Defiant Galway boss Cunningham predicts bright future for team in years ahead

GALWAY senior hurling manager Anthony Cunningham issued a staunch defence of his players’ character after suffering defeat at the hands of Kilkenny and declared: ‘We’ll be back’.

The St. Thomas’ clubman looked battle-weary as he trundled into the Croke Park media centre at around 6pm on Sunday.

Being the losing manager on All-Ireland final day and tasked with explaining yourself to the press corps, having just come from the losers’ dressing room, which resembled a morgue . . . there must be no worse a place to be for an inter-county boss.

Cunningham has experienced that feeling before, in 2012, but that doesn’t make it any easier. If anything it makes it worse. He’d want the floor to swallow him up.

The mood, obviously, was sombre. But Cunningham summoned enough upbeat soundings about the future of Galway hurling that helped to lift the depression. Slightly.

Cunningham was uncompromising when questioned by a hack from a national newspaper, who effectively accused Galway of white-line fever – was there any possibility at half-time, leading by three points, they saw the winning line and froze, he wondered.

“No, absolutely not, do you know what I mean. That’s not in the nature of any player in our camp, I can assure you that,” countered Cunningham without hesitation.

After losing the All-Ireland final replay in 2012, Cunningham spoke of how Galway would bounce back the following year. They didn’t – 2013 was a bit of a flop.

The same could be said of the 2005 All-Ireland defeat; the following year was disappointing.

Cunningham knows building on this year’s campaign next season, is a huge task but one the players are capable of meeting.

“Yes, it’s a massive challenge. It’s something we spoke about in the dressing room. It can go up or we can stay the same level. If we stay the same level, we won’t be back here. So we’ve got to work harder and get better. But with the amount of players that we have and the talent that we have it is definitely within their grasp to do that. A huge amount of that is down to the players, and to kick on from that.

“I mean, I’ve no doubt that the system and set-up and professionalism that we have is as good as what’s ever been there or will ever be there – I’ve no doubt about that. Players have to kick on but the way they’ve worked so, so hard to drive this, and be where they are today, you know, that is there and so I’d be very, very surprised if we don’t kick on.”

Cunningham wasn’t about to get into the blame game either. He was measured, and fair in his assessment of the referee, and of the opposition.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.