Galway Hurlers

aidan24326

A comment that Premierstone made in another thread made me think, where he said 'Galway are an emigna'.

It's something I can't disagree with. But what do people think of why this is the case? How can a team go from being so good one day to so bad the next? Consistently inconsistent is putting it kindly.

It's easy to say that maybe Galway are over-rated and there might be some truth in that. Yet some of their performances do hint at the potential that's there.

But Galway's form in last year's championship was just bizarre. Woeful against Dublin, good against Clare, very good against Cork and back to woeful again against Waterford. It makes no sense.

I've a feeling that maybe we're winning more under-age All-Irelands than we really deserve to with having an easier route to the latter stages, and that maybe all this talk of Galway having so much talent gets a bit exaggerated as a result.

The evidence of our results at senior level seems to back that up. Since the introduction of a backdoor system we've struggled to reach semi finals or finals. We've still never beaten Cork, Tipp and Kilkenny in the one season.

calvin_zola

well I don't know about that but they are certainly an enigma;)

Syferus

aidan24326 wrote: »

A comment that Premierstone made in another thread made me think, where he said 'Galway are an emigna'.

It's something I can't disagree with. But what do people think of why this is the case? How can a team go from being so good one day to so bad the next? Consistently inconsistent is putting it kindly.

It's easy to say that maybe Galway are over-rated and there might be some truth in that. Yet some of their performances do hint at the potential that's there.

But Galway's form in last year's championship was just bizarre. Woeful against Dublin, good against Clare, very good against Cork and back to woeful again against Waterford. It makes no sense.

I've a feeling that maybe we're winning more under-age All-Irelands than we really deserve to with having an easier route to the latter stages, and that maybe all this talk of Galway having so much talent gets a bit exaggerated as a result.

The evidence of our results at senior level seems to back that up. Since the introduction of a backdoor system we've struggled to reach semi finals or finals. We've still never beaten Cork, Tipp and Kilkenny in the one season.

And who has? Strange yardstick to use, I think.

Galway's under-age excellence is what drives the idea of them being better at senior than their record shows, rightly or wrongly. I don't think it's much of an enigma.

StephenHendry

its amazing galway have gone nearly 24 years since winning an AI , the programme on ollie canning, laochra gael on tg4 last night gave an interesting insight on why galway havent delivered. they came really close in 01 more so than in 05 against cork. certainly portumna are arguably one of the best club sides ever alongside birr.

perhaps there is too many good young players coming through, maybe club rivalry is so intense. ollie canning pointed to the portumna and loughrea game in 06 which led to bad feeling that took a while to overcome.

imo they change their manager way too often, im open to correction but it seems very few managers for galway go beyond 3 years. they looked to be making progress under noel lane then he went and they had to start all over again. all this seems to creat too many change and inconsistency, but surely they have to deliver soon

MfMan

It's an enigma because

* you'd think they'd get lucky somehow in the 24 years since
* with all the fine underage players produced, they haven't yet managed to assemble them into a successful senior team
* they can regularly beat the so-called big 3 (teams outside of these have caused them at least as much grief)
* they are consistent performers at league and club level

It's not an enigma because

* they've been unlucky with the system, the initial back-door experiment in particular was an aberration (cf. '97)
* the management has been very poor at making the correct sideline calls (cf. '97 v KK, '02 v Clare etc.) One still shudders at the complete roasting wing-back Ger Mahon got from Shefflin in '06, he was then moved to FB where things didn't improve.
* management picking bad players, e.g. above, Conor Hayes picked among others David Hayes, Cathal Connolly etc. McIntyre also selected a number of not-good-enough starters too.
* bad tactics; Niall Healy got 3 goals v KK in '05. There wasn't a hope he was going to get them off the Rock; shouldn't even have been started on him.
* players themselves just haven't been good enough.
* every team (bar KK) loses plenty of matches; the 'enigmaness' isn't just confined to Galway - maybe it's being overstated?

