Galway GAA discussion thread

Is Richie Cummins injured, or not being selected? was the real deal at minor

But thats not what I said is it? I didn't say throw in all the young lads without any players with experience. Hanley has experience, Bradshaw has experience, Conroy has experience, Nicky Joyce has experience. But these aren't the type of players I'm talking about culling. I'm talking about mediocre players that have had countless opportunities at senior without making any real progress e.g O'Donnell. The likes of Bergin/ Blake are players who are either going to be too old in 3 years time or they are sadly too injury prone to be of any use to the side. There's no use having Blake around if he isn't consistently playing. You'll only end up with a player like Duane playing centre back every time he's out.

ok, so why keep Nicky Joyce above Blake? They are the same age, N. Joyce has been injury prone in the past and Blake has been more consistent for Galway through the last few years. I dont see how you can apply your logic to certain players, and not others..... Fair enough if the players are past it - happens every player but I think it is premature to be saying it about some of the older Galway lads. I personally agree about O'Donnell, but more so because I never thought he was up to this standard; probably the same applies to Coleman. I am certain that the likes of T.Fahey & O'Curraoin have more potential than those guys. Blake / Bergin on the other hand have proven themselves at this level in the past [Blake got an all star nomination a while back] and may have been hindered by the Galway team of the time.

Its a similar rationale to what I believe Anthony Cunningham is doing with the hurlers. They've dropped experienced players like Damien Joyce, Ger Farragher and Shane Kavanagh for exactly these reasons.

Indeed, doesnt mean that it is correct. We will see whether it is at the end of the year I guess. And we have seen Galway hurling managers in the past try this approach and fail. I prefer Mulholland's approach to keeping the older guys around.

Playing the younger players over some of the more experienced (albeit mediocre) ones, sends out the message that you have belief in them. That with time and experience they will be better players than the ones they've replaced ever will be. Your sacrificing mediocrity now for success in the future.

No, you are saying mediocrity is acceptable now by putting players on a team when they dont deserve to be. Players should earn their place on the team. By throwing young lads straight into the team without them earning it, what message does that give them? To me, it shows them they dont have to work hard to get on the team, and that success comes easy. They need to realise just how hard it should be to get on an inter county team [even one of Galways current standard] and that it is even harder to keep their place there. You might say this is putting too much pressure on young players, but players at this level should be under pressure. Furthermore, it is this pressure that should make them thrive. Bergin may relish the challenge of the young lads taking his place as well - it may push him on to better things - one argument for his failings in a Galway jersey has been the lack of serious competition for midfield with him. If Duane deserves to be on the team ahead of Blake, then he should be - let the two of them compete for the position and see who comes out on top. Not having Blake around is bananas in my head. What if Duane is having a bad game? Is it better to leave him on to have the experience of a bad game? Or is it better to have an alternative [Like Blake] on the bench to come on and improve things? I would opt for having a good alternative on the bench. Similarly, if Blake was playing and Duane on the bench and Blake was playing poorly, then Duane should be brought on. It makes it clear that what Blake is doing is not good enough and that more is expected of him when he enters the fray [as with any changes made during a match]. If Duane isnt picked ahead of Blake, and Blake is not playing well, it should make Duane realise that he needs to up his game to get on the team as well. You talk about giving players belief, but I think it is a false belief you are giving them if you put them out there and there is a better alternative. Again, I re-iterate that if Blake isnt good enough, he should not be there. But there is no recent evidence that he is not good enough at the moment [performances at club level were excellent last year and he was injured for most of Galways championship games]. Perhaps, today he will not play well, but perhaps he will. I think he needs to be considered anyway.

ames Horan at Mayo and Pat Gilroy at Dublin did and see the progress they made. Albeit yes their players were probably at a better level of development.

It remains to be seen just how much progress Mayo have made with Horan. Comparing Mulholland's Galway with when Gilroy took over Dublin is just completely off the wall. If you want to do that comparison, then by your rationale you would have disowned Bryan Cullen as one of the Dublin players; He has had plenty of average games for Dublin [And plenty of good ones too like Bergin & Blake for Galway] and could be argued he was around for too long. He was moved from position to position in the Dublin team. But he played a big part in their success last year. To a lesser extent, the same argument can be made for Barry Cahill. You can even go back to Galways 98 team. Fergal Gavin was an experienced player at that stage, who many in Galway believed had failed at county level, but he played a part in the success of that year for Galway by starting against Derry [I think] and coming on in other matches.


