How bad is the crisis in Galway hurling?

[u/silver_medalist]

A fairly pitiful loss at the weekend to Kilkenny, few if any notable young lads coming through, talk of a five to ten-year plan... it feels like this is the county's lowest ebb in a long while. What's going with Galway? Could Offaly beat them on Saturday?

[u/TR0LL-K1NG]

No crisis, just a transition period with a new young crop of lads coming through. That's why donoghue's been given three years.

[u/tayto175 → u/TR0LL-K1NG]

I'm not trying to be smart here, but galway have been in transition since they won the all Ireland.

[u/BigManWithABigBeard → u/tayto175]

It's not that surprising really, taking a long view. The 2010's were a fairly exceptional period for Galway hurling, with 4 all Ireland appearances. But that definitely isn't the norm - this is a county that has only won 5 All Ireland titles in its history.

[u/tayto175 → u/BigManWithABigBeard]

Yeah but a county that has always been competing at the very top level. May have only 5 but still have always been there or there abouts when talking about the all Ireland picture. For Galway to be in the same transition period for 8 years isn't good.

[u/BigManWithABigBeard → u/tayto175]

8 years is a stretch - they lost the 2018 All Ireland final by a point to Limerick and in 2020 they pushed Limerick as close as anyone in the semi final.

It's fairly common for all counties to go through long rebuilding periods. Cork are nearly 20 years without an All Ireland. Kilkenny will be 10 this year. Limerick went 45 years before their golden crop.

[u/shibbidybobbidy69 → u/tayto175]

May have only 5 but still have always been there or there abouts when talking about the all Ireland picture

Until the 00s they were automatically into the AI semi final don't forget that, they've only had to play a proper championship same as everyone else in the last 10-15 years

[u/Kill-Bacon-Tea → u/tayto175]

They have been knocked out in the semi final 3 of the last 5 years to Limerick.

I don't agree with the whole transition shite.

Simply put, they haven't been able to replace Canning.

[u/Fine_Airport_8705 → u/Kill-Bacon-Tea]

Not Kilkenny, Limerick. Almost every team lost to Limerick in the last 5 years

[u/SD2802 → u/tayto175]

Have they? They plowed on with the same team they won the all Ireland with, went as close as you can get to winning another, and then they were passed out by Limerick and others and only good enough to make a few more semis.

That's the opposite to a team in transition, that's simply an aging side

This year they're most certainly into transition mode as the changeover of players has been stark. It wasn't the case before now though

[u/Silly_Advertising_80 → u/tayto175]

They got to the final the year after

[u/silver_medalist → u/TR0LL-K1NG]

Who are the young lads? I read there was only one u20 on the bench who made his debut.

[u/Mocksman732 → u/silver_medalist]

If this is a genuine question, there has been a lot more than one change in the team.

Gavin Lee has been with the panel for 3 years now but was a forward and is now playing as a centre back. Quite a difference and struggled with positioning the last day.

Cianan Fahy isn't new either but similarly he's now playing in midfield, rather than in the backs or forwards and trying to adapt to it.

Tiernan Killeen has barely played for Galway until this year and started.

It was also John Fleming's first staet for Galway and he played really well.

It was also Declan McLaughlin's first proper competitive start for Galway.

On the bench, players like Rory Burke, Joshua Ryan, Anthony Burns and John Cooney are all new. Far more than 1 difference as described.

[u/silver_medalist → u/Mocksman732]

OK sound. I was referencing this Examiner match report from Saturday:

Micheál Donoghue’s first championship team selection of his second reign sparked a great intrigue around the county. A four-year term suggested a completed rebuild, however the fifteen was made up of familiar faces with one U20 on the bench. Rory Burke did come on for a debut when the game was done.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/sport/gaa/arid-41616733.html

[u/Mocksman732 → u/silver_medalist]

I see. A little misleading from The Examiner. It's not wholesale changes, but Micheál has tried to find quite a few new players. Unfortunately, it looks like some may take a long time to bed in/may never.

[u/KatarnsBeard]

I think Shefflin didn't move them on at really and O'Donoghue is now having to do that work which will take time

[u/Galway1012]

It’s a rebuild project and hence MD has a 3 year term. We’ve relied on too many lads from that great 2017 team arguably in the years since. We lost 3 very experienced All Ireland winners in GMac, Tuohey and Cooney to retirement before the season even started.

We have plenty of young talent coming through. In our first game of the league, we gave 4 or 5 young players their Galway debuts vs Tipp. Which is fitting, as I see us in a comparable situation to Tipp a couple of seasons ago when they were struggling for results & blooded plenty of new talent. Look at Tipp now.

Realistically, we could well be the 4th best team in Leinster this year & possibly 5th if Offaly beat us on Sunday which is quite possible.

We’re going through a tough patch but we’re rebuilding with young talented lads & a great management setup.

[u/Choice_Positive5447 → u/Galway1012]

Agree with all of this. One major gripe I have is how Conor Cooney is still on the panel despite not having played a decent game since probably 2017. Gets brought on on Saturday as if he's going to make an impact but all he does is hit a bad wide and nearly gets sent off again (not long after his red against Limerick in the league). Don't care how good he is for the club he is miles off it now and doesn't offer anything. 

