Galway GAA discussion thread

MfMan · 12-05-2017 02:27PM

It's never that simple, a draw usually rears its head when you least expect. Both games in Athenry could be likely candidates for example. Heard also Cathal Sweeney a doubt in the near term at least, farm accident AFAIK.

Shurimgreat · 12-05-2017 02:41PM

gammygils wrote: »

League Champions. Well done! Fair play to all involved! Ye did us proud lads!

But we're still in Division 1B! And will be playing against Carlow, Laois & Offaly next season. No disrespect but this is totally unfair! This format has to change!

:mad:

If you want to win the league, it seems to be an advantage to be in division 1B. Can't have it both ways.

Division 1A seems to take a lot out of teams in the Spring, but it may benefit them later in the year, in fact I'm sure it will.

It will be interesting to see if Galway can finally get over the line. I think what's missing is not talent or ability, but a small bit of belief. Counties like Tipperary and Kilkenny have this belief naturally as they are used to winning senior AIs every so often. For Galway that natural belief isn't there.

TCDStudent1 · 12-05-2017 04:30PM

MfMan wrote: »

It's never that simple, a draw usually rears its head when you least expect. Both games in Athenry could be likely candidates for example. Heard also Cathal Sweeney a doubt in the near term at least, farm accident AFAIK.

That's not good for Galway. He was up and down during the league but he's still probably 1 of our best options in that full back line.

Diabhal Beag · 14-05-2017 04:46PM

Meehan seemed to have picked up a serious enough sounding injury against James' today.

Cathalachs · 15-05-2017 04:52PM

Flynn and Bradshaw still injured,need these two fit for 11th of June. Was in tuam to see salthill and Armstrong is still the man pulling the strings,don't be surprised to see him start on the11th.two good wins against armagh and last year's nemesis tipp in challenge matches,mike farragher used at centre back.

aidan24326 · 16-05-2017 12:13PM

Diabhal Beag wrote: »

Meehan seemed to have picked up a serious enough sounding injury against James' today.

It's a back injury but not sure how serious. He is totally jinxed with injuries. Be great to see him back in a Galway jersey this Summer even if only as a sub. Such a shame that we haven't seen more of Meehan on the big stage because talent-wise he's as good as any forward of the last 10-15 years.

aidan24326 · 18-05-2017 03:38PM

Finian Hanley has been dropped off the championship panel. Not sure why KW has been so reluctant to play him or even keep him in the squad, given that we're not exactly blessed with an abundance of great defenders. But I guess he sees the players in training all the time and must have his reasons.

Meehan is included in the panel though, but with all the injury problems it remains to be seen whether we'll he'll actually see any game time. Anything at all would be a bonus because apparently he has looked sharp in club games and in a couple of challenge games also so I've no doubt he still has the class if his fitness holds up.

fearruanua · 18-05-2017 03:56PM

aidan24326 wrote: »

Finian Hanley has been dropped off the championship panel. Not sure why KW has been so reluctant to play him or even keep him in the squad, given that we're not exactly blessed with an abundance of great defenders.

Did Hanley not suffer a serious knee injury recently at a training camp in portugal?

Utopia Parkway · 18-05-2017 04:15PM

fearruanua wrote: »

Did Hanley not suffer a serious knee injury recently at a training camp in portugal?

He did. He's injured. May rejoin the panel again later in the Summer injury permitting.

Not ideal given how short on options we are in the full-back line.

TCDStudent1 · 18-05-2017 05:00PM

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

He did. He's injured. May rejoin the panel again later in the Summer injury permitting.

Not ideal given how short on options we are in the full-back line.

Makes so little difference because Walsh never played him when he was there anyway.

aidan24326 · 19-05-2017 01:51AM

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Makes so little difference because Walsh never played him when he was there anyway.

Yes he has only been a fringe player for quite some time now and KW obviously has his reasons for that. It can hardly be a personality clash or anything like that though because Hanley has always shown a good attitude and been a good servant. I still think it's a bit strange that a player of his quality and experience was frozen out considering our problems in the full back line and our lack of defensive options in general.

TCDStudent1 · 19-05-2017 09:01AM

aidan24326 wrote: »

Yes he has only been a fringe player for quite some time now and KW obviously has his reasons for that. It can hardly be a personality clash or anything like that though because Hanley has always shown a good attitude and been a good servant. I still think it's a bit strange that a player of his quality and experience was frozen out considering our problems in the full back line and our lack of defensive options in general.

He has been a wonderful servant. A guy who reached the heights of being picked for Ireland international rules teams was togging out for Galway teams and being on the bench for FBD matches in the last couple of years! I thought last year was the natural time for him to leave. However, he must have thought Galway could do something this year by staying on. Very very few experienced players would have stuck around being on the bench game after game like he did. He deserves a lot of praise for it.

I have no idea why Walsh shunned him. It made absolutely no sense to me. There were league matches this year where we were being slaughtered in the full back line and Hanley would only be brought on with a few seconds to go (usually when result was already known). Walsh clearly didnt fancy Hanley - I am not convinced that there wasnt a personality clash there. Maybe Walsh didnt want to drop such a committed guy. However, if he thought he wasnt good enough for this level, he should have been strong enough to tell him that.