Don't really agree that managers haven't been given enough time. John O Mahoney won Sam in his first year. It's long been said about McIntyre that his first year over a team is his best. Teams under good managers should show incremental progress after even 1 year.

calvin_zola

or maybe they are just overrated

cormacocomhrai

A slight change of direction in this post but it's relevent to the matter in hand. The Galway team of the late eighties was arguably the best team Galway ever had and was the best team in the country in the period 1987-89. It should possibly have won All irelands in the years immediately before and after those dates as well and we also had Noel Lane:)

I don't know that you could argue that Galway were the best team in the country at any point since. They've mostly been about third/fourth and to my mind haven't gone above that. Cork have fluctuated more dramatically but their best teams have been in the top two. So it might be just a case that consistently they just haven't been good enough, rather than that they haven't been consistent enough and thereby failed to deliver. 2001 was one that was felt to have been left behind, for example, but the semi-final win was a shock that year and even the final came down to the puck of a ball.

redlead

cormacocomhrai wrote: »

They've mostly been about third/fourth and to my mind haven't gone above that. .

mmmmm they haven't reached a semi final since 2005. That's a long time ago now.

cormacocomhrai

redlead wrote: »

mmmmm they haven't reached a semi final since 2005. That's a long time ago now.

You're actually not contradicting my point there. We just haven't been good enough to win a quarter. We've also been unlucky in who we've faced. I think it's more complicated than just being down to Galway being inconsistent. But in the sentence you quoted I'm talking over the course of a twenty year period. Hence the use of the words mostly and about. But I'm also talking about individual years. There hasn't be a year in the last fifteen years, at least, that you could argue that Galway were a top two side but in any given year if you were ranking all teams at the start of the championship how often would they have fallen below fifth? Even since 2005 at the start of a given championship year it could be argued that Galway were there or thereabouts without ever being a top two side. Even since then how many counties would Galway have been worse than? They're not automatically worse than a semi final team just because they happened to get knocked out before them.
2006 1/4 final: Lost to KK by 5 (lopsided game, KK won it more comfortably than that in reality). KK beat Clare by 9 in the semi the same year and beat Cork by 3 in the All-Ireland.

2007 1/4 final Competitive against KK for 60 minutes lost by 10. KK walloped Wexford in the Semi and beat LK comfortably in the All Ireland. Were Galway worse than Wexford that year?

2008 Beaten early in the championship by Cork (2 points). Cork reached All-ireland semi.

2009 Beaten in 1/4s by Blaas. 1 point in it. Limerick murderd by Tipp in semi. Were Galway worse than Limerick?

2010 Beaten in 1/4s by Tipp by a point. Tipp won both their semi and All Ireland comfortably that year.

2011 Blaas again.

Over the whole time frame since 2005 Galway have been competitive. KK and Tipp have been the top two. Waterford have been the third best team since then, comfortably. On the whole you'd probably rank Cork or Galway next. Limerick despite making a couple of semis have been very inconsistent. Galway, despite never actually making in as far as a semi have put it up to Tipp and KK in years that they won All-Irelands comfortably.

It's also risky to take one yardstick as an indicator of a teams ability. If we go back beyond 2005 to the start of the millenium Galway are the only team, outside the top three, to make it as far as two All Ireland finals. It doesn't mean that they're automatically the best of the rest in that period. In my opinion that honour would realistically lie with Waterford.

Realistically these things are all based on opinion amd all of us read the evidence in slightly different ways. The above is just my two cents worth.

Raisins

Winning everything underage is actually a bit of a poisoned chalice over the years in Galway IMO. It's not easy to motivate those players who have won minor and u-21 all-irelands and sacrificed so much between the age of 16-20 to stay on and give up their 20's to try to win a senior all ireland. The difference in Kilkenny is that Coady created an incredible appetite among the young players to play senior. It's like they want to win at minor and u-21 just so they can impress him and play senior. People assume that if u-21 winners don't come through it's because of the step up alone but that's not always the acse by any means.

cormacocomhrai

Raisins wrote: »

Winning everything underage is actually a bit of a poisoned chalice over the years in Galway IMO. It's not easy to motivate those players who have won minor and u-21 all-irelands and sacrificed so much between the age of 16-20 to stay on and give up their 20's to try to win a senior all ireland. The difference in Kilkenny is that Coady created an incredible appetite among the young players to play senior. It's like they want to win at minor and u-21 just so they can impress him and play senior. People assume that if u-21 winners don't come through it's because of the step up alone but that's not always the acse by any means.

