Kobe-mania adding to Mayo's positive vibes
Mayo got back in the groove after their reality check in Letterkenny.
2-30 is an amazing scoreline to run up even if it did come against comfortably the worst team in the league.
Several players were in fine fettle. Jordan Flynn and Fergal Boland were bombing over two-pointers. Aidan O'Shea blasted a terrific goal. Darragh Beirne added to his reputation again.
But there's only one name on anyone's lips...
I suppose it's in keeping with the overall Mayo football experience that we produce a prodigy and then he's whisked off to Australia before he goes to college.
Kobe was lightning in his cameo in Clones and is the talk of the GAA world but it's nothing we haven't seen before.
I first trained with him when he was 13 years of age. Back at the height of Covid, our training sessions were restricted to small pods, organised on a regional basis within the county. There were still travel restrictions in place at the time.
Ciaran McDonald was a selector with James Horan at the time and he brought his son along.
Even back then, his kicking ability was incredible. It was obviously reminiscent of the father, even if Kobe is a right footer, while Ciaran was left-sided.
Kobe McDonald hit the headlines after his Clones cameo
At club level, he's been our tormentor. We played Crossmolina in a county semi-final in Charlestown last year and he kicked about 10 points. It was a humdinger of a match.
When you're in the middle of a game, you would rarely take the time to stand and admire an opposition player in full flow - nor would it be encouraged. But it was hard not to be mesmerised that evening.
It's rare you see a 17-year old stroking over long range points with such ease, catching balls over people's heads, landing 55-metre frees with 10 yards to spare.
During the game, I remember being wrecked, thinking "f**k me, this kid is next level!"
We won the game in extra-time - partly after ensuring Kobe was double-marked (or maybe it was triple-marked) for the additional 20 minutes.
So yeah, six possessions, 1-04 on the scoreboard plus an assist for another score. There's no arguing with that for a cameo debut. There was great joie de vivre about him and he made sure to celebrate his goal.
It was certainly a good situation to come into, with the game already won against a beaten docket Monaghan side who'd been run ragged.
It'll be a different test this weekend if he was to start. Which wouldn't surprise me. Such is his quality, I think it's more than likely that he'll have a starting place come championship.
We have to enjoy him being here while we can. And then it looks like we'll have to let him go... but who knows what the future holds...
Connacht is staking a claim to be the new Ulster, with all three teams in Division 1 going fairly well. The Rossies are still taking the league by storm and they took their neighbours' scalp in Salthill. They made sure to let the Galway natives know about it afterwards, as is their wont.
I saw the Paddy Joe Burke monologue in the barber shop from ten (or nine?) years ago floating around again - "we blew them into Galway Bay!! Yeh-hay!!!"
The game was a cracker - by all accounts. We have to add that caveat given that no one outside the 6,000 in attendance saw the match live. The rest of which were forced to sit through a low-paced stroll in Croke Park, Kerry beating Dublin without ever having to rev through the gears.
Enda Smith with Roscommon supporters after their win in Salthill
We know all the Rossies' forward line, which is bursting with talent. Every inch of the form guide suggests they should beat the Dubs in the Hyde this weekend. Having been relegation favourites at the outset, there's every chance they could pitch up in a Division 1 final this year.
The two best games in Division 1 this weekend are Mayo-Armagh and Donegal-Galway.
Armagh's showing against Donegal was a continuation of what we've become used to with them in this league campaign. Loads of possession and chances, too many of them wasted. Their failure again to score any goals against Donegal was to do with conversion rather than decision-making.
In every other respect, they're doing little wrong. Their defence is still excellent - Enda McGinley did a good piece on the quality of the tackling in the Armagh-Donegal game - and they're winning plenty of possession and thriving in the piggery stakes, regardless of Geezer's misgivings.
Based on Mayo's form and the buoyancy around at present, I reckon they'll do enough to edge this one in Castlebar.
Eight points is the magic number. We thought it wasn't possible to get relegated on seven points until the events of 2025 confirmed otherwise. But there's no way you'll be going down on eight. Mayo have the chance to hit the tally on Sunday and then look ahead to the championship.
Donegal are already there, of course, and a league final appearance is in their grasp. I can't see them easing off the throttle this year with a four-week gap until their Ulster championship opener.
Galway have a pretty good record against them and their form is still decent despite the two home losses. It's hard to back them to get a result up in Ballyshannon all the same. It's a case of one team who are nearly at full strength and another who seem to be permanently ravaged by injury.
Padraic Joyce said Galway were in a relegation battle after their loss against Roscommon. But with games against Monaghan and Dublin left, I think they should be fine.
Watch Kildare v Meath in the Allianz Football League on Saturday from 6.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport. Listen to Saturday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch Allianz League Sunday from 9.35pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on the RTÉ News App and on rte.ie/sport. Listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
