RTÉ Sport has chosen 6 players to follow through the 2018 Championship. We will look at their careers to date, aims for 2018 and what success looks like for them and their counties. First under the spotlight is Mayo forward Conor Loftus.
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And so the journey begins again. Sixty-seven years on from when Mayo last claimed the Sam Maguire, MacHale Park is the first stop on the latest trek to finally banish the now almost endless sea of heartache.
Galway are on the rise and are eyeing a hat-trick of consecutive championship wins over their neighbours ahead of Sunday's Connacht quarter-final.
In the eyes of many, Mayo's failure to land the ultimate prize in recent seasons is as much down to their lack of scoring threat up front. Former Donegal boss Jim McGuinness said it's been their "Achilles heel" and that when he looks for a gifted forward in their lineup, "I don't see that player".
Is Conor Loftus the one who can make a difference in this summer campaign?
The Crossmolina clubman introduced himself with telling effect when scoring a crucial goal in Mayo’s triumph over Cork in the 2016 All-Ireland Under-21 final.
Before that he was one of the key players on the Green and Red minor side that claimed All-Ireland glory in 2013.
In progressing to the seniors, Loftus as of yet has failed to nail down a regular starting spot. That said, when sprung from the bench against Derry in last season’s nerve-tingling qualifier, the youngster cracked home the goal that saved Mayo’s bacon in normal time.
Seven weeks ago, Loftus was in from the start against Donegal and was unerring under pressure as he nailed vital frees that helped Mayo preserve their top-flight league status. Not a bad replacement then for Cillian O’Connor, who a week earlier hobbled off after less than five minutes with a hamstring injury against Tyrone.
The word out of Mayo is that O’Connor will play some part against Galway in Castlebar. If that comes to pass, it’s unclear whether Loftus will make the starting XV.
Former Mayo player John Casey has followed Loftus’ career closely, stressing his contribution as an impact sub.
Speaking to RTÉ Sport, he said: "He's a player that seems to give more coming off the bench for the seniors rather than starting. That, in some ways, has been a worry.
"When Conor Loftus starts, he gets the curly finger; he doesn’t play well. When he comes on in games, he has an impact."
Casey believes Loftus will start against Galway, adding that "his performance in Mayo’s last important game" will see him in from the off.
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The said performance came against Donegal and the Charlestown native feels the time has come for Loftus to nail that starting berth.
"I would have declared him as the great white hope after watching him in that All-Ireland U21 final," he revealed.
"The goal (Mayo's fourth) he scored against Cork was an absolute stunner.
"It was probably one of the best goals I ever watched at a live game. The easier thing would have been to tap the ball over the bar.
"We all agree that Conor needs to move to the next level after seeing glimpses of his potential up to now"
"He is a goal getter and he's got us out of jail a couple of times since.
"He stepped up to the mark big time against Donegal in the last round of the league. In the absence of Cillian O’Connor, he kicked some incredible scores.
"The pleasing thing is they weren't straight forward kicks. He has it in him to make an even greater contribution."
In assessing Loftus’ career to date, Mike Finnerty of the Mayo News pondered where his best position is when asked by RTÉ Sport.
"He plays centre forward for his club and there would be a feeling that his best position is in the half-forward line coming onto the ball," he concluded.
"He has explosive pace but he does need some space to work with when he gets the ball.
"He finds it hard to make inroads against packed defences. That was very much the case against Galway in the league, where he was called ashore in the second half.
"We all agree that Conor needs to move to the next level after seeing glimpses of his potential up to now."
On that potential, Finnerty added: "He was a brilliant minor on the Mayo team that won the All-Ireland in 2013. He had injury problems after '13 and that stunted his development. He has had a clear run of injuries in the last 12 months. He's been playing good stuff for his club in the league even though they have not been going well.
"He showed great maturity in the Donegal game. He took over the free-taking and kicked some pressure scores.
"If Cillian doesn’t make it on Sunday, Conor is the man to come in. If Cillian is fit and Conor doesn’t start, we know that when the call comes, his pace and his ability to roam around the place will make a difference."
Follow Mayo v Galway via our live blog on RTÉ.ie and the News Now App, watch exclusive television coverage on RTÉ2 or listen to exclusive national radio commentary on RTÉ Radio 1.