You're right in what you say but another key difference in Kilkenny is the amount of people floating around with a clutch of All Ireland medals, sometimes several generations within the same family. That's got to be (a) a great confidence booster (b) great at keeping young fellas heads unswelled. A lot of the Kilkenny crop had fathers and grandfathers who were extremely successful in their own right. Off the top of my head you have dynasties like the Fennellys, Larkins, Ruths, Cody's own son, Tommy Walsh's grandfather was a great hurler, the Hogans are first cousins of DJ etc.That's a huge proportion of the team related to someone very successful.
It'll be interesting if a generation of sons of the great minor and u-21 teams we've produced can go and beat their fathers' achievements.

aidan24326

Syferus wrote: »

And who has? Strange yardstick to use, I think.

Galway's under-age excellence is what drives the idea of them being better at senior than their record shows, rightly or wrongly. I don't think it's much of an enigma.

Well, whether enigma is the right word or not, there's no denying that it's strange for a county to have so much success at underage, and such a strong club scene, and fail to translate that into senior success for so long. But like I said in my earlier post maybe we won a few more than we really ought to have.

calvin_zola wrote: »

or maybe they are just overrated

That's looking inceasingly likely. Galway get talkep up as possible contenders nearly every year but really our overall championship record over the years is miles behind the big 3.

Mountainlad

cormacocomhrai wrote: »

You're actually not contradicting my point there. We just haven't been good enough to win a quarter. We've also been unlucky in who we've faced. I think it's more complicated than just being down to Galway being inconsistent. But in the sentence you quoted I'm talking over the course of a twenty year period. Hence the use of the words mostly and about. But I'm also talking about individual years. There hasn't be a year in the last fifteen years, at least, that you could argue that Galway were a top two side but in any given year if you were ranking all teams at the start of the championship how often would they have fallen below fifth? Even since 2005 at the start of a given championship year it could be argued that Galway were there or thereabouts without ever being a top two side. Even since then how many counties would Galway have been worse than? They're not automatically worse than a semi final team just because they happened to get knocked out before them.
2006 1/4 final: Lost to KK by 5 (lopsided game, KK won it more comfortably than that in reality). KK beat Clare by 9 in the semi the same year and beat Cork by 3 in the All-Ireland.

2007 1/4 final Competitive against KK for 60 minutes lost by 10. KK walloped Wexford in the Semi and beat LK comfortably in the All Ireland. Were Galway worse than Wexford that year?

2008 Beaten early in the championship by Cork (2 points). Cork reached All-ireland semi.

2009 Beaten in 1/4s by Blaas. 1 point in it. Limerick murderd by Tipp in semi. Were Galway worse than Limerick?

2010 Beaten in 1/4s by Tipp by a point. Tipp won both their semi and All Ireland comfortably that year.

2011 Blaas again.

Over the whole time frame since 2005 Galway have been competitive. KK and Tipp have been the top two. Waterford have been the third best team since then, comfortably. On the whole you'd probably rank Cork or Galway next. Limerick despite making a couple of semis have been very inconsistent. Galway, despite never actually making in as far as a semi have put it up to Tipp and KK in years that they won All-Irelands comfortably.

It's also risky to take one yardstick as an indicator of a teams ability. If we go back beyond 2005 to the start of the millenium Galway are the only team, outside the top three, to make it as far as two All Ireland finals. It doesn't mean that they're automatically the best of the rest in that period. In my opinion that honour would realistically lie with Waterford.

Realistically these things are all based on opinion amd all of us read the evidence in slightly different ways. The above is just my two cents worth.

I accept your point there may have been the odd time that Galway were better than a team in the semi finals, but at the same time if you look at the pre noughties era back as far as Galway won their last All-Ireland, they had an automatic route to the semi final (i.e. top 4) up until '97 (as far as I know). That would skew it a bit too, to be fair.

Also, Galway lost to Clare in 2007, who subsequently lost to Wexford so I don't know that they can complain about that. In 2009, Waterford drew with Limerick initially. I don't think Limerick were as bad as the Tipp game suggested. How can you really say if Galway don't beat these teams? I'm not saying that they are necessarily worse because they don't play, but I don't think just because Galway have a tighter game against Kilkenny that that justifies saying they're better.

I think the above is a large part of the reason they're over-rated. They're assumed to be better, based on their performances against the big teams but they haven't really got a record much better than anyone else. Granted it's a hell of a long time since Waterford beat Kilkenny in the championship, but Galway beating them in 01 and 05 isn't that great considering they lost in 2004, 2006, 2007, 2009 and 2010. Given how strong Kilkenny are, however, the media decide that this is something to play on to build hype and interest and basically sell more papers and get higher ratings. They also then play on the fact that Galway are an 'enigma' and nobody could possibly understand how they've so many past failures. Then they ignore all that (as we've seen this year) and make them third favourites for the all-ireland.

