To the surprise of many, Mayo are in yet another Division 1 final after a dramatic final day of the Allianz Leagues on Sunday.
For much of Sunday's game against Donegal, Kevin McStay's side found themselves on the verge of being relegated to Division 2, with a razor thin margin between the two ends of the table.
However, an impressive late rally in Castlebar, combined with results elsewhere, catapulted Mayo from relegation to top of the table and a spot in the final next Sunday against Kerry.
There may have been incentive for some teams to avoid the league finals due to quick turnaround to championship fixtures, something much maligned within the GAA community in recent weeks.
However, that does not detract from Mayo's impressive performances en route to reaching the decider. Dublin legend Paul Flynn believes that the revamped Gaelic football ruleset could be quietly playing into the Westerners' hands ahead of the 2025 championship season.
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Paul Flynn thinks new Gaelic football rules play into Mayo's hands
23 March 2025; Mayo manager Kevin McStay during the Allianz Football League Division 1 match between Mayo and Donegal at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park in Castlebar, Mayo. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
Speaking on this week's 'Second Captains' GAA podcast, ex-Dub Paul Flynn explained why he felt the new-look Gaelic football could be perfect for the historically "chaotic" Mayo.
Flynn was part of the Dublin team that shared a superb, infamous decade-long rivalry with Mayo during the 2010s. Many of the core of that Mayo team remain part of the setup, and Flynn believes that they may be building the perfect storm with the new Gaelic football rulebook.
The four-time All-Star said that Kerry v Mayo was the ideal final matchup, and explained why the latter side could flourish as the season progresses.
For me, these are the two teams that are going to...if you asked that question to me, 'Which teams would be the happiest?' - I think it's this two.
Mayo...how many times have we said that, 'The chaotic, unpredictable.' The game is now chaotic and unpredictable. It actually couldn't have played out any better for them.
The first two games, when I watched them, I was on The Sunday Game and I said I thought they could be relegated. Now look at them in the league final...they could have been [relegated] the way it played out.
Their performances have been so positive. It's all been predicated on the fact that they huddled in at one stage and said, 'You know what? We're going man-to-man now.' As long as I've played Mayo, whenever they go man-to-man on you, that's their sweet spot. Things are a little bit crazy, it's high-risk-high-reward, but it suits them. The way they play football, it suits them, high octane stuff.
They've unearthed some really positive players...they've got new energy and impetus about them.
Mayo are going to be really positive about this. I don't know how they're going to take to this league final, I think McStay, the way he goes on, they will go for it. Regardless of the outcome on the weekend, they're two teams that will be more settled in how they play going forward.
They may have begun the year as outsiders but, should they triumph in the league final, Mayo may well climb in many punters' power rankings.
Mayo take on Kerry in Sunday's Division One final at Croke Park, with throw-in at 4pm. The game is live on TG4, with tickets available through Ticketmaster.
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