Rochford’s powerful backroom team

Mayo managerial hopeful Stephen Rochford is piecing together a formidable backroom team, including Donie Buckley and Tony McEntee, as he gears up for the final stage of the process to replace Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes with the Connacht champions.

Corofin manager Rochford, a six-time county championship winner with Crossmolina, is regarded as the hot favourite to be in charge of the Mayo footballers next season, though ex-manager James Horan is still regarded as a contender.

Nominations close tomorrow week for contenders, with Mayo GAA executives looking to have their man in place a week thereafter. Rochford, who has completed thee Galway championships in-a-row with Corofin this autumn, is hoping to keep Donie Buckley involved in 2016, and is also lining up Crossmaglen All-Ireland winner Tony McEntee, as coach. McEntee has been in charge of Dublin’s St Brigid’s for the last two seasons, and could take sessions in the capital, where a number of the Mayo squad are domiciled.

Irish rugby international Gavin Duffy could also be involved for strength and conditioning, which will still be overseen by Barry Solan, who is now employed by Arsenal on a contract basis.

Ex-Limerick manager Maurice Horan, who hails from Ballinrobe, has also been mentioned as a possible member of Rochford’s management team, but he now lives in Tralee, where he assisted Kerins O’Rahillys this season, to considerable acclaim.

Rochford is regarded as short-odds favourite to be ratified for the Mayo hot seat next month.