Galway GAA Discussion Thread #2

Tellyium

Hard to know where to start on this one. Obviously it's a devastating one to take, I'm still gutted after it so the players and managment must be, as PJ said, in an awful state. I was thinking back over the catalog of all ireland losses in both codes that I've seen in person and the only comparable one is the 90 hurling final. The only result I can think of that is worse was the 89 semifinal, which says something.

2 years ago, although we could justifiably complain about the free against John Daly that turned the game, that was the only 'what-if'. Kerry had the bench to win it, we didn't so sometimes you take the defeat but realise that there wasn't a whole lot more that could have been done. This one isn't like it, for a lot of reasons.

I've always said it - to win all irelands, you need to have a team capable of winning it (obviously) but also need things to fall your way. The modern, superficial, soundbite punditry talked about Galway building great depth due to injuries during the league and this would be the difference versus 2022. The truth is that depth was overstated because it included experience like John Daly and Kieran Molloy - where was the likes of Campbell, Oisin O'Neill or Killian Spillane to bring off the bench i.e. impact forwards? Most critcally, Walsh, Comer and Finnerty were patently not near 100%, so we did not have the forwards needed. Walsh played one free on about the 45 short rather than take it on - a fully fit Shane Walsh kicks that over 95 % of the time.

The reductive analysis is that we bottled it, but Armagh posed a question defensively that we coudn't answer. Our chances were from further out and under more pressure so credit has to go to Armagh. Straight after the match, my impression was that Armagh were the better team, better set up to nullify our (less that 100% fit!) full forward line and took their chances. I mentioned things falling your way to win an all ireland - Armaghs goal was an example of it - Campbell was looking at the posts when he punched it so it's clearly an effort for a point that fell well for them. But them's the breaks that you need. I'd just said to the lad beside me that a goal will be a winner about a minute before that, and so that's how it worked out, notwithstanding the chances we had after.

All that said, what makes this one sore is there are so many what-ifs - Finnerty going off, Comer shut down (he would have been brought out if fit), Walsh's chances (again, not fit), Armagh's goal (caught napping for it), Mchugh's effort off the post, that last chance where we butchered an overload on the right, Armagh's goal. As someone said above, we rode our luck earlier in the year, but managing the injuries finally caught up us. I haven't even mentioned Sean Kelly - what a difference he would have made at the top of his game in carrying ball in heavy traffic.

A bit of a long post, so apologies! I've watched snippets of the match since Sunday, but I think I'll just delete it now. A tough one to take, being realistic we have cycles in Galway where we have teams capable of winning all irelands and hope to sneak one or two. I think Sunday was the chance for this cycle, but hope the next one is not 20 years like the last time.

MattressRick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122444254#Comment_122444254

Good points. If OCurraoin had any form at all the last few months he's exactly what was needed at the end. Can kick points from over 40 yards out.

testtech05

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122444254#Comment_122444254

Agree with pretty much everything there but just on the Heaney point it looked from where I was sitting that Heaney played more as a half forward or around the middle third when he replaced Finnerty with Tierney pushed into the corner (he didnt seem comfortable in there either and it took him out of the game almost completely)

Was wondering about O Curraion myself too he kicked some fine frees in the league for us. Its easy to be wise in hindsight but I did wonder if Tomo coming in for Finnerty (a more straightforward change) would have made more sense?

Robert2014

Well that one hurt badly, worse than the Kerry loss 2 years ago as I thought they were the better team, not by much but better all the same.

This time I think we lost it as much as Armagh one it. 0-13 wont win you many games. It was the same last year.

I think we were out thought on the sideline. Bringing Heaney on instead of Culhane was strange. He had a big impact in the Dublin and Donegal games late on against a more tired team. I think Armagh left some of our players like Fitzgerald and Mulkerrin have the ball knowing they couldn't hurt them. Could they have brought on Daly or Molloy earlier? Why bring on Sean Kelly? Everyone knows he's struggling with injury. Offered Also should have moved Walsh off the frees.

Also I didn't understand some decision making on the field. When Walsh dropped one short, why wasn't there more there in case it happened again and get a fist to it? When Campbell speeds past in the run up to the goal, could we have taken a foul? We panicked in the last 10 minutes with poor choices. We had time but needed some clear thinking.

I was certain that Comer was going to have a big game. Letting one All Ireland final pass you by is one thing.… Sometimes you have to make things happen. Come out the pitch, get on some ball.

Fair play to Cein D'Arcy, if we got to extra time and won it, he would have won man of the match. And Conroy too with 3 points from playing. Just wished he held onto the ball at the end and engineered a free. Maybe one of their players panic, etc.