Madness.

cormacocomhrai

Wrote a long reply to that, broadband connection dropped and I lost it and am now in a temper.

I basically with your post Mountainlad.
Ignore the idea of rankings for the time being. Although I introduced it I was only talking in a general sense. My point in a nutshell was that Galway have been consistently around the same level since 2004/5. Kilkenny have been the best team since that period. They've been joined by Cork and Tipp but neither Cork nor Tipp have been able to do it over a protracted period of time. In that sense they are more inconsistent than either Galway or Waterford. Galway or Waterford have fluctuated more dramatically between individual games but Cork and Tipp over a five year (plus) time frame much more dramatically. So while Galway have been good enough to beat a top two team in decline or in transition or in once off results this has led to an ignoring of the fact that they are, even on their best day well behind KK and whichever of Cork or Tipp has challenged them. People then express surpise that the fifth or sixth best team in the country could beat say the third or fourth best team in the country in a one off game. They shouldn't.
As you said though, dramatic stories and simple explanations sell papers.
I can't understand why any pundit over the last ten/twelve years would ever have tipped Galway to win the All Ireland but it was the same as the footballers. For years after the all Ireland period of 98-2001 people were tipping Galway as dark horses and talking about the Galway forwards when they were doing nothing to support anybody backing them. I think that the desire to see a county that hasn't won a lot win the All Ireland has caused a lot of that.

The inconsistent thing gets on my wick a bit though because it ignores the fact that it's at least as likely that Galway haven't been good enough and have over-performed on certain occasions rather than being good enough and under performing.

CyberDave

I think the Club Championship structure in previous years has been a factor in Galway's inconsistentcies. 4 groups of 5, only eliminating the bottom teams of each group before the last 16. Too many games not at the required intensity. Galway Club Championship didn't really take off until October most years, which could also explain the reason we have won so many Club All-Irelands.

There is a new structure this year, which so far is working well. There are two knockout rounds before the Group Stages, which is how Clarinbridge have ended up in relegation, having lost both. Games seem to be of a higher intensity at an earlier stage of the season. Also, it gives the smaller clubs a better chance of making progress, which can only improve the standard across the board. In the long run, this should help Galway's chances in the Leinster/All-Ireland Series.

Mountainlad

cormacocomhrai wrote: »

Wrote a long reply to that, broadband connection dropped and I lost it and am now in a temper.

I basically with your post Mountainlad.
Ignore the idea of rankings for the time being. Although I introduced it I was only talking in a general sense. My point in a nutshell was that Galway have been consistently around the same level since 2004/5. Kilkenny have been the best team since that period. They've been joined by Cork and Tipp but neither Cork nor Tipp have been able to do it over a protracted period of time. In that sense they are more inconsistent than either Galway or Waterford. Galway or Waterford have fluctuated more dramatically between individual games but Cork and Tipp over a five year (plus) time frame much more dramatically. So while Galway have been good enough to beat a top two team in decline or in transition or in once off results this has led to an ignoring of the fact that they are, even on their best day well behind KK and whichever of Cork or Tipp has challenged them. People then express surpise that the fifth or sixth best team in the country could beat say the third or fourth best team in the country in a one off game. They shouldn't.
As you said though, dramatic stories and simple explanations sell papers.
I can't understand why any pundit over the last ten/twelve years would ever have tipped Galway to win the All Ireland but it was the same as the footballers. For years after the all Ireland period of 98-2001 people were tipping Galway as dark horses and talking about the Galway forwards when they were doing nothing to support anybody backing them. I think that the desire to see a county that hasn't won a lot win the All Ireland has caused a lot of that.

The inconsistent thing gets on my wick a bit though because it ignores the fact that it's at least as likely that Galway haven't been good enough and have over-performed on certain occasions rather than being good enough and under performing.

I know the feeling, copying what you've written before posting is a must with a tempermental internet connection

That's a very interesting point you raise at the end there, it'd probably be more in line with my interpretation of things to be honest about it.

People read too much into the underage success I guess.

cormacocomhrai

Regardless of the rankings over the past decade, it's hard to see Galway having anything but a short summer this year.