Utopia Parkway · 19-05-2017 04:07PM

In fairness it wasn't that long ago that people were saying that Hanley is done at intercounty level. Maybe he still has something left in the tank but there is a possibility that having seen him in training that his time as a starter actually is over. He seemed 3rd choice at best recently but credit to him he still wanted to be involved.

Great servant to Galway though through some lean years.

There is a bit of transition period here for the full-back position with Hanley being close to the end while waiting on players like Sean Andy and Mulkerrins to be ready. I think Walsh and Kyne to a lesser extent are stopgaps.

TCDStudent1 · 19-05-2017 04:17PM

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

In fairness it wasn't that long ago that people were saying that Hanley is done at intercounty level. Maybe he still has something left in the tank but there is a possibility that having seen him in training that his time as a starter actually is over. He seemed 3rd choice at best recently but credit to him he still wanted to be involved.

Great servant to Galway though through some lean years.

There is a bit of transition period here for the full-back position with Hanley being close to the end while waiting on players like Sean Andy and Mulkerrins to be ready. I think Walsh and Kyne to a lesser extent are stopgaps.

I doubt Walsh will see championship match time this year. Had a very unconvincing league campaign.

Utopia Parkway · 20-05-2017 02:38PM

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

I doubt Walsh will see championship match time this year. Had a very unconvincing league campaign.

Well he's probably a Kyne injury away from getting on the pitch now. I agree though that he's probably not up to intercounty standard. Especially championship.

TCDStudent1 · 20-05-2017 04:46PM

Utopia Parkway wrote: »

Well he's probably a Kyne injury away from getting on the pitch now. I agree though that he's probably not up to intercounty standard. Especially championship.

Absolutely - we are ridiculously short of options there (which is why KW's reluctance to use Hanley during the league even more mind boggling).

The players fighting for a spot in the full back line are all pretty average players. And to add to that, most of them have struggled with fitness over the past few months (Eoghan Kerin only came on as a sub for Annaghdown last week and that was in the forwards).

BENDYBINN · 20-05-2017 07:27PM

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Absolutely - we are ridiculously short of options there (which is why KW's reluctance to use Hanley during the league even more mind boggling).

The players fighting for a spot in the full back line are all pretty average players. And to add to that, most of them have struggled with fitness over the past few months (Eoghan Kerin only came on as a sub for Annaghdown last week and that was in the forwards).

You have a short memory.
Aidan o shea absolutely destroyed Hanley a couple of years ago in a championship match. Scored 4goals against him I think

TCDStudent1 · 20-05-2017 08:19PM

BENDYBINN wrote: »

You have a short memory.
Aidan o shea absolutely destroyed Hanley a couple of years ago in a championship match. Scored 4goals against him I think

I remember it very well. Hanley was left isolated against O'Se that day. If any of our current full backs (Kyne / Walsh) were playing that day, things would have just been as bad. The naivety of Galway was a far bigger problem than Hanley that day.

Look, I dont know if Hanley is still up to it at this level. I saw him play for Salthill in a league match a few weeks and he didnt stand out for me. However, it just wasnt logical to have a full back on the bench for the entire league and not give him a chance when we were struggling in that position.

21-05-2017 01:11PM

BENDYBINN wrote: »

You have a short memory.
Aidan o shea absolutely destroyed Hanley a couple of years ago in a championship match. Scored 4goals against him I think

Hanley didn't play the day Mayo hammered us which was one part of the reason for the defence being so awful. O'Shea caused big problems two years ago when they beat us in Salthill. Most the scores came off frees that day from O'Shea being fouled. Mayo only got one freak goal that day?

elefant · 21-05-2017 01:16PM

Borders no.2 wrote: »

Hanley didn't play the day Mayo hammered us which was one part of the reason for the defence being so awful. O'Shea caused big problems two years ago when they beat us in Salthill. Most the scores came off frees that day from O'Shea being fouled. Mayo only got one freak goal that day?

Yep, Colin Forde was full back that day.

TCDStudent1 · 21-05-2017 01:25PM

Was Hanley not full back that day? What day did O'Se give Hanley a roasting?

aidan24326 · 21-05-2017 02:05PM

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Was Hanley not full back that day? What day did O'Se give Hanley a roasting?

That was the day Mayo beat Galway by 1-15 to 2-8 I think it was. Cillian O'Connor kicked a lot of handy frees that day and a number of them were from Hanley fouling O'Shea because he simply couldn't handle him. But O'Shea in that sort of form is pretty hard to handle and Hanley wouldn't be the only full back that has found him difficult, plus the fact Hanley had little or no help was a factor also.

I agree that it's 50-50 whether FH would be still up to it and I suppose it's indicative of how short of options we are in that area that we're sorry to see him gone. Hopefully Sean Andy develops into a top full back at senior level because it's desperately needed.

25-05-2017 06:34PM

Teams should be out tomorrow and we haven't had a post yet.

