Galway GAA Discussion Thread #2

muddle84

He was thrown shoulder first into the ground, you can see it in the clip, it definitely wasn't head first but that doesn't matter either way. Considering Walsh started it the only fair outcome should have been a yellow each I would imagine.

If there was a red, who knows what would have happened!O'Hora caused alot of problems for the Galway attack in the second half in fairness!

threeball

Watching the u20 hurlers v Dublin its hard to believe many of these lads are the same involved in winning minor all irelands in the last few years. The striking is so poor and laboured, the decision making is worse. Ahead by virtue of a lucky goal.

Dublin showing the win a number of weeks ago was no fluke

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117670194#Comment_117670194

Don't want to be too critical as they did win.

But the overall picture is worrying. Cleaning up at minor but as they move up through the ranks theres something just not working.

Youd really expect Galway to be heading for senior dominance yet we face into the winter as the "worst of the best" LMcC team.

15 wides today, maybe a more consistent approach is needed to our attacking play as we are consistently poor in this area across the grades.

In hurling anyway there's certain totals you should be hitting given the range you can score from.

Anyway maybe theyll up it for the final but the two performances were worrying with regards to immediate improvement for the seniors. However individual performances are just as important and maybe we have two or three there with some promise.

10 years since an U21.. so hopefully they banish that.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117670541#Comment_117670541

John Cooney, Neary and number 8 in midfield were very good but our forwards (who are the big name players) were poor, picking very bad options and shooting on sight rather than trying to find a better placed teammate.

All great when you're young and technically better than the opposition but the advantage gets less and less as you go through the grades.

Hopefully as you say we can get 2 or 3 additions for senior out of it but I don't see much more based on those performances.

SqueakyKneecap

Not a perfect performance but you'd be fierce proud of these lads after overcoming such awful news from last night. Condolences to the Keane's. Puts life into perspective.

Green Peter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117670954#Comment_117670954

100%

threeball

Joe Canning retires. What a player. Most skilfull I've seen by far. Wish him all the best in the future. Sad to see him go especially on the back of his final game.

gammygils

A hurling legend and an absolute gent

Thanks for the memories Joe. We will miss you

SqueakyKneecap

Being metres away from him striking that winner over the bar against Tipp in 2017 and being able to be in Cusack again for the huge ovation he got walking over to take the sideline to end the All Ireland win are my two fondest memories as a Galway fan.

Thanks for everything Joe and best of luck in retirement.

Green Peter

Joes a real legend, he carried so many Galway teams over the years. I'm just wondering is it time to give Davy Fitz the job and ask Joe to give it a couple of years under Fitz as he's only 32. I think Davy would get it done and win Joe another all Ireland.

cson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117674182#Comment_117674182

I think Davy Fitz is just about the last person I'd want to see managing the hurlers. We tried the big personality manager thing with Loughnane back in the day and we all know how that turned out. Mattie should be the next candidate honestly, knows the set up and the county inside out.

kefflin

Joes consistancy over such a long period is what sets him apart. Even to reid who is the best player I've seen took a long time to hit his level.

Outstanding how he affected intercounty games as a 19 yr old and still does it. Remember he didn't come into the panel when first asked. His all time score could be a bit higher.

Well i think after today we're in big trouble now.

Honest to God, could you pick any of the others there to be the leading forward?... Whelan is the only one who's held his reputation, Concannon is still young and shown flashes and most of the rest would be lucky to make the panel next year.

Sadly i felt this was coming as during the last game he passed up a free to go for goal, and then later when we REALLY needed it he took the point.

I thought then he was thinking "ah I'm done with this so ill get this record". I know he said he felt this was going to be his last year, but wouldn't be surprised if he had enough of that drivel and thought it wasnt worth wasting another year after the last two games.. wouldn't blame him.

If we were a 9/10 in 2017, and a 5/10 this year, we're down to a 4/10 with just that change.

I think at this point we need to rebuild and move on lads who are there long enough not performing, i felt we might as it was but we won't be getting back to 2017 levels now, so we must change course.

Immediate career in media available for Joe now. He's a good speaker and fits the profile and has the accolades. Always thought he'd make money in that once he finished, surely his own decision whether it happens.

cosatron

I think with JC retiring this a perfect opportunity for the county board to clean house(including there own) get in a new manager with fresh ideas, new s and c guy Luckas has not moved with the times, hurling goes to a running game and we are way too heavy or fit for it. Even looking at the under 20, fitness is seriously lacking and is going to cost us an all ireland. And from some the rumours going around, allot messing is going on again with commitment

bcklschaps

Thanks Joe for all the memories. 1st time I saw him in the flesh was 2006 Club All Ireland (Portumna v Newtown Shandrum... he absolutely destroyed them). Best of luck in retirement, there will be an unseemly scramble to get him as a pundit on one of the channels, hope he makes a mint.

