Mayo hurlers aiming for double in Croker
Mayo joint managers Ray Larkin (pictured) and Brian Finn are confident of leading the county to a league an championship double this year. Picture: Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
Mayo will look to join their opponents Donegal as the most successful team in the history of the Nicky Rackard Cup when they meet once again the final at Croke Park.
Donegal have won this competition three times - 2013, 2018 and 2020 – and the last of these was against the Green and Red. A good omen for Mayo will be that their two previous victories 2016 and 2021 were also against Ulster opponents in the shape of Armagh and Tyrone respectively and joint managers Ray Larkin and Brian Finn are optimistic they can add another.
“Yeah, there's a good vibe in the camp,” said Larkin. “We’re really looking forward to it now. As I said before, I suppose Donegal will go in as favourites, but I think we'll be quite confident ourselves. If we can hurl the way we can hurl, there won't be much in it.” It’s been a pretty seamless year for the duo, who took over late last year. They won the National League Division 3A title and booked their spot in Croke Park with a draw over Roscommon. Their only defeat in the group came against their opponents in the decider in Letterkenny as an out-of-sorts Mayo were deservedly beaten.
“It was great (to win the league). After topping of the league, it would have been a pity to lose to Sligo. It's probably the first bit of silverware that some of the lads have won with the county. You can't beat winning and you know it's great to get a cup. Hopefully on Sunday we'll have another cup to go with it again.
Larkin added: “(Donegal) are hurling really well but I think it was actually our own mistakes that maybe let them win it. Brian has said we’ve learned from those and we’ve tried to rectify them. The lads are good, positive now and all gone well we'll get over the line.
“We didn't do ourselves any justice on the day. I think we were two points up going into the second half and just didn't hurl well in the second half at all. We had only one shot from playing in the second half, which is unlike our lads, when we were able to put up big scores. We’ve improved since that game. We’ve worked on stuff in training and as we said before they're coming in to good form at the moment.”
A further sign of strength for Mayo has been the emergence of players on the panel coming from junior clubs in the county such as Caiseal Gaels and Moytura, with 13 players from junior clubs playing senior inter-county hurling this year, eight of them having never played senior hurling before. Making the jump is a big one but Brian Finn says them have stepped up well, and senior stars such as Adrian Phillips and David Kenny have helped along the way.
“It's huge for them lads and the learning for them is huge. They have made an impact. Five or six of them have made a big stand and put their hands up looking for a place.
“It's their first year involved with the senior (for the eight) in any shape or form so it's huge for them as well and for those lads to get to Croke Park this year, it's massive and they're really looking forward to it.
“I think they have learned from the mistakes we've made along the way. They have improved on the good things and we have tweaked the bad or the mistakes. Injuries are nearly gone. We feel we're in a good place. We're very confident that we have every chance to go up there and make a mark on the day.” “A few of the senior lads have brought those lads in and taken them under their wing and helped them as they go along. They’ve talked them through games and talked them through things that haven't worked out for them and made them feel part of the whole set-up and they're comfortable in what they're doing.”
As well as the fresh faces from the junior clubs, Ballyhaunis hurler Eoghan Collins and Tooreen duo Kenny Feeney and Sean Mulroy have returned to the panel for added depth as well as young stars like Tooreen’s Conal Hession.
The start of the year may have had targets likes consolidation in the Nicky Rackard but after the league win and performances in the championships, the targets have now changed and Mayo looking for another Nicky Rackard Cup, which will see Mayo back in Christy Ring next year “ At this stage of the year it would mean everything to go and win it. At the start of the year, we still were developing the group that we have. We would have settled for maintaining our status in the championship and holding middle ground but as the championship went on and we won games, you keep setting your target higher and our target now is to go and win the final.
“We have a great panel of lads and they've put in a huge amount of work, from the very experienced to the new. I'm really looking forward to it,” Finn concluded.
