Connacht crown the prize but Mayo not getting ahead of themselves, insists Rochford

Kevin McStay's side begin their championship against Sligo this weekend.

HARD YARDS: Mayo selector Stephen Rochford speaks to his team before the game. Pic: INPHO/James Crombie

Given how they went down to Killarney and turned over Kerry in their first ever All-Ireland series group fixture, it might seem superfluous to make the argument that Mayo have suffered for not winning a provincial title in the current Sam Maguire format.

Of course, to focus on that rare championship turning over of Kerry on home soil is to ignore the fact that Mayo failed to top their group in the two years of the current format and fell at the preliminary quarter-final stage in one of those years.