EDITORIAL: Mayo in good place for strong league-title defence

The value of winning a league title for the Mayo senior football team in 2024 has been much debated, but after last Saturday night’s thrilling victory over Dublin, Kevin McStay and his team will be happy to be sitting on top of the Division One table after two games.
Beating both Galway and Dublin will have given the squad an early-season confidence boost, and there is bound to be a buzz around training for the next two weeks as the team gears up for a much-anticipated third-round clash with Kerry in Tralee.
It is extremely unfortunate that the final of the national league will take place just a few days before Mayo are due to fly to New York to begin their championship campaign on Sunday, April 7. But there is no doubt that winning is a good habit, and Mayo found a way to close out last Saturday’s game against Dublin without playing particularly well for long stages.
Players of the calibre of Diarmuid O’Connor, Enda Hession, Matthew Ruane and James Carr should be returning from injury in the coming weeks, and they all will be needed to add depth to the squad ahead of some really tough challenges during the rest of the league.
Having also made a great start, Derry are currently league favourites with the bookies, and it is heartening to see that there are plenty of teams now throwing their hat in the ring to claim Sam Maguire in 2024.

Great atmosphere
Many in Dublin fans who travelled to Castlebar were pointing to the fact that it is only February, saying and their side are probably a little undercooked at present. However, Dessie Farrell and his charges put in a huge effort on Saturday night, and the atmosphere under the lights in Hastings Insurance MacHale Park was certainly one to be savoured.
Next weekend’s break comes at a good time for a buoyant Mayo side. After that, the action really does come thick and fast, with a trip to Healy Park in Tyrone following the Kerry clash and then another cracker under the lights against near neighbours Roscommon.
Mayo’s last two games in the division are at home to Derry on St Patrick’s Day, with a trip to Clones on March 24 to take on Monaghan in the final round.
Many have argued that an appearance in the league final on March 31 could do Mayo more harm that good, but the reality is there are only two national titles on offer in any given year, and putting together back-to-back titles would be a fair feather in Kevin McStay’s cap in his first two seasons in charge.
The 2024 GAA season is now truly up and running, and Mayo’s large and loyal band of followers will certainly be looking forward to cheering on the team for the rest of what is shaping up to be an exciting season.