A fact from the league is that Galway have hit 20+ points(discounting goals) in every game disregarding the qualifier teams.
Limerick, Wexford, Limerick, Tipperary, Waterford.

It's the one stat that stands out to me as hitting 20 points was a major problem for years under AC.

I'd be confident enough that we'll break the drought in the next the next two or three years.

Not having to play a once in a lifetime KK team on a yearly basis makes the road somewhat easier.

Regardless of how we do we indisputably have the three of the best 10 players in Burke, Daithi and Canning which forms a solid platform to challenge from.

jr86 · 25-05-2017 08:19PM

gilberto_eire wrote: »

I'd be confident enough that we'll break the drought in the next the next two or three years.

Not having to play a once in a lifetime KK team on a yearly basis makes the road somewhat easier.

My only concern is since the turn of the century Galway have never really traditionally put two big back to back performances together

In 01 (granted very little relevance to today) completely upset the apple-cart beating a top KK side and flopped against a mediocre Tipp team.

05 similar story in semi and then a below par display again, albeit vs a very good Cork.

2015 same

2012 was the real disappointment though. KK were right there for the taking and Galway should have been out of sight at half time the first day. That year it was a re-building, mediocre Cork team in the semi

Galway remind me a bit of the Irish Rugby team. Can beat anyone on their day, and thrive when written off, but expectation doesn't suit them over the past couple of decades.

I just wonder is this team different though. It seems much more settled than previous years and as you allude to, the competition is probably the least it has been in quite some time

Megager · 25-05-2017 08:41PM

Maybe its years of disappointing results that has tempered my expectations here, but I'd take a 1 point win if offered now. Dublin have had a poor league, there is disarray in the camp with Cunningham splitting the camp. Yet aside from the replay in 2015, they always caused us problems in the championship. I think in terms of the championship the dubs are an unknown quantity and that always makes me a bit nervous. We tend to start the championship slow and have been vulnerable on an number of occasions, laois and ofally come to mind in recent times

I said · 25-05-2017 11:17PM

jr86 wrote: »

My only concern is since the turn of the century Galway have never really traditionally put two big back to back performances together

In 01 (granted very little relevance to today) completely upset the apple-cart beating a top KK side and flopped against a mediocre Tipp team.

05 similar story in semi and then a below par display again, albeit vs a very good Cork.

2015 same

2012 was the real disappointment though. KK were right there for the taking and Galway should have been out of sight at half time the first day. That year it was a re-building, mediocre Cork team in the semi

Galway remind me a bit of the Irish Rugby team. Can beat anyone on their day, and thrive when written off, but expectation doesn't suit them over the past couple of decades.

I just wonder is this team different though. It seems much more settled than previous years and as you allude to, the competition is probably the least it has been in quite some time

2013 against Clare now that was ****e in the weakest all Ireland in years never built on 2012.

jr86 · 25-05-2017 11:29PM

I said wrote: »

2013 against Clare now that was ****e in the weakest all Ireland in years never built on 2012.

Yeah fully agree, was really there for taking that year

I think galway would have beaten kk in final last year. Definitely getting there!

jr86 · 25-05-2017 11:32PM

Megager wrote: »

We tend to start the championship slow and have been vulnerable on an number of occasions, laois and ofally come to mind in recent times

and dublin 2015 as you mention.

I recall Paul Killeen picking the ball up in defence near the end and blatantly charging through a Dub forward. Ref completely copped out and gave free out. Free in and it was a Dubs win

That said dublin really look in disarray. Mattie Kenny can't take over soon enough

I said · 25-05-2017 11:53PM

jr86 wrote: »

Yeah fully agree, was really there for taking that year

I think galway would have beaten kk in final last year. Definitely getting there!

In last years semi defeat which was a sickener,had Waterford got over the line against kk they wouldn't have feared us at all.
While Cunningham got Galway to the two finals he never had a plan b to go to he never changed tact for replay in 12,and in 15 the same puck outs continued even when Glynn was getting eat alive by the kk half back line.kk full back line can be got with pace.When he got garycastle to the club football he never changed for the replay.
With donohue he appears more measured on the sideline a greater tactical awareness which I feel will be the making of galway this year.

jr86 · 26-05-2017 12:15AM

I said wrote: »

In last years semi defeat which was a sickener,had Waterford got over the line against kk they wouldn't have feared us at all.
While Cunningham got Galway to the two finals he never had a plan b to go to he never changed tact for replay in 12,and in 15 the same puck outs continued even when Glynn was getting eat alive by the kk half back line.kk full back line can be got with pace.When he got garycastle to the club football he never changed for the replay.
With donohue he appears more measured on the sideline a greater tactical awareness which I feel will be the making of galway this year.

Donoghue has done brilliantly at building a settled team too in such a short spell in charge. Galway went into the 15 final with far too many older players past their best

With JG now gone there's probably not a whole lot of forward options on the bench now though. Hopefully glennon regains full fitness as I feel he's a very underrated player with super workrate. This year could potentially be one to early but if nothing else donoghue is building a consistent line up and system. Bodes very well. It looks like the days of vast changes year on year (and at times game on game) are gone

Galway GAA discussion thread

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