Selection headaches in store for manager

From the soundings coming from Andy Moran’s press conference last Thursday, news on the injury front for Mayo is positive.

Only vice-captain Darren McHale – a big loss all year – is ruled out. It means Moran may well have players like Diarmuid O’Connor, Paddy Durcan and Eoin McGreal available to him.

O’Connor and Durcan both missed the Cork game while McGreal went off injured in the first-half.

Cillian O’Connor and James Carr are both knocking on the door for making the 26 too. It looks Moran could have his most competitive match day squad out all year.

These are good headaches for managers but headaches nonetheless and it will be intriguing and revealing in equal measure what 15 Moran sends out against Louth.

Does he start Tommy Conroy? The Neale man is back to his 2021 form and while he definitely is good enough to start, the temptation to bring on a fresh Conroy at or after half-time against tiring defenders is definitely there.

Especially when you have such quality players besides. Moran started with a left-field call of Paul Towey at 11 against Cork with Ryan O’Donoghue at 14, with Darragh Beirne and Kobe McDonald either side of him.

When Conroy came on for Towey, he went to full-forward and O’Donoghue went to 11.

I’m not sure the Belmullet man got the credit he warranted for his display against the Rebels. O’Donoghue scored eight points (five from play) but his fingerprints were on so much more. He played a key role in another six points and they showed his full repertoire from winning breaks, forcing turnovers, drawing defenders with a driving run and creating space for others. He made mistakes but his incessant work-rate, determination and skill marked him out as the game’s stand out player in this writer’s view.

A big consideration for Moran is where to play him – he was very influential both at 14 and 11.

If he starts Conroy, O’Donoghue likely starts at 11 and could be useful in the breaking ball contests as well as being creative.

If Conroy is held, Moran could start any one of Towey, Conor Loftus, Cian McHale or bolters like James Carr or Cillian O’Connor and place O’Donoghue accordingly.

The next question is if Mayo decide to beef up around the middle given Louth’s physicality in this area. Moran has options here too. He will likely start Jack Carney, Bob Tuohy and Jordan Flynn. Mattie Ruane came on to good effect against Cork. There may be concerns about Aidan O’Shea in Croke Park in terms of legs but he could be a live option for a set period of time on some Louth players.

Someone young like Séamus Howard or Hugh O’Loughlin could very much come into the mix while Diarmuid O’Connor has often been a great man for winning breaking ball and looked back to his best form against Meath.

Defensively, if McGreal and Durcan are available, it will be a very difficult back six to pick. How much of it will be a horses for courses approach against a physical Louth half-forward line or how much of it will be Mayo trying to impose their own game?

Players like Durcan, Stephen Coen, Enda Hession or Sam Callinan could find themselves in the half-forward line, with the latter two possible foils for the danger of Craig Lennon.

Does the Sam Mulroy task fall to Donnacha McHugh? Potentially, but Mayo have other options too. Indeed, Andy Moran, Colm Boyle and Paddy Tally are bursting at the seams with options all over the field.

One thing is for sure – if the injury news is accurate, picking a 26, never mind a 15, is going to be extremely challenging. As is deciding the best roles for particular players.

Such is the competition for places that players with perfectly legitimate claims to start may not even make the 26.

Just the way any manager would want it to be at this stage of the season.