Connacht success key for Mayo despite dodgy draw

The Connacht final winners on Sunday will have the dubious reward of a meeting with Derry first up in the group phase but provincial deciders between Galway and Mayo are special nonetheless.

The draw didn't do many favours for either team to be honest, with a group which is certain to involve Dublin awaiting the loser. But it was car crash stuff for the winner, who are thrown in with Derry and the Ulster runners-up, to boot.

The caveat here, of course, is that three teams get through the group phase. Had it been two teams progressing - as it should be - then Group 1 would be an absolute bloodbath and some might even argue that the two teams in Salthill would be left wondering whether it's actually in their interests to win the game.

As it is, that shouldn't apply. Especially for Mayo, who I think will be keen to put some silverware on the table for Kevin McStay and Stephen Rochford.

Rochy, in particular. It's mad to think he's won an Ulster medal as a coach but still has no Connacht title won (at county level anyway). We lost to Galway three years on the spin during his stint as manager. He's never even been in a Connacht final! It's mental. And in his term he brought us within a whisker of winning an All-Ireland twice.

At the time, it was no big deal given that for us back then, the All-Ireland was the only game in town. Most of us already had an armful of Connacht medals at that stage anyway.

But now, it might annoy him, especially after the ambush last year. McStay, too, will be eager to get a Connacht title under his belt as manager, just to tick that box. For the younger players, the likes of David McBrien and Sam Callinan, etc, it's important to get that first Connacht medal on the board.

At the minute, where Mayo are in