As others have said, this is the perfect chance to make some serious changes to that Galway team. Lets face it 2017 was a long time ago now... Would anyone aggree to bringing Donoghune back as Bainisteoir? He did win us our 1st AI in 29yrs.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117686179#Comment_117686179

Donoghue hasn't a notion of going back if even one of the CB are in place and they're not going anywhere. Its time for Galway supporters to demand that there's a clean out of the CB. They've hamstrung decades of teams in both codes.

Theres massive companies in Galway that won't put a penny into teams due to all the shady sh1t that's going on in the background so don't want their name associated. Add in terrible land deals, lack of financial support for teams in all grades (the ladies fund raising for their all ireland final was a real low point), we're going to be looking a years of failure until thats remedied.

It would actually be a great appointment to see Joe Canning given a role in the rejuvenation. His understanding of whats required and the standards he demanded of himself would be a huge asset as a performance director, liasing with managers of county teams of whats required and putting in in position.

Green Peter

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117688057#Comment_117688057

It would be like turkeys voting for Christmas. The rot is too deep. They can't be shifted. We might get lucky every 20 years with an exception team and win despite them. In the meantime they pat each other on the back and tell each other they are great GAA men.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117688082#Comment_117688082

I'm not saying do it through the clubs. The GAA "democracy" doesn't work. Thats obvious from the Dublin funding and all the stupid rule changes. The only way to inact change is through a public campaign to root them out. Public pressure on them to resign.

gammygils

Disappointing from our Minor Footballers v Roscommon this evening. Leading by 8 at half time and only managed 4 points in the 2nd half and lost by 1 in the end

Terrible

Utopia Parkway

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117688817#Comment_117688817

Even worse I'm afraid. They were 11 points up at one stage. Didn't see the game but even when they were 8 up at HT I was far from certain that they had the game won. Just that kind of year for Galway football.

Minors have taken a big step back ever since Ducky moved up to the U-20's. Reached 3 All Ireland finals in 4 years there.

cson

Looking good at underage in the hurling if nothing else.

It'd be 6 out of the last 7 AI's at minor if they can get over Cork. Phenomenal record.

Hopefully a few will start coming through.

Utopia Parkway

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117749636#Comment_117749636

Cork have a top class side this year by all accounts so will be up against it in the final but hopefully this game will bring them on. These young lads need games.

bcklschaps

Congrats to Galway Minor hurlers on a great win last night. Didn't see the game but from accounts it was a pretty comprehensive win. Any day you beat the cats 😺 at hurling is a good day.

Yes Utopia Parkway, Cork doing good things underage.... But this game will surely give Galway great encouragement.

That was the lowest wide count i can remember at any grade for a while. I think it was circa 6 wides when there was 24 odd points.

Girly Gal

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117749636#Comment_117749636

Where does all that talent go, even by U20 level other counties seem to have closed the gap or overtaken us and that's long before you even consider the seniors where 1 AI in over 30 years is a really poor showing for the amount of talent in the county, with the exception of Kilkenny's era of dominance, we've had as much talent as any other county and probably more than most, yet we've had little success at senior level.

Green Peter

I think part of the problem is we have too many young lads with All Ireland medals in their pockets and they settle for it and don't drive on. Kerry had similar success at minor level recently in football running alongside the Galway hurling wins. It will be interesting to see how both groups progress to senior over the next 10 years.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117752869#Comment_117752869

It doesn't "go" anywhere. Its our shite county board that has no system to bring these players through. If theyre not county ready by the time they're out of minor or u20 then its back to the club and prove yourself good enough from there. Which is a big ask when you're trying to make a panel with probably 15yrs separating the youngest and oldest members.

We should have regional development squads right up to 23yrs old with 6 or 7 clubs in each region sending in their 3 best players and competing against other regions. At least lads could see a path to making a county panel rather than throwing in the towel and being happy enough to play club to a reasonable level.

These regions should have access to quality s&c experts and nutritionists, as well a skills coaches.

Girly Gal

I think our senior teams in both codes have a very poor attitude, I know there are big question marks over team management and the county board set up, etc, but, on the pitch our teams seem to give up the ghost too easily, contrast our hurlers limp performances this year with Kilkenny for example, who at the moment are no great shakes themselves, but, they still hang in in matches and make themselves extremely difficult to beat, it's rare that they suffer a humiliating defeat like Galway did against both Dublin and Waterford this year. I don't think anyone expects us to be winning AIs every year but we should expect the teams to give their all and not just roll over at the first opportunity.

MfMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117753440#Comment_117753440

So who else is doing this? Not saying you're wrong but for seem reason the county board seem to be the source of all ills. Where is the responsibility among the players and clubs themselves to better themselves and push on? Don't ever rely on anyone else to do everything for you, take charge yourself.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/117755964#Comment_117755964

Cork for one. They've implemented it in the last couple of years and they're running the board in both football and hurling at the moment. Dublin have a different system but their development system is massive and far more sophisticated.

The players have responsibilities to do it themselves but at 20yrs old a once county minor who now only plays club and has the distraction of women, drink and having the craic its hard for them to see a route back to county. Equally, lads who didn't ever make an underage team see it as a pipe dream. Some get asked in for trials and are discarded after a month. Players need time to adjust.