Galway hurlers and footballers must hit ground running

Inside Track with John McIntyre

Whatever we think we know about the championship prospects of the Galway footballers and hurlers this year, we should know a lot more after this weekend’s defining matches.

It’s a critical 24 hours for the Tribesmen in both codes and while most supporters expect the hurlers to fall to Kilkenny in Tullamore, the majority of them would be backing the footballers to carry the day in Markievicz Park.

It’s difficult to digress from this view, especially as the hurlers have done little of substance since the drawn All-Ireland final in 2012. To compound the sense of gloom, Galway only escaped by the skin of their teeth against Laois last Sunday fortnight after a really disjointed effort in O’Moore Cup. It was an even poorer display than 12 months previously against the same opposition, but if the team doesn’t deliver a performance this weekend, it’s unlikely we will get one at all in 2014.

Yet, all of this offers the perfect backdrop for Galway to pull off an ambush against Kilkenny in the Leinster semi-final. The squad had a morale-boosting win over Tipperary (3-27 to 4-17) in Pearse Stadium last Wednesday week, with the home team reportedly looking much livelier and sharper than was the case against Laois. Naturally, such a high scoring affair raises questions about the level of physical intensity, but it was still an encouraging result.

Galway also changed their forces around compared to their championship debut, with the big call being the move of Joe Canning to the forty where he performed impressively until departing the fray at half-time. The team captain needs to be more involved and placing him at centre forward against Kilkenny is an obvious switch, especially as Canning has struggled inside in his last two competitive fixtures.

The forceful display of Paul Killeen at wing back also caught the eye, with both Iarla Tannian and Daithi Burke benefitting from a switch of roles in the same line after the opening quarter against Tipperary. Damien Hayes also got a start in the half forward line, while his Portumna clubmate, the fit-again again Andy Smith, brought badly needed vigour to the midfield battleground. The in-form Conor Cooney was deployed at full forward where he has the physique and stickwork to be a handful for any number three.

Of course, the caveat in all of this is that it was only a challenge and Tipperary, somewhat short-staffed, are hardly burning up the hurling fields at present. Still, it shows what Galway are capable of on a going day and though Kilkenny retained the league title in May and have since hammered Offaly in the championship, they are not the irresistible force  of a few years ago. Sure, their attack is probably still the most lethal in the business, but their defence is far from bombproof, not least in the central positions.

For more, read this week’s Connacht Tribune.