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Galway Hurling thread

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Replying To katser:  "Who would think we would be talking about a possible League Final after the disaster first game v Tipperary, but victory Saturday night and its Galway v Tipperary League Final.....I'd expect Clare to beat Cork in Ennis."
Cork will be tough to beat as Clare are without Shane O'Donnell for the year. Big loss. That match could go either way.

Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2445 - 07/03/2025 12:33:22    2595213

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I see Conor Cooney and David Burke are both starting for Galway vs Limerick. Cathal Mannion back from injury.

Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2445 - 07/03/2025 21:10:24    2595324

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Replying To Trump2020:  "I see Conor Cooney and David Burke are both starting for Galway vs Limerick. Cathal Mannion back from injury."
I would have thought David might be a 20- 25 minute player at this stage of his career but this is his second start in a row I think.
Conor offers more of a physical presence than Niland I suppose so I can see the thinking behind that a bit more.

PoolSturgeon (Galway) - Posts: 1997 - 08/03/2025 12:01:10    2595370

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Replying To PoolSturgeon:  "I would have thought David might be a 20- 25 minute player at this stage of his career but this is his second start in a row I think.
Conor offers more of a physical presence than Niland I suppose so I can see the thinking behind that a bit more."
I agree with you. I guess it will take superior players at their positions to push them out. Maybe Niland will come in late with fresh legs like Jason Flynn used to do.

Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2445 - 08/03/2025 12:11:52    2595373

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Replying To Trump2020:  "I agree with you. I guess it will take superior players at their positions to push them out. Maybe Niland will come in late with fresh legs like Jason Flynn used to do."
You'd take superior players over inferior players any day of the week.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4045 - 09/03/2025 10:16:58    2595503

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Replying To Trump2020:  "I see Conor Cooney and David Burke are both starting for Galway vs Limerick. Cathal Mannion back from injury."
That was an eye opening for who is upto the standard!
No. 11 took a basic free after C.Cooney was gone and the ball ended up in the River Shannon....luckily we could depend on C Mannion to score the frees.
No 15 touched one ball and was subbed by half time!
Big problem in the Full back line, it's only a League game but they were terrible.
Alot of the Galway lads were bog standard Club level and no where near inter County intensity.
It already looking like trusting the older dogs for Championship, C.Cooney, C. Mannion, J .Flynn, B. Concannon, C Whelan

katser (Galway) - Posts: 2531 - 09/03/2025 12:59:29    2595525

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Replying To katser:  "That was an eye opening for who is upto the standard!
No. 11 took a basic free after C.Cooney was gone and the ball ended up in the River Shannon....luckily we could depend on C Mannion to score the frees.
No 15 touched one ball and was subbed by half time!
Big problem in the Full back line, it's only a League game but they were terrible.
Alot of the Galway lads were bog standard Club level and no where near inter County intensity.
It already looking like trusting the older dogs for Championship, C.Cooney, C. Mannion, J .Flynn, B. Concannon, C Whelan"
I hear you but if we keep trusting the older dogs how will the younger crowd ever develop? We will probably have this conversation 3 years from now if we don't develop replacements for the Old Guard.

Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2445 - 09/03/2025 13:15:23    2595527

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Replying To Trump2020:  "I hear you but if we keep trusting the older dogs how will the younger crowd ever develop? We will probably have this conversation 3 years from now if we don't develop replacements for the Old Guard."
Two wins against Wexford and Kilkenny who will most likely be the two relegated teams and win against the Clare "B" team with the young lads starting in all 5 games.
What does it say when C Mannion comes on for 30mins and does more than what some young lads have done in 350 mis!

katser (Galway) - Posts: 2531 - 09/03/2025 14:03:23    2595537

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I'm admittedly a football man but love Galway hurling too and for years Galway hurling seems to really struggle in the aerial duels. Last night was just painful to watch on the puck outs in particular. When have we last ruled the skies in a game or a season? Can someone explain to me why we can't claim the high ball? We were cleaned in the air last night and it's demoralising in more ways than just that singular loss of possession. Are we a county that habitually loves the nippy, wristy, low centre of gravity little minor that later gets devoured at senior level when a 6'3" athlete eats him without salt? Have we the wrong type of graduate coming through?

togoutlads (Galway) - Posts: 1032 - 09/03/2025 14:29:35    2595538

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Replying To togoutlads:  "I'm admittedly a football man but love Galway hurling too and for years Galway hurling seems to really struggle in the aerial duels. Last night was just painful to watch on the puck outs in particular. When have we last ruled the skies in a game or a season? Can someone explain to me why we can't claim the high ball? We were cleaned in the air last night and it's demoralising in more ways than just that singular loss of possession. Are we a county that habitually loves the nippy, wristy, low centre of gravity little minor that later gets devoured at senior level when a 6'3" athlete eats him without salt? Have we the wrong type of graduate coming through?"
There were saying on rte podcast we are a massive team which was crazy.