I just feel the best approach is always to play the team with the best chance of winning. To me, you cannot get better development than getting good results. It kinda feels bizarre that I am debating that the best way to win football matches is to put your best team on the pitch! Probably our viewpoints are not a million miles apart, just different ways of expressing them

Your right about Nicky Joyce. Indeed I have reservations regarding his place on the panel. I'm not sure with his track record that he has the attitude necessary. He's potentially a bad influence on the younger players. I anticipate I'll be shot for suggesting such a thing, but around this time last year people were saying he'd packed in football for good, before making a lazarus style comeback. Makes you wonder.

I wasnt suggesting Joyce should not be in the panel. His attitude appears to be good this year and he must be hungry to play as he was heavily involved in the FBD league. And listening to GBFM, he seems to be playing excellent today.

Personally I think Blake is too slow. Too many times in the last few years has he been found wanting. This is the reason I think we should be looking at younger alternatives (not because they are young, but because they are just as good or have a better prospect of being better in either a few months time). Thats the reason why you want to blood them now in the league. Tbh I reckon Duane or Bradshaw are much better options for centre back than Blake is. I was just using Blake as an example of a player, who I am unsure has much of a future. Truth be told I just think Bergin/Blake aren't good enough to play, which is obviously fair enough.

Blake's lack of pace is one of his biggest failings - there is no question about that, but I still think he is worthy of a place on the panel.

I'm not sure you understand me. These young players need some experience. Where better to get that than the National League. Its no use having these young lads in the summer or next year when they have no experience. Dublin at one stage did the same thing. They blooded a lot of young players like Eoghan O'Gara. The team did to some extent revert back to the older players, but the genesis in their fortunes was through the introduction of younger players.

Its possible to blood young players by playing them alongside experienced guys during the league. This would be my preferred approach; like Keith Kelly is playing today. It will do him good to play alongside Hanley during the league.

Your right we're not a million miles away. I'm not trying to sound that draconian. I just think we should be consciously blooding young players now. Your right if the older players prove themselves we can't stop them from playing. Its just from the evidence, certain older players have been nothing better than mediocre. The gulf between them and the younger players is marginal at best. Why not persist with more younger players when the difference is marginal, and they have reasonable prospects of becoming better players? Thats my point.

Well my point is that it is down to the younger players to prove that they are better players. I am all for blooding young players, and giving them a proper chance [I would not drop a player after having 1 bad match, every player will have a bad match at some stage and you will only see if a player is up to it after a run in the team]. But I feel young players learn far more when they are introduced on a phased basis. And I think as far as possible, management should always aim to put the team most likely to win out on the field.

Amazing the difference a week makes. A week ago we were lamenting the fact that Galway teams could not eek out wins when the pressure comes on. Nice to see Paul Conroy step up to the plate in the last few minutes of the game. I remember around 3/4 years ago he did a similar trick in a league match in McHale park. It makes it all the more important when you see the team that lined out today. It was the older heads, the ones who seemed to forever come out on the wrong side of results. Its now looks like we have a decent prospect of staying in Division 2. It is only the league, but its something to build on. Performance will be key against Tyrone and Kildare.

It sounded like the hurlers were very unlucky not to get a draw. However, there's no shame in going to Thurles and losing by a couple of scores. Its certainly a far cry from the shambles of a performance we saw in Pearse Stadium this time last year, when Tipperary steam rolled us. Its nice to hear the younger players more than holding their own. They appear to be going in the right direction. Like the footballers, we have to give them time, plenty of time.

Joe Sheridan was practically in Meath when he flicked on that goal. He'll be a loss to them.

Did he get injured?

Greg Higgins was impressive which is great to see as a Galway fan.

GBFM were raving about him alright, and Nicky Joyce too.

In the Hurling how did Niall Burke play? Was playing under 21 for his club 12 hours previously and that game went to ET.

How was Bernard Burke? He seems like a great player, lightning pace and strength in abbundance

Very surprised by the Galway crowd there. Nearly outnumbered by Meath fans, was it because of the hurling in Thurles?

Probably not, Galway football always has poor following, until they progress quite far in the summer.... one wonders where all the supporters from 98-2002 have disappeared to. They did a similar disappearing act in the early 90's. I guess I cant say anything, I havent been able to make it to a Galway game this year due to work....Hopefully, I will make it to the rest of the home games though.

Generally, hurling & football matches clashing dont really have a huge effect on attendances in Galway. They are just as bad as ever!

There was a double header for the Louth match but it still only did maybe 4000. We give out about the home support but there's the hardcores who watch FBD matches and go to every away match who look down on us too.

Interest isn't there and in Galway especially there's a split when it comes to sporting allegiances. You'll rarely see the same people going to rugby, soccer and GAA. When Galway get to Connacht finals that's when the sunshine brigade comes out in force. It's more of a thing to do than a genuine interest.