Galway GAA Discussion Thread #2

Dessie shooting through lights out. Paul and Sean playing well. James back on the bench. Good progress for Galway/Moycullen. Hard to believe this is the best Mayo have to offer. Men against boys.

Mayo haven't really had a standout club team in a while. Still, I think it's more the Galway championship being good rather than theirs being poor. We like to complain as a fan base and the intercounty team hasn't been up to scratch, mostly anyway until this year but the club championship has been top 3 in the country for the best part of a decade

That was Corofin like from Moycullen hugely impressive its going to take a top team to topple them.

All the more remarkable was there had a sickness in the camp and were forced to make 6 changes to their starting team and one of their best players Peter Cooke unable to feature at all.

Cork hurling home game not listed so would really hope that some sense has prevailed for once and that it's a double header with the Monaghan football game on March 5th. But there's a 3 week gap with no hurling on in February so I assume it'll be fixed for one of those weekends. If it's fixed for Feb 19th for Pearse stadium while the footballers play in Tuam it'll be the most laughable situation yet

Surely more can be done to provide a good experience for fans in dual counties. God knows it's hard enough to follow both teams in championship never mind league. 3 home games could easily have been construed to overlap by the GAA

Think that's a typo there's hurling the weekend of Feb 11/12.

Kilkenny in both groups then?

Whistle/rulebook left at home. Was talking to a Thomas's player yesterday and he said it was one of the most frustrating games he ever played in and they won!! Strange appointment.

You can't say he did the wrong thing, but if Conor Whelan took a chance in crossing the ball (perhaps blindly) when he took his equalising point late in the match, Brian Concannon and Cathal Mannion were both lurking and it could have a been a key goal at that stage. Cillian McDaid missed John Daly free inside him too when he kicked a late wide in the football final.

Nice team named for Friday. Good mix of experience, youth and some older heads returning.

Ya Dome is some setup. Hard to read a lot into it as Leitrim were so poor. Daniel Flaherty from Salthill was very good. Johnny McGrath has bulked up and was vert tenacious in the tackle. Fitzgerald was good at full back on probably Leitrims best player.

Maher was the pick of the new players for me. Up and down the pitch all night long industrious on the ball breaking tackles going forward.

Ian Burke very sharp and Rob Finnerty was class but they had a lot of room.

Power in goal was a surprise. Made a nice one on one save but was slow to get set up for restarts and a few wayward kicks. O Malley I'm goals was very sharp when he replaced him but Leitrim had given up the ghost at that stage.

Saying he shipped 4 goals doesn't exactly tell the tale of the game. Did you see it?

I didn't think there was one goal he was at fault for it was more down to very poor defending for most of them for me.

Having said that we still do have an issue for the no1 jersey in the county and someone needs to step up and claim it.

Galway selection for Saturday v Mayo. Comer,John Daly return and should feature off the bench.

1. Bernard Power (CorofinGAA)

2. Cathal Sweeney (Salthill Knocknacarra GAA Club)

3. Seán Fitzgerald (Bearna)

4. James Foley (Mountbellew Moylough GAA Club)

5. Dylan McHugh (Corofin)

6. Billy Mannion (Mountbellew/Moylough)

7. Daniel O’Flaherty (Salthill/Knocknacarra)

8. John Maher (Salthill/Knocknacarra)

9. Matthew Barrett (Mountbellew/Moylough)

10. Dylan Canney (Corofin)

11. Matthew Tierney - Capt (Oughterard)

12. Johnny Heaney (Killannin)

13. Ian Burke (Corofin)

14. Robert Finnerty (Salthill/Knocknacarra)

15. Barry McHugh (Mountbellew/Moylough)

Subs

16. Tadhg O’Malley (St Michaels GAA Club)

17. Jack Kirrane (Milltown GAA)

18. Eoghan Kelly (Cumann Peile Mhaigh Cuilinn)

19. Paul Kelly (Maigh Cuilinn)

20. James McLaughlin (Maigh Cuilinn)

21. Evan Murphy (Salthill/Knocknacarra)

22. Tomo Culhane (Salthill/Knocknacarra)

23. Damien Comer (Annaghdown)

24. Brian Mannion (Tuam Stars)

25. Nathan Grainger (Claregalway GAA)

26. John Daly (Mountbellew/Moylough)

We were well beaten around the middle from kickouts I thought...thought Maher was OK though, reminded me a bit of O Domhnaill, you'd wonder why Tierney was left on the whole game, 3 games in 8 days like, Power was fair to middlin in goal, his kickouts mostly found their target when he didn't go long, I just think there's something missing with him, Culhane mad for road looking well, heaney scored a few great points, bit of a leader now Cian spent a long time talking to him at the start of the second half

It'll change a fair bit I'd say. All the backs were very loose. Billy Mannion perhaps looked the most likely to break onto the team for the league of the newcomers but he was caught badly for a mayo goal. Because we're short a few, he may still be included, or perhaps Sean Fitzgerald. You'll probably see McGrath back in at corner back. O'Flaherty at wing back has shown very well for his age but there's no way he'll be pitched into a D1 game away to Mayo at this stage

Maher might keep his place at midfield but i wouldn't go stronger than that. Of the forwards, id suspect one of Ian Burke or Tomo will start, and otherwise will look a lot like last year.

I'd expect John Daly, McDaid, Conroy, Sean Kelly and Comer all to come back in, possibly joined by one of the other Kelly brothers, possibly Cooke also. Then it'd depend on the availability of Patrick Kelly (not sure his story) and Jack Glynns injury otherwise.