15/18 we had a massive forward line all bar whelan well over six feet than limerick came with a whole new breed that blew that outta water.

The main thing I notice is limerick are great at basics first touch ,short passes always spot on

We can still new lads a try but still a case our best 4 or 5 players are from 2017

Lee at 6 and Morrissey I thought were decent.

Monaghan just seemed to be lingering on edges hoping for a ball to break out to him

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1424 - 09/03/2025 14:39:43    2595542

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Replying To togoutlads:  "I'm admittedly a football man but love Galway hurling too and for years Galway hurling seems to really struggle in the aerial duels. Last night was just painful to watch on the puck outs in particular. When have we last ruled the skies in a game or a season? Can someone explain to me why we can't claim the high ball? We were cleaned in the air last night and it's demoralising in more ways than just that singular loss of possession. Are we a county that habitually loves the nippy, wristy, low centre of gravity little minor that later gets devoured at senior level when a 6'3" athlete eats him without salt? Have we the wrong type of graduate coming through?"
You're right, we get dominated by Limerick and Kilkenny in the air the last few seasons. There's many more issues too, and lack of pace is well up there. We're slow on aggregate through the field, but especially up front, where you need pace to worry top class intercounty defenders. Cork hurlers have serious pace through the field, which arguably makes them the team to beat in 2025. It's hard to look beyond Cork and Limerick for 2025 allireland, especially since news of Shane O'Donnell's injury emerged.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4045 - 09/03/2025 16:45:20    2595571

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Couple of observations from the game we are EXACTLY where we should be, we are not near competitive, we don't have a free taker who can make the team and we lack pace and height. We beat a KK team that is average and a Clare team missing 6 of their AI starters. We persist with players who are past it Conor Cooney take a bow and the younger players are not able to take over. Something Henry Shefflin figured out while manager. Now having said all this we need to continue with the rebuild. Even after the rebuild we may not win an AI, but we should be competitive. We will never be the biggest team so pumping high balls is a purse waste of time. More concerning is our severe lack of pace in the backline, midfield is non existent but I do see some a decent forward line options with burns, o Laughlin, mannion and whelan. If we play to their strengths which is fast, LOW ball into space there is a chance of scoring or picking up a free (which we can send wide) Jury is out on Killeen hes not a forward, he doesn't score enough and drifts in and out of games. We are year one of a multi year rebuild there are going to be more days like this, if year 2 &3 come and go and we are still playing the same and with the same players we are in serious trouble. Rebuilds are a necessary evil and there is no guarantees of success.

BostonGuy (Galway) - Posts: 157 - 09/03/2025 17:00:26    2595574

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Chill out lads. Everyone on here does be screaming 'grassroots' and 'front the ground up' 'rebuild' after a bad year. This is what it looks like. Ups and downs. We've a new 6 and 11. Lee is flying it and Killeen is doing grand. Morgan is a great addition at the back. Of course cathal f****** mannion is going to improve things when he comes on, he's one of the best hurlers in the country. If you're roaring for niland to start a league game for frees than you don't want a rebuild, you want to win the league. And that's grand if it's your priority but it's not MDs and he's the manager.

It's very like Galway fans to spend all winter saying it would be a miracle if we're not relegated, then when we comfortably avoid relegation it's 'ara we only bet half a clare team and a bad wexford team' even by GAA standards we're a county who live to whinge.

