Galway GAA discussion thread

crusier wrote:

In fairness fr Tom you hate Galway and you hope they don't come up with a system. The reality is they are adapting and do appear to have more than one plan. This team can win an all ireland, it needs just a few players to come on a bit and the panel is there to do it. Mayo are good at beating ****e teams in the back door and getting all excited. No matter how far they go they don't have the forwards and won't get over the finishing line!

I have my doubts there is an All Ireland in Galway. I have backed Galway to win Connacht since Mullholland and I have saying for years Galway are a coming team , Galway will win Sam in the next few years. But everytime I see Galway in the flesh or on TV with exception of a few Mayo games I havent been impressed. Galway have good forward talent and with S Walsh and Comer and Burke. S Walsh is another one of those wonderful forwards Galway seem to always produce eg Stockwell Purcell Fallon V Daly Donnellan Joyce. Forwards Mayo seem to struggle to produce with exception of Ciaran McDonald. (Im not saying S Walsh is up with greatness of a Joyce but he does have that brillant skillset that Galway forwards seem to have).

Galway have won 2 Connacht in 3 years but Galway have an aura in the west similar to kerry in Munster or Dubs in leinster . Football power does seem.to swing from Galway to Mayo and then back again in the West. In the last 50 years the only time another team dominated Connacht football other then Galway or Mayo was Roscommons brillant team in late 70s.
Galway always feel they can beat Mayo and the other 3 counties in the west always find it hard to beat Galway. Roscommon won well last year but this year and in 2016 and in the last 30 years Roscommons record v Galway is not great.

Galway have the forward talent but do they do have the leaders like they had in 98 01 eg Joyce Fallen Donegal but also leaders like Kevin Walsh. The leaders in defence like Gary Walsh Sean Og de Paor T Mannion. I feel Walsh has gone with this ultra defensive because he doesnt trust the Galway defenders after what happenned v Tipp in 2016 and v Rossies and kerry in 2017 . Galway are trying to play an Ulster style defence system that no county outside Ulster has really adapted to playing this system sucessfully in terms of winning All Irelands. While the league was very promising so was other counties div 1 campaign eg kildare in 2013 Derry in 2014 Cork in 2015 and Roscommon two years ago all had similar sucess to Galway in the league but had very poor championships afterwards.

But outside Connacht Galways record is poor. The comment were u say Mayo are good at beating crap teams in the backdoor is factually incorrect. Mayo have problems winning finals but since early 00s Mayos record has been excellent v top teams and Galways poor. Since 2001 Galway havent won a championship match in Croker and havent beaten a top team , a top 6 team in the championship outside Connacht.

Since mid 00s Mayo have beaten Kerry 2017 once ( and in 1996) Tyrone Cork ( 2011 reigning All Ireland champions) Dublin twice ( mid 00s and in 2012 Dubs were reigning All Ireland champions) and Donegal ( 2013 reigning All Ireland champions).
Galway havent beaten Dublin in championship in over 90 years and kerry in championship in over 50 years. Galways record v the top teams has been overall poor. Galway in the last 50 years have only beaten five top 6 teams in the championship outside Connacht eg Down in 1971, Derry 98, kildare 98, Derry 01, Meath 01.

If you take those 4 years 98 99 00 01 when Galway played swashbuckling brillant sucessful football out the last 35 years, Galways record is average at best. Galway didnt win a championship match in Croker between 1984 to 1997. So while Mayos record in finals is dreadful they have been way more consistent then Galway in beating top teams and in the championship outside Connacht in recent times. I always feel the hurlers are given a tough time up to last year, while the footballers aren't. The hurlers have always been there or thereabouts in the last 35 years while the footballers with exception of late 90s havent been poor.

The real glory period of Galway football.was from 20s to mid 60s peaking between 56 and 66 with 4 Sams. Since the mid 60s kerry Dublin Meath Cork Offaly Tyrone Down have all won more All Irelands then Galway. This decade so far has been Galways worst decade since 1920s. If Galway dont reach an All Ireland final this year or next it will first time Galway havent since before 1920s. Galway havent reached All Ireland semi final in 17 years.

Football needs a strong Galway. Hopefully Galway are coming back. The underage sucess looks real promising. A strong sucessful Galway football team would be great for the game. Everyone has a soft for Galway as a county. With Connemara Galway Races Galway city, Galway is one of the countries favourite counties and its a world famous county. And Galway footballers have always had a touch of class and skill.

But until we see Galway beating top 6 opposition outside Connacht in Croker in July and August, until then the jury is still very much out on the tribesman. Hopefully Galway r turning the corner. It would be great for the game to see resurgent strong sucessful Tribesmen in football and hurling.

crusier wrote: »

No matter what way you look at it 0 means 0 for Mayo since 1952.

