Speculation grows over Daly for Galway hurling job

ANTHONY Daly’s decision to step down as Dublin senior hurling manager this week has fuelled speculation that the former Clare wing-back is about to take over the Galway job for 2015.

But, with no sign of a nomination for Daly from the Galway clubs yesterday, current incumbent Anthony Cunningham remains the bookies’ slight favourite to hold onto the position after three years in the role.

Clubs across the county have nominated four men for the position – Cunningham, U-21 boss Johnny Kelly, and former selectors Mattie Kenny and Brendan Lynskey – in the expectation that it will be filled within the next two weeks.

But the management committee of Galway GAA have reserved the right to consider another candidate if they feel a suitable alternative can be sourced from either within or outside the county.

“I said that we would have a manager in place for the final rounds of the Galway hurling championship and I’m sticking by that,” said Galway Hurling Secretary Pat Kearney when contacted by Tribune Sport on Wednesday.

“That was the plan and it still is the plan. We will be making no change to that. Nominations have closed at this stage.”

Asked whether Daly’s resignation from the Dublin job had changed the position, Kearney declined to comment and dismissed speculation as being fuelled by the media. It was put to him that Daly was installed as favourite for the job earlier this week. “Dublin footballers were favourites to beat Donegal last Sunday, too, weren’t they?” he said to Tribune Sport.

Bookmaker John Mulholland has priced Cunningham as 4/5 favourite to retain the job for a fourth campaign, despite the disappointments of successive championship campaigns in which the only wins were against lowly Laois.

Full report in this week’s Connacht Tribune.