Galway GAA Discussion Thread #2

Big game for the hurlers this evening. Positive displays in the games so far and challenging for a Leinster is achievable. I think we need to lay down a marker against KK this evening where, we at least push them all the way. Ideally we don't want to be depending on a Tipp win tomorrow to ensure we stay up either. Big ask to beat Limerick if we need to, better to avoid that with a win tonight.

A couple of injuries and a report of a sickness bug in the Kilkenny panel might explain why Kilkenny were soo off the pace tonight. Take nothing away from Galway, they were slick and did well.

But it will be a different story in 6 weeks time (or whatever it is) when they meet in Championship.

Great win by the hurlers. Maybe too good a win? There's one thing winning the match, but this was a fair walloping for Kilkenny. No doubt they'll use it as motivation when they land in Salthill in championship.

That said, we've been on the end of far too many of those kinds of beatings over the years, so nice to be one the opposite side of it, for once.

The most pleasing aspect of it was, once again, it was many of the younger lads taking on leadership. Not just having to leave it to the mannions or whelan etc.

Kilkenny were very poor for whatever reason, but part of that, imo, was down to the pressure Galway put on them. The Limerick march will give us a far better idea of where we are at. The intensity of their match with Cork last night seemed far higher than our match against Kilkenny.

Still, it's shaping up to be a very interesting summer for the hurlers. A concept that wasn't a reality a few months ago. Long may it continue.

Hurlers look to be making some progress, a bit of shape to the team, wouldn't read a huge amount into the match last night, rumours of a bug in the Kilkenny camp, which might explain how poor they were. Still great to give them a beating, as we've been on plenty of beatings at their hands over the years. Still think Galway and the Leinster teams won't make much impact at the business end of the championship.

Ahhh don't get carried away now, one swallow and all that.. 😂

Great to see Michael Donoghue putting his stamp on the team now (after last year's shall we call it a bedding in process)

The game against Limerick on 21st March will be a real test. If we come through that with a win then we have arrived back at the top table again... and can start to dream.

I think its too early to challenge Limerick and Cork, the newer players aren't conditioned and are a bit light for the cut and thrust of the business end of the championship but a Leinster is realistic. KK are not KK of old and they are beatable for even a coming team. I'd have real hope we could do something in the next 2 to 3 years. The likes of Ciaran Leen yet to come through and there's a few others that will add to that squad.

You've gone and said it now. Kilkenny will go and win it this year. Might as well put a tenner on them now :P

Flaherty in Goal this time ,personally I didnt think mcgrath did that much wrong that couldnt be ironed out ,he was definitely quicker and more accurate on kick outs than Gleeson imv

Maybe there just giving all the GKs some game time. Flaherty deserves a couple of league games

A fairly pathetic half of football from Galway. I know the breeze is against them but the control was awful. Adding to that, the ref is about as clueless as I've ever seen. Blatant fouls going the wrong way in both directions.

They need to ensure a win here as I wouldn't bank on them beating Dublin. The best team in country for leaving teams in a game regardless of the quality gulf.

As said above, they'll leave any team in the game no matter how bad they're playing. Conroy was the only one with the balls to shoot for two pointers, once he scored two then everyone relaxed and took on a few shots themselves. They're playing the exact same backwards stuff that cost them last year, it's hard to understand why they break forwards at pace, then pull up the handbrake 40 yards from goal and go backwards to midfield. They'll win nothing big doing it.

The problem is in the last few years Galway have played in May June and July exactly the same as how they've played in the league, there'll be no sudden change of style, so this is how they'll play in the championship, and it's how they were beaten by Armagh in the final in 24 and Meath last year.

We can afford a 3 point defeat against Dublin and still avoid relegation even if Armagh beat Kerry, no doub we'll go down to the last few minutes still in the mix for relegation. As others have said above, no matter who we play, it still seems to go down to the last few minutes withe the result still in doubt, today was relatively comfortable compared to most of our matches.

This makes no sense. They were in D2 in the league in 2022 (and beaten in the D2 final) and made the All Ireland final. They topped the league table in 2023 and were knocked out early in championship. In 2024 they were a shambles in the league and put in their best championship performance in modern history beating Dublin and then making the final

Nothing they have done in league in recent years has had any correlation whatsoever to what they've done in championship

I have no doubt our fate will be up in the air until the last seconds of the game, we'll likely be a 2 pointer away from staying up or going down in the dying seconds of the match!