That would be '51 a actually.

Sonny678 wrote: »

If you take those 4 years 98 99 00 01 when Galway played swashbuckling brillant sucessful football out the last 35 years, Galways record is average at best. Galway didnt win a championship match in Croker between 1984 to 1997. So while Mayos record in finals is dreadful they have been way more consistent then Galway in beating top teams and in the championship outside Connacht in recent times.

You're right Sonny but truth be told I rather win the odd one than be consistently thereabouts and win none. And that's not a dig at Mayo.

crusier wrote:

The same could have been said about the 98 team prior to 98. I think last year we were @ 5 players short of an all ireland winning team, this year it's down to @ 2 players. We carried Ray Silke in 98 so we might only need the one!

Hopefully it would be great to see Galway back for a Galway All Ireland winning team is just what football needs.

In 98 01 that forward line of P Joyce Donnellan Fallon Savage Finnegan is as good as any in the last 30 years. Donnellan and Joyce are two of the best players to cross the Shannon in last 50 years. Only player I could think of as good would be Dermot Earley snr. Joyce gets allot of plaudits but Donnellan at his peak was the best footballer in Ireland. Between 1996 to 1999 the best footballer in Ireland was between Trevor Giles and Michael Donnellan. Michael Donnellan was like a gaa Brian O Driscoll. The midfield was very strong with Walsh and O Domhnaill. In the defence G Walsh Og De Paor Mannion D Meehan and Fitzgerald were good defenders.

Ray Silke was no Seamus Moyihan. But he was a good choice as captain. He also had leadership skills. Overall that team was the best team to come from the West in 50 years. The second best in my book would be current Mayo team and the third best the Roscommon team of late 70s.

Time will see how good the current Galway team is. But an All Ireland winning Galway team would do the game a world of good . I have heard there is great work being done at underage with Galway footballer so we will see more talent coming through soon.

U-21 hurlers named v Kilkenny

The Galway Team is

Eanna Murphy
Ian O’Shea
Fintan Burke
Shane Bannon
Jack Fitzpatrick
Mark Hughes
Sean Loftus
Thomas Monaghan
Jack Grealish
Sean Bleahane
Brian Concannon
Cianan Fahy
Evan Niland
Jack Canning
Kevin Cooney

Redo91 wrote: »

Cheers for the info. Would like another crack at Kerry in Croke Park. Last two times I’ve gone up to see us take them on I’ve gone up more in hope that anything but would nearly have us as slight favorites this time!

No problem. I'm a Kerry fan and think a Galway-Kerry match in July this year would be a great spectacle. The match last year was flat in many ways - Kerry won but were disjointed, Galway left a bit to be desired and the match overall was disappointing.

I think, this time round, Kerry have some fresh faces (who will hopefully perform on Saturday evening!) and Galway want to prove themselves to establish their position as a new Top 4 team. I'd hope it would be a cracker, Kerry will want retribution after the loss in Tralee in the league while Galway will be vying to end the Croke Park drought.

Redo91 wrote: »

We had two early goal chances which might have made a difference if taken. We were way too naive in how we dealt with Donaghy too as seen with the goal. Hopefully Sean Andy will solve that. Either way should be a cracker.

I notice it is scheduled for the same weekend as the World Cup final. Be interesting to see how the GAA work it out as wont want it clashing due to the effect it would have on viewing figures.

Yeah, even though Galway didn't take all of their chances, in the moments when they attacked at speed and ran at the Kerry defence they looked impressive, they really exposed the vulnerability of our backline (like everyone does :pac: )

I think the opening fixtures for both Super 8 groups are on that weekend, so some of the fixtures will more than likely clash - I imagine they'll sacrifice the viewing figures for the games which look more likely to be one-sided depending on the composition of groups.

J.pilkington wrote: »

Good coverage / analysis of the match on the gas hour (podcast) including an interview with Kevin Walsh.

I think a few of the critics on here should give it a listen.

It was a very interesting take on the game by Parkinson.

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Nervy finish but a great result for the U-21s.

Concannon and Niland looked great today. The keeper Murphy also impressive.

Refereeing was out of this world poor though for both sides.

Galway were definitely the better team but as if we needed reminding you can't take your foot off the gas against Kilkenny. That nervy finish shouldn't have happened.

But overall I thought Galway were worth a bit more than the 2 point margin. There's clearly some quality coming through. Niland was good and the senior players dominated the midfield area. Kilkenny can have no complaints, they hit some terrible wides.

Sounds like Ciaran Duggan's season could be over after reports say he broke his wrist in Anaaghdown's game against killannin tonight. Will be a big blow to him and Galway as his strength and mobility around the middle would be much needed in Super 8s