Mountainlad

cormacocomhrai wrote: »

Regardless of the rankings over the past decade, it's hard to see Galway having anything but a short summer this year.

Ah I dunno, I think they'll win the All-Ireland...:o

cormacocomhrai

Mountainlad wrote: »

Ah I dunno, I think they'll win the All-Ireland...:o

That reminds me of the joke regarding the Clare hurlers in the years of the Biddy Early's enforced wilderness.
Clareman dies and goes to heaven but is told that it's not his time yet and is sent back to earth. Because of the inconvenience he's allowed to ask God three questions before he shuffles back to his mortal coil. He has a think about it and says
Will there ever be an Irish pope? and God says "Not in your lifetime"
He has another little think and says "Will there ever be a United Ireland?" and God says "Not in your lifetime"
"Ok God, my third question will Clare ever win the All Ireland?" and God says
"Not in my lifetime."

I'm starting to feel a bit like that with the hurlers. Still can't come complain. I've been present when Galway have a least played in all-Ireland finals, been there when they won senior football, hurling U-21 and minor and club All Irelands, a Ladies football All ireland as well as Connacht football and hurling Leagues. Most counties would kill to be as unsuccesful as we are.

Golfan87

Would I be the only one here who thinks that Galway will win the All-Ireland this year?! Money down can't wait! Cork for Sam as well

Diabhal Beag

Golfan87 wrote: »

Would I be the only one here who thinks that Galway will win the All-Ireland this year?! Money down can't wait! Cork for Sam as well

Not just the All-Ireland. I expect at least a 9 point win over Kilkenny to win Leinster in which James Skehill scores a hat-trick.

bruschi

what I dont get, is why is it that it seems to be Waterford supporters who get most upset when Galway are tipped for some success or spoken as a third or 4th ranked team.

As for Galway themselves, it just seems they never had the right man over them to keep a consistent performance and to peak at the right time. They have the ability to beat top teams, but they cant do it back to back or at the right time. Whether its donw to players attitudes or management, its hard to know, but I think with quality players at their disposal, its up to management to get the best out of them at the right times.

cormacocomhrai

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Not just the All-Ireland. I expect at least a 9 point win over Kilkenny to win Leinster in which James Skehill scores a hat-trick.

Were you not warned at the training camp to keep your mouth shut about that tactic?

CyberDave

Waterford fans don't like Galway being billed ahead of them in the odds because Galway have never beaten them in the Championship and especially in recent years. I suppose it's the safe option for the bookies to have them at short odds, because you never know when they might produce a performance like the 2001 or 2005 All-Ireland Semi-Finals and actually win it.

Kojak

Mountainlad wrote: »

Ah I dunno, I think they'll win the All-Ireland...:o

Maybe at minor or U-21, but they will be very lucky to even make a semi-final in the senior. They should (but probably make heavy weather) of getting over Offaly, then imo will meet KK (even if the meet dublin I feel they will suffer the same fate) and get trimmed and then could end up playing someone like Waterford (AGAIN), Limerick or Cork - not an easy proposition at any rate.

Next year is when Cunningham would want to be making real gains at Senior - also this idea of him being over the U-21's again smacks of having something to fall back on if (and when) the Seniors fail to make real progress....

jive

CyberDave wrote: »

Waterford fans don't like Galway being billed ahead of them in the odds because Galway have never beaten them in the Championship and especially in recent years. I suppose it's the safe option for the bookies to have them at short odds, because you never know when they might produce a performance like the 2001 or 2005 All-Ireland Semi-Finals and actually win it.

I like it. Waterford were 4.6/1 straight win and 12/1 half time / full time against Galway in last year's championship. Galway are very over-rated and their record in the championship suggests this. When push comes to shove they just can't up their level when it matters. Waterford won last years game very easily, 10 point margin in the end iiirc and was as comfortable as the scoreline suggests. They have some good players but the proof is in the pudding. They're not an enigma, they're just over-hyped. No disrespect to Galway, they're a good team just not as good as they're made out to be by many people.

blue note

CyberDave wrote: »

Waterford fans don't like Galway being billed ahead of them in the odds because Galway have never beaten them in the Championship and especially in recent years. I suppose it's the safe option for the bookies to have them at short odds, because you never know when they might produce a performance like the 2001 or 2005 All-Ireland Semi-Finals and actually win it.

