Mayo v Tyrone talking points: Patience could be the secret to ending the longest of waits

Our writers pick our four major talking points as Mayo and Tyrone do battle for the Sam Maguire Cup at Croke Park

Sat, 11 Sep, 2021 - 07:00

Maybe Tyrone’s name is simply on the cup

You take all your variables that normally give an idea of where teams can gain a foothold, a platform to win. Kickouts. Turnovers. Scoring threats. Conditioning. The ability of management to react to what is happening on the pitch.

The inclination of the referee. Is he whistle-happy? Does he have it in for a particular team? Who will it suit?

The conditions (forecast for dry, a nice temperature of 18C, slight breeze) and how it might affect handling. Defensive match-ups, attacking ploys. And if you are stuck, the great imponderable and pointlessness of who has the greatest ‘hunger.’ You throw all that into the mix and soon you realise you can fashion a persuasive counter-argument to every factor that minimises the impact of each and every thing.

What will decide it is a freak occurrence. A petulant swing back of an arm and a player play-acting to get an opponent red-carded. A penalty shout not given. A shot and a rebound that falls kindly for the onrushing player, as it did twice for Tyrone in their semi-final.

And luck. Right now, it feels as if Tyrone’s luck is in. They rode it big time against Donegal with Michael Murphy not only missing a penalty, but getting himself sent off shortly afterwards. They are the only team — get this — to voluntarily LEAVE the All-Ireland Championship, in order to give themselves a better chance of winning it.

It’s corny, it’s trite, it’s cheesy, but you know… Maybe Tyrone’s name is simply on the cup.

Declan Bogue

Which superstition do Mayo buy into?

After losing two finals Joe McQuillan has officiated, Mayo will be hoping it’s third time lucky with the Cavan referee.

McQuillan was in charge of the 2013 match when Donegal bested them and again four years later as Dublin came out on top. He was also the referee for the drawn All-Ireland semi-final between Mayo and Dublin in 2015, although Mayo have won in Croke Park when he has been involved, the 2012 semi-final being the obvious example. However, Mayo have not fared well in semi-finals and finals where the referee has hailed from the same province — ’15 semi-final, 2016 final, and ’20 final.

On the other hand, Mayo are in the Hill 16 side dressing room under the Hogan Stand where Dublin were for the last six All-Ireland finals. Kerry were also there before beating Donegal in 2014 as were Dublin the previous year in seeing off Mayo, as were Donegal in 2012 seeing off Mayo as were Dublin winning in ’11. Get the picture? And how have Mayo done in the Hill 16 dressing room? Beat Tipperary in last year’s All-Ireland semi-final as well as the 2016 one, beat Tyrone in the ’13 semi-final and ’16 quarter-final.

John Fogarty

Can Darragh and Peter Canavan join an illustrious club today?

The GAA has always been defined by families, where bloodlines flow from one generation to the next, passing on traditions and talent like heirlooms. That was never more evident than in the 2018 All-Ireland hurling final; four of the Limerick starting team — Nickie Quaid, Seán Finn, Gearóid Hegarty, and Seamus Flanagan — are sons of former Limerick players — Tommy Quaid, Brian Finn, Ger Hegarty and John Flanagan; three of that Galway starting team — Gearóid McInerney, Joseph Cooney, and Johnny Coen — are sons of former Galway players — Gerry McInerney, Joe Cooney, and Tommy Coen. The previous year, McInerney and Cooney managed to achieve what their fathers did — win an All-Ireland senior medal.

A significant amount of current inter-county teams are populated by sons of former players but the focus always narrows on an individual when they are the son of an icon. Darragh Canavan is still trying to establish himself on this Tyrone team but today, Canavan will seek to emulate what his father, Peter, first achieved 18 years ago.

There have been multiple examples of fathers and sons winning All-Ireland senior medals, especially in recent years with Dublin and the Brogans, McCarthys, and Rocks. But there has been minimal history of that achievement in Ulster. Only two sons have managed to win All-Irelands on the field of play, just as their fathers had done — Mark and Martin McHugh with Donegal in 2012 and 1992, and Jim and James McCartan with Down in 1960, 1961 and 1991 and 1994.

Christy O’Connor

Will Mayo get the right balance between Horanball and Rochfordball?

The last time these counties met in championship, Tyrone were considerably hotter favourites than Mayo are now. But Mayo stunned and turned them over in that 2016 All-Ireland quarter-final. Instead of playing Mayo — Horanball — in their second home as Tyrone had anticipated, Stephen Rochford along with Donie Buckley and Tony McEntee decided to mirror Tyrone. In fact their theme up in headquarters for the remainder of that season was “to out-Tyrone Tyrone and out-Dublin Dublin”. That’s largely why they pushed Dublin so hard both that autumn and the following September. They were happy in chaos. But the key to out-Tyroning Tyrone was all about order. Structure. Control. Or as Chris Barrett and Seamus O’Shea pointed out in a Mayo News podcast this week, patience. Hold onto the ball for three or four minutes at a time if necessary. “If you don’t give the ball away, [Tyrone] will find it hard to score,” said Barrett.

That is not the football James Horan is renowned for, and this year they’ve had limited exposure to playing against a side that sets up like Tyrone. But even more so than in his first tenure he is open to suggestions from his veterans. Their recent conversations may have included how Mayo had such faith in that 2016 gameplan, and that such pragmatism, married with the game-breaking transition ability that Horan has championed, could be the winning blend.

Patience could be the secret to ending the longest of waits.

Kieran Shannon