Joe Brolly has taken a typically sharp swipe at Mayo ahead of their Connacht Championship meeting with Roscommon, arguing they have no right to view themselves as the superior footballing county.
Writing in his column in the Irish Independent, Brolly suggested that Mayo’s reputation doesn’t stack up when you look at the standard of club football within the county.
He described the current Mayo side as “a hotchpotch of decent players,” pointing to what he sees as a lack of consistent top-level quality, with one standout exception.
Their ordinariness, save for Kobe McDonald, exemplified by the standard of club football in the county.
Joe Brolly Takes Unexpected Swipe At Mayo County Champions
Joe Brolly then turned his attention to Ballina Stephenites, who have dominated the county championship in recent years, winning the last three titles.
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However, he was far from impressed.
“A mediocre Ballina Stephenites team… have won the last three championships,” he said, contrasting them with what he described as the far superior Stephenites teams of the 2000s.
He also highlighted their struggles at provincial level, noting that despite relatively straightforward routes through Mayo, they have been well beaten once stepping up in Connacht.
They got the London champions… before being whacked by the Galway, Sligo and Roscommon champions respectively.
It’s a particularly pointed critique given Brolly’s own recent involvement in Mayo club football, having been part of the Knockmore management team that were beaten by Ballina in last year’s county semi-final.
Despite the criticism, Joe Brolly acknowledged the entertainment value that Mayo sides bring but argued it costs them when it comes to big games.
They are, like all Mayo teams, giddy and unpredictable, speedy and disorganised… all of which makes them the most exciting team in the country.
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