O'Mahony won't be holding back

Connacht Championship build-up: Trouble can come at you in all directions when defending a provincial title. Armagh and Cork were reminded of that lesson the hard way last weekend. Galway next face the juncture when hosting Roscommon on Sunday and manager John O'Mahony has never been more aware that this is the time of year when form and expectations hold little value.

For the third year in succession the counties collide at the same stage, and so far their meetings have epitomised the precarious nature of the provincial championship. Two years ago Galway were ousted as Connacht champions by Roscommon, but then returned the same infliction a year ago.

The arrival of the All-Ireland qualifiers has undoubtedly put a new shape on the provincial title, with one theory suggesting that counties might actually be better off without it. Yet O'Mahony views the results of last Sunday as a mere reflection of championship football, rather than as any change in the emphasis on winning the provincial title.

"I think what the Armagh and Cork defeats indicate most of all is that there is still great uncertainty about the championship," he says. "And particularly about the early rounds of it.

"Form really can go out the door, partly because any team that is preparing for the championship has a valley period of about five or six weeks after the league, where you can play challenge games or whatever but you don't really know your true form.

"But I don't think you can draw the conclusion that Armagh or Cork went out there not too worried about the first round. I'd say there was just some uncertainty about their form. But I suppose as well it might be that after last Sunday teams will be even more wary about their first round matches."

The fact is, however, that two provincial champions have already fallen at the first hurdle. And last year all four provincial football champions failed to successfully defend their titles. O'Mahony doesn't believe that sort of trend points to any definite demeaning of the provincial title as a result of some contrasting trends in All-Ireland qualifiers.

"I don't think it's any reflection at all on the provincial championship, that teams might not be as eager to win it. As far as I know they still are.

"I still think the provincial championship is a strong part of the ethos and the culture of the GAA, and that the tribalism and rivalry between neighbouring counties still counts enough for no team to take their opponents for granted. So our only intention for Sunday is to win, and I know it's the same for Roscommon.

Last year Galway happened to provide the perfect example of how winning the provincial title can leave a team open to more questionable form come the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Having beaten Sligo for the Connacht title on June 30th, Galway then endured five weeks of isolation before meeting Kerry in the quarter-final, where they suffered a heavy eight-point loss.

"Well that would still be one of the disadvantages at the moment of going through the front door system," admits O'Mahony. "But I still don't think any team would swap a provincial crown for having a game every week or two weeks or whatever. In my opinion teams only go into that situation if they have to, and not because of any voluntary interest."

Nor does O'Mahony see any way of compensating for the potential lay-off. If a team slows down their training in early summer on the basis that it is better to peak in late summer then there is always the danger that they won't get the opportunity to play at their finest.

"Well you will always vary your training a little bit from year to year, but it's not about adjusting your training schedule to peak later in the season, because you just can't presume you'll be there later on to actually use that adjustment.

"It's more a question of twigging the training schedule along the way, because you certainly can't be planning for any long-term peak."