With what players would they produce one of those performances with? Who's left from the 01 and 05 teams that leads to them being considered as good? Waterford had good teams back then, but it will do us little good now.

Galway are an enigma. They are consistently rated highly and never do well. They have gotten past the quarter finals just 3 times since the back door was introduced in 1997.

CyberDave

blue note wrote: »

With what players would they produce one of those performances with? Who's left from the 01 and 05 teams that leads to them being considered as good? Waterford had good teams back then, but it will do us little good now.

Galway are an enigma. They are consistently rated highly and never do well. They have gotten past the quarter finals just 3 times since the back door was introduced in 1997.

Shur no one gave them a chance those years either! One thing we all agree here is how inconsistent Galway are. You never know what you are going to get. Galway have individual players, like Canning, David Burke and Hayes as good as any other county and as good as players on the '01 and '05. Hayes played in 2005. Fact is those teams didn't win anything either, just got closer than this team, so far. Waterford and Galway are similar in many ways.

blue note

CyberDave wrote: »

Shur no one gave them a chance those years either! One thing we all agree here is how inconsistent Galway are. You never know what you are going to get. Galway have individual players, like Canning, David Burke and Hayes as good as any other county and as good as players on the '01 and '05. Hayes played in 2005. Fact is those teams didn't win anything either, just got closer than this team, so far. Waterford and Galway are similar in many ways.

I'm sure they were still 3rd or 4th favourites going into those years as well. Canning is superb - perhaps the best hurler in the country. And Hayes I like a lot as well, I think he'd improve any team in the country. But after that it's a very mediocre team. How many other have even earned all star nominations? Offaly have a few good players - Bergin, Dooley, Hannify, Parlon, Rigney. Really, I think the difference between Galway and a team like Offaly is Joe Canning.

CyberDave

blue note wrote: »

I'm sure they were still 3rd or 4th favourites going into those years as well. Canning is superb - perhaps the best hurler in the country. And Hayes I like a lot as well, I think he'd improve any team in the country. But after that it's a very mediocre team. How many other have even earned all star nominations? Offaly have a few good players - Bergin, Dooley, Hannify, Parlon, Rigney. Really, I think the difference between Galway and a team like Offaly is Joe Canning.

Moore and Collins (when played in their natural positions), although never All-Stars, are decent hurlers as well. Both have probably been unlucky with injuries too. In fairness most of the other players are young and new to the panel this year and haven't had a full season played yet. So I will reserve judgement until they have been tested in the heat of the Championship. You're never going to have 15 All-Stars on one county team, unless you're Kilkenny of course.

Every team has a star man. Take Dooley out of Offaly and they wouldn't find it as easy to put scores on the board. Even Kilkenny in 2010, when Shefflin went off, missed his leadership.

The Offaly / Galway game will be a tight battle. Offaly are never afraid of Galway and won't pay much attention to odds. Didn't they win the '81 and '85 All-Irelands against us. Looking forward to it.

Golfan87

Golfan87 wrote: »

Would I be the only one here who thinks that Galway will win the All-Ireland this year?! Money down can't wait! Cork for Sam as well

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Not just the All-Ireland. I expect at least a 9 point win over Kilkenny to win Leinster in which James Skehill scores a hat-trick.

ten points

Lapin

calvin_zola wrote: »

or maybe they are just overrated

Not now they're not !

Gaillimh Abú !!!

Professey Chin

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Not just the All-Ireland. I expect at least a 9 point win over Kilkenny to win Leinster in which James Skehill scores a hat-trick.

YOU!LOTTO NUMBERS!NOW!

Diabhal Beag

Lads I'm a prediction genius. You pay for such excellence.

cormacocomhrai

cormacocomhrai wrote: »

Regardless of the rankings over the past decade, it's hard to see Galway having anything but a short summer this year.

I'd like to point out that I was talking about the weather in this post.

Well done to the hurlers and to Cunningham. An incredible performance, the shock of the year, and one of the greatest ever Galway performances. Hopefully there won't be too much hype coming into the semi final. There should be no pressure put on them going into an All-Ireland semifinal. They've already reached a target we would have been happy with at 3.50pm yesterday and hopefully we won't be having a conversation about consistency in August.
Fair dues to Kilkenny. It says something about them that at 8 or 10 points behind that there was still a fear that they would come back but Galway's win yesterday will give everyone heart.