EDITORIAL: Mayo team not expected to challenge for Sam Maguire glory this year

IT’S HARD to believe, but it has been almost seven months since Mayo last played a championship match. It was June 22 when Derry came to Hastings Insurance MacHale Park and came away with a dramatic penalty shoot-out victory in the Preliminary Quarter-Final. Mayo’s loyal band of followers have had to endure a long wait to see their side back in competitive action.
In light of this, we can expect a big crowd to travel to Croke Park next Saturday evening as Kevin McStay and his side get their National Football League campaign underway with an eagerly awaited clash with old foes Dublin.
It is difficult to assess where Mayo are at present as they set out on another season, but it’s fair to say that the bookmakers are not expecting too much from the side in 2025.
They are 6/4 favourites to get relegated from Division One this season, and they are also the 11/1 outsiders of the eight teams attempting to win the top division in the competition.
Mayo are also as big as 16/1 to win Sam Maguire, so those charged with judging the chances of the top teams in the country truly believe that 2025 is going to be a tough season for everyone involved with the Green and Red. This is probably the case, as most from outside the county will see Mayo as a team in transition with so many of the mainstays of the last decade having now retired.
Cillian O’Connor’s decision to step away for the 2025 season is also a substantial loss, and it looks like Mayo’s best player from last season, Aidan O’Shea, will not be available until the latter stages of the league campaign.
But it’s not all doom and gloom for Kevin McStay and his Mayo team. It’s true they will be fielding a side no longer filled with household names, but a number of the squad gained very valuable experience in 2024, and they should be raring to get their season off to a flyer in Croke Park on Saturday evening.

Under the radar
It may also suit Mayo that they are, as such, coming in under the radar in 2025. The expectation every season to be challenging for top honours brings its own level of pressure, and it could suit the team well that they are not being expected to challenge on all fronts.
With the split-season model now tried and tested, you really have to hit the ground running, and the games will come thick and fast for the first third of the year.
Early results will also dictate the mood in the county, so a win on Saturday in the capital would be a great start. After that, Mayo have two home games, first against near neighbours Galway, and then at home to Tyrone, before making the journey to All-Ireland champions Armagh in late February.
Their final three matches are at home to Kerry, away to Derry and then a home tie with Donegal on March 23.
It’s fair to say that Kevin McStay would settle for the retention of Mayo’s Division One status. To do that his side will probably have to win three of their seven matches at least. It’s a tall order when you look at the fixtures ahead of them, but the matches should at least be very competitive, and the team will be looking to gather some momentum in the league ahead of what will be a tricky championship opener against Sligo on the first weekend in April.

Emotional occasion
It’s a big weekend of GAA so early in the year, as Sunday sees Crossmolina also in Croke Park to play in the All-Ireland Intermediate Club Final. Everyone involved with the club has been through a horrific few weeks since the tragic passing of Róisín Cyran, the fiancée of Crossmolina and Mayo player, Conor Loftus.
It is certain to be a very emotional occasion on Sunday when the Crossmolina players take to the field to play Derry and Ulster champions Ballinderry. Best of luck to the north Mayo men who are looking to win an All-Ireland club title for the second time in their history.