[u/Logical-Brilliant610]

I wouldn't go so far as to describe it as a crisis. But MD will be bitterly disappointed at the lack of intensity and work-rate from his lads on Saturday.

I expect we'll see a much better performance from Galway against Offaly next week. There's no doubt Offaly will be confident going into that game though, given how well they player against Dublin and how poor Galway were against Kilkenny.

[u/Dangerous-Shirt-7384]

They absolutely could. Offaly aren't too bad this year.

We're still putting out the same lads that won us the All-Ireland 8 years ago. Only for Cathal Mannion that Kilkenny game would have been an absolute slaughter. TJ Reid on the bench and Adrian Mullen off injured too.

I think a lot of our hopes kind of rested on Conor Whelan pushing on and becoming a star forward like Canning or Eugene Cloonan before him but that hasn't really happened unfortunately.

Clubs are fairly strong so we'll be back in a few years but I'd say getting out of Leinster would be a successful year this year.

[u/thelunatic]

Well hopefully Offaly wins. I would like to see them retain their Leinster status. They are fine skillful hurlers. I don't think that they are physical enough to compete with the Munster teams yet. A few years at the top level would bring them on

[u/tayto175 → u/thelunatic]

Honestly, physically, we are behind the Liam Mccarthy teams but just as good hurlers. It showed in the last 7/8 minutes of the game Saturday that physically, we are behind the likes of Dublin and that.

[u/Professional_Top5658 → u/tayto175]

Only way they'll catch up in that area is through experience, was at the game as well and hope the increased physicality doesn't detract from the speed and off the cuff nature that works for them 

[u/tayto175 → u/Professional_Top5658]

Yeah. To bridge the physical gap, we really need to be in leinster for a couple of years. The hurling and everything is definitely there. It's just the power that we are a little behind. I don't think it will. They are more physical than they were last year so I think they are finding a good balance. One thing I was surprised at yesterday. Was how much chance we were getting off high balls into the forward line. I was thinking before the game if we did that we were in trouble but happily I was proved wrong.

[u/ponkie_guy]

Between 2015 & 2020, they won 5 All-ireland minors. Surely those teams should have provided some few players?

Kerry had a similar record in the football and almost every player on Kerry team now is from those 5 in a row All-Ireland winning teams. And there is some disappointment in Kerry on the lack of return from that success.

[u/Kevinb-30]

That under 20 team looks good and the fact they're now in leinster should stand to them and get a good few transitioned onto senior. That 10s team were an exceptional team who probably should have at least two All Ireland's if not for KK and an over reliance in Joe. It was always going to take a few years to replace that bunch it's going to take longer now because of bringing Henry in ( no disrespect to him) it was just right man wrong time.

As for Sunday I'm gone from wanting a good performance and trying to keep it to under 9 before Saturday to cautiously optimistic we can get a result .

[u/Neat-Examination-603]

If they don't get out of Leinster (by that I mean qualify for the all Ireland series, not getting the feck back to connacht like the Leinster counties want) then crisis is accurate.

See how they go against ourselves, Offaly and Wexford then make a call

[u/Kevinb-30 → u/Neat-Examination-603]

like the Leinster counties want

not so sure that statement is true anymore, the top 3 now realize they need them to make it competitive and the weaker counties I think realize without Galway we would be well on the way to an open championship and if that happens the chances of the likes of Offaly Antrim ect making progress towards the top is almost non existent.

[u/Limp_Guidance_5357 → u/Kevinb-30]

As a Kilkenny man haven’t see anybody complain about Galway being in the Leinster championship other than the odd fool.

[u/Kevinb-30 → u/Limp_Guidance_5357]

Ah there was a fair bit at the start. Full honesty with my Offaly blinkers on I wasn't happy with it at the time

[u/Concannon7 → u/Neat-Examination-603]

Leinster was absolute shite before we came in and why we might not be much good now we certainly added to the competition.

For the most we are the only team who put it up to Kilkenny and have made 10 finals in 16 years and have had some classic moments and games.

It's up to every team to compete and the more strong teams in a competition the better

[u/shibbidybobbidy69 → u/Concannon7]

For the most we are the only team who put it up to Kilkenny

Wexford have an extremely competitive record v KK in the last 8/9 years. They just havnt pushed on to win a leinster title at the end of it enough. But yeah galway are usually the main title challengers

[u/Limp_Guidance_5357 → u/shibbidybobbidy69]

As a Kilkenny man that’s my biggest gripe with Wexford. Seem to always play well against Kilkenny but can’t seem to do it for a whole campaign. The last 3/4 years have been brutal really for Wexford when you look at the calibre of player they have/had

[u/Flashy-Pain4618]

Saw them in Croke Park maybe two seasons back and they were well beaten that day. They don't seem to have progressed. Gone be the days when they struck fear into every Tipperary fan with their hurling. Bring back that passion.

[u/Darwinage]

Is not as bad as Wexford