Finally many thanks to the players and management for their efforts, I'm sure they tried their best and do more than us critics. All our what ifs will be nothing to theirs. It's just the prize was so big that the loss hurts.

flasher0030

Watched it back yesterday. They really lost an opportunity with a minute and a half to go. Burke had it, passed inside to Molloy. Unfortunately, Molloy had his back to goal. But if he had the presence of mind, there was a Galway player just running inside behind him. That player should have been roaring at Molloy to turn around and pass him the ball. It was a goal scoring opportunity at that stage with the amount of Galway players close to goal. Obviously, a point would be the sensible option to send it to extra time.

They will have so many regrets on that final.

Robson99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122444650#Comment_122444650

Fully agree on all above..

IMO we were the better team… we missed 5 dead ball efforts from inside the 45…. all scoreable at club level. Bar maybe the first one Finnerty would not have taken any of them so to i don't think he would have made the difference from frees…I cant understand why Tierney, Conroy or Gleeson didnt take one of the frees in the second half. We had enough easy chances to win the game by 3 or 4 points

The hardest one of the lot is Comers effort that was ruled wide by Hawkeye…. videos circulating show it clearly inside the post… Just no luck

J Cheever Loophole

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122437309#Comment_122437309

And not just Galway supporters, I would venture. 😉

To all the Galway folk here - commiserations. That was a contest of the finest margins and on another day, Sam could have been heading west. Wee things went for us on Sunday. I understand the hurt - God knows, we have been through enough of it, following Armagh - but my hope is that you can get the injuries sorted and regroup. A fully fit Galway would surely be able to mount another serious challenge for the summit.

cosatron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122445275#Comment_122445275

Seen that alright and it looks in. According to finnster on twitter, comer, Walsh, finnerty, Kelly and McDaid are going for operations in the coming weeks. Whatever about football, I hope the procedures are successful. We as fans sometimes take for granted all they put into it.

happyoutscan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122445275#Comment_122445275

Videos can be quite deceptive.

flasher0030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122445380#Comment_122445380

The player who takes the kick is nearly always the best person to know if the ball goes inside or outside the post, because they are following the direct flight of the ball. After the play had moved on, and the kickout was taken, Comer spent a long time remonstrating with the umpires on it. He seemed very genuine in what he was trying to get across to them. Presumably he was arguing that it was a point. He was making some hand signals anyway, and point at the posts.

mjp

Watching it back again lastnight I'm surprised that Conroy snatched at that last point attempt as hes an expert over the years at drawing in frees when he takes it into contact.He mightnt have had the legs or energy to take on the armagh defenders at that stage and the clock was against him aswell which may have rushed him. First thing Joyce has to do is sit down with Paul and tell him to take a break from setup till end of the league and that door is open for him to return next April and give it another year as would be a shame if sunday was the last we will see of him in a galway jersey. Clare and Limerick hurlers have managed it very well with Tony Kelly/Shane o Donnell , Aaron Gillane over the years. He has so much more to offer us and his injury profile has been good bar the horrific long term injuries he picked up.

Hard know where you start with Comer and Sean Kelly but playing long club campaigns on one leg is not the answer for them which is harsh on their clubs. Have no knowledge in area but I do wonder whether we have to look at the training & medical teams within setup and whether we can be better resourced there. Know in the past that Joyce was known to be narrow minded and went against the advise of his medical teams and was to their detriment. There is huge potential there with only slight tweaking needed to be at the business end of championship next year.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122444520#Comment_122444520

I made the point last week, when did you want these lads on the pitch? The first 20mins or the last. If they had been parked up til the 50 or 55th minute they would have come on full of energy and looking to make an impact in a game that was opening up. You could go with O Flaherty and Heaney in the first stint as they're better equipped to track back but also offer options to break the line in a blanket defence.

Instead, they were put in to a packed defence burning energy doing nothing except looking for space that didn't exist. If they continue into next year that's the role I'd be telling them they had. 20 mins of maximum effort going hard at tired defences. We're lucky in Galway we had a plethora of good half backs/forwards who can do a job for 50mins. Rotate who attacks and who sits to maximise the speed of attack and develop a good support game.

Coaches have looked to soccer to develop their defence they now need to look at rugby in coming up with a plan to break it. They go against far tighter defensive lines where they can be tackled to the ground yet with decent lines of running they can get through impossibly small gaps where the risk associated with a turnover is far higher than football.

Robson99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122445380#Comment_122445380

Really....any examples ...It's clear from the video it's inside the post

C__MC

Just watched the gleeson break from late kick out, that will haunt for galway

MattressRick

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122446174#Comment_122446174

Wasn't there a goal on if they went for it? 100% a hand passed point should've been the outcome at least.

threeball

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122446121#Comment_122446121

That'd have to raise question marks about whether hawkeye is fit for purpose if true. It's gotten too many calls wrong down the years. The Walsh one two years ago was crazy. Not using it as any excuse in this game but can it really be trusted at all. Forget about it when you get a sliothar involved.