Overdahill (Galway) - Posts: 28 - 09/03/2025 17:22:16    2595579

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Replying To Trump2020:  "Cork will be tough to beat as Clare are without Shane O'Donnell for the year. Big loss. That match could go either way."
You were correct about Cork....wonder will We get within 20pts of them next weekend?

katser (Galway) - Posts: 2531 - 09/03/2025 17:26:56    2595581

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Replying To katser:  "You were correct about Cork....wonder will We get within 20pts of them next weekend?"
It's a bit mad we are the as short as Clare 9/1 for all Ireland even without O'Donnell

jm25 (Galway) - Posts: 1424 - 09/03/2025 17:46:14    2595584

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Replying To katser:  "That was an eye opening for who is upto the standard!
No. 11 took a basic free after C.Cooney was gone and the ball ended up in the River Shannon....luckily we could depend on C Mannion to score the frees.
No 15 touched one ball and was subbed by half time!
Big problem in the Full back line, it's only a League game but they were terrible.
Alot of the Galway lads were bog standard Club level and no where near inter County intensity.
It already looking like trusting the older dogs for Championship, C.Cooney, C. Mannion, J .Flynn, B. Concannon, C Whelan"
Any full back line would have been in trouble with the ball that was coming in from all angles. Problem was more out the field in my view, both Morrissey and Morgan had some good moments. I'd be very surprised if Cooney or Flynn started, maybe as impact subs but it's time to find fresh blood and give the likes of Killeen, Burns, McLaughlin, Collins, Molloy etc more exposure and experience . Just as a side note, none of those Galway lads who were involved last night were 'bog standard' club level, they are among the best players at club level in one of the best club championships in the country. They will get up to the intensity if we stick with them as physicality can be attained a lot easier than hurling ability which most of the above named have plenty of

Trucker1 (Galway) - Posts: 416 - 09/03/2025 17:55:41    2595587

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Replying To Overdahill:  "Chill out lads. Everyone on here does be screaming 'grassroots' and 'front the ground up' 'rebuild' after a bad year. This is what it looks like. Ups and downs. We've a new 6 and 11. Lee is flying it and Killeen is doing grand. Morgan is a great addition at the back. Of course cathal f****** mannion is going to improve things when he comes on, he's one of the best hurlers in the country. If you're roaring for niland to start a league game for frees than you don't want a rebuild, you want to win the league. And that's grand if it's your priority but it's not MDs and he's the manager.

It's very like Galway fans to spend all winter saying it would be a miracle if we're not relegated, then when we comfortably avoid relegation it's 'ara we only bet half a clare team and a bad wexford team' even by GAA standards we're a county who live to whinge."
People roaring for Niland saw us miss 5 frees last night, and possibly remember that he was the most significant offensive weapon in chiselling a draw out of KK in the 2024 Leinster Championship, after a very late introduction to proceedings in Salthill.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 4045 - 09/03/2025 19:06:34    2595607

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with relegation not an issue we need to tryout new lads against Cork.
All focus is on the Leinster championship at this point.

suckvalleypaddy (Galway) - Posts: 1724 - 09/03/2025 19:16:59    2595612

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "People roaring for Niland saw us miss 5 frees last night, and possibly remember that he was the most significant offensive weapon in chiselling a draw out of KK in the 2024 Leinster Championship, after a very late introduction to proceedings in Salthill."
Think you're missing my point. Maybe he is worth a place in our best 15, I don't think so but we'll see come championship. We know what he is anyway.

It's the league, we're trying things, trying players. There's a millions reasons a player would/would not be in the team yesterday and putting out your best 15 week after week in the league won't get you far.

Overdahill (Galway) - Posts: 28 - 09/03/2025 20:02:03    2595618

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Replying To Pope_Benedict:  "You're right, we get dominated by Limerick and Kilkenny in the air the last few seasons. There's many more issues too, and lack of pace is well up there. We're slow on aggregate through the field, but especially up front, where you need pace to worry top class intercounty defenders. Cork hurlers have serious pace through the field, which arguably makes them the team to beat in 2025. It's hard to look beyond Cork and Limerick for 2025 allireland, especially since news of Shane O'Donnell's injury emerged."
Yep my point exactly, having big men in certain positions is helpful for fielding BUT speed kills, speed aligned with natural ball skills I would take any day over a team of giants. I also agree with your top 2 teams and maybe Tipp as an unknown. All three have top class free takers who also contribute form open play. The big risk here is injuries an ACL or serious injury could tip the balance, for example I think Limerick are a different animal with Quaid in goal. I also think that Limerick being a little bit older and bigger than most need to manage their team more than in the past, but no better management to do it. One team I really want to do well this year is Offaly, small, young and with pace all over the squad with a high degree of skill. We need teams like that do do well to make hurling more competitive.

BostonGuy (Galway) - Posts: 157 - 10/03/2025 00:52:45    2595650

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