack Coyne, David McBrien, Sam Callinan, Padraig O'Hora, Conor Loftus, Eoghan McLaughlin, Matthew Ruane, Diarmuid O'Connor, Jason Doherty, Jack Carney, Jordan Flynn, Aidan O'Shea, James Carr, Ryan O'Donoghue In 2025 - McStays last Game v Donegal Colm Reape; Jack Coyne, Donnacha McHugh, Enda Hession; Paddy Durcan, David McBrien, Rory Brickenden; Stephen Coen, Matthew Ruane; Conal Dawson, Darren McHale, Bob Tuohy; Jack Carney, Aidan O'Shea, Ryan O'Donoghue. So from Horans last Game to Mcstays last game - there were 7 new players - its simply nonsense to say Horan completed some great transition and handed it to McStay to finish off. The reality is any decent team should be changing 1-2 players per year to keep standards up." Thanks. I forgot about O'Hora, Plunkett, Ruane and Bryan Walsh. Another 4 players Horan gave championship debuts to in his second term. Yet apparently he cuts all these players loose come championship? MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 563 - 05/06/2026 13:37:40 2678137 Link
Replying To MayoDan: "Thanks. I forgot about O'Hora, Plunkett, Ruane and Bryan Walsh. Another 4 players Horan gave championship debuts to in his second term. Yet apparently he cuts all these players loose come championship?" O Hora, Plunkett and Walsh didn't last long. Horan was ruthless with a lot of players - it drove the squad on to excellence. That's not a bad thing. The last 4 years its been harder to get off the team than onto it. tirawleybaron (Mayo) - Posts: 1861 - 05/06/2026 17:58:59 2678215 Link