Galway GAA Discussion Thread #2

Managed to get to all the hurling quarters
Turlough impressive but faced very little resistance from senior B Craughwell. C’well had some momentum built up, but clearly beating senior B teams handy is zero preparation for challenging the top sides. Anyone with any ambition of challenging for the title need to be up in A hurling.

Thomas’s were really made to dig it out by a hugely committed and dogged, however ultimately wasteful, Tommies. Thomas’s not at the races at all and lucky enough to progress

Mellows and Sars was a complete turkey shoot. Sars look a poor senior B team without the Cooneys unfortunately.

Cappy the most impressive side all weekend. Have now accounted for the Bridge and Lrea which is seriously impressive.

The best county player on show all weekend was Whelan for Kinvara. Not many standouts in the senior. Conor Cooney and David Burke (cracking sideline aside) were peripheral for Thomas’s and Flynn was well held in open play by Shane Cooney. Loftus and Daithi weren’t standout for Turlough but didn’t really need to be. Tadhg Haran was well held from play by Hynes yesterday.

From the players not involved with Galway yet the Mannions, Darragh Dolan (Cappy), Jack Hastings (Mellows), Ronan Murphy and kevin McHugo (Larkins) stood out in particular. Flannery from Thomas’s is a huge prospect also. For Turlough, Daniel Loftus looked good and Conor Walsh had his moments.

The semis will be very hard to call. Cappy won’t lack motivation anyway. Still don’t know how they didn’t beat Mellows last year, but Mellows now have the defending champions target off their backs and have been very impressive in the knockouts this year (even accounting for Sarsfields’ horrific showing). I actually think Mellows might just grind it out again. They’re seriously lacking ball winners up front though apart from Haran but the half back-line of Collins, Barrett, Hughes and midfield of Hastings and Forde are the best in the county on form. Gus Callanan and Conor Kav are rolling back the years too, when they get a sniff in the opposition 21.

Big ask for Donovan and Reilly to hold the Mannions though. Really is so hard to call

The other is equally tough to call. Thomas’s won their quarter in ideal circumstances, playing awful and grinding it out late on. Turlough simply weren’t challenged. On form it’s a Turlough win but Thomas’s have been down this road before and experience may just edge them over the line. Need much more from the Burkes and Cooney though. They are extremely lucky minor Flannery bailed them out with crucial scores Saturday. I can’t see Toms playing as badly again though and this is new territory for most of this Turlough side

Can’t see Thomas’s losing a county final so if they’re going to be caught it’ll be Sunday week.

Absolutely cannot wait now. The 4 best teams in the county in the semis – there’ll be a massive crowd and great atmosphere

Worth noting in the minor Ardrahan, Oranmore and Carnmore are all in the semis. Great to see new blood in with a shout of winning it

TCDStudent1 wrote: »

Not convinced it's a lost cause for Tuam at all. While it would be foolish to back against Corofin, Tuam are a very fit team while Corofin have arguably regressed during this year's championship.

Tuam have serious momentum built up

I could well be eating these words tomorrow but I actually think it'll be seriously close tomorrow.

They'll be beat eventually but whether it's tomorrow remains to be seen

Will need the other team to have a flawless day in front of the posts, but for example if mbellew and salthill had buried a few of their good goal chances they could well have pulled it off

Salthill eat Caltra alive in minor

Get used to it folks, when you have a ridiculous pick like they do at underage, and two huge residential suburbs, they'll be romping to minor titles for years and years to come.

Aiming for their 7th westboard in a row next year