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That's a strange example to use considering we all know of the injury issues we had coming in to that game. Comer had a partially torn hamstring which caused him to miss the Armagh game. He was thrown in because it was do or die and only made it to half-time. Sean Kelly was also badly injured and also only played because of the nature of the game. He was limping around the pitch. The damage done caused him to miss much of the club championship. Shane Walsh had a back injury during last year's group stages. Even McDaid wasn't fully fit last summer. Having those players fully fit can make a massive difference to Galway. It's ridiculous to say otherwise. Whether we have them fit for this year's championship is another matter. WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2253 - 06/03/2024 08:01:42 2530025 Link 0 |
We had nowhere near a fit or full deck of cards to choose from against Mayo lat year in champo but all being said it was our own fault getting turned over against Armagh in last few mins it would have given us an extra week but anyway lets look forward. As said we have more than lilely secured our Div1 status which is huge & the priority especially given the injury list. We have give game time to younger lads o cuurrain o conghaile & cunningham etc. We have a good draw in connacht should easily make final so thats 8 weeks away plenty of time to get lads back but miore importantly firing its about timing it right too. Looking forward to the next 2 games agains Dubs Kerry will tell us alot more about us defensively. Very interested to see where he deploys kelly this year & alot depends on whether Fitz can continue to hold his own at full back and again Dub Kerry game should tell us alot more. My team with a full compliment for champo would be: Eire89 (Galway) - Posts: 317 - 06/03/2024 09:00:36 2530030 Link 0 |
The question has to be asked is why are mainly Galway players getting all these injuries and not too many from other counties? Surely the S&C is not up to scratch in some way and it can't be just a coincidence. It also seems to be happening to Galway's "better players" / leaders. Again the last day Rob Finnerty limped out of the action after being tackled. Do opposition players deliberately target them as they are perceived to be somewhat "soft" or "vulnerable" in some way? tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 06/03/2024 09:14:25 2530032 Link 0 |
One thing that worries me a bit even if we get all these top players back. Players train extremely hard from November to April in order to have the stamina levels to compete with the likes of Dublin in the summer. Without this training we wouldn't have a hope. Bringing 1 or 2 star players back who have not done this level of training might be managable , but 4 or 5 might be a bridge too far. From what i hear these injuries are mostly , if not all, leg injuries so there is no opportunity to do the hard yards while recovering ( like you might with a hand or shoulder injury). I hope I'm wrong, as even if these guys are not as super fit as they could be, they will still be needed.
anotheralias (Galway) - Posts: 974 - 06/03/2024 09:22:41 2530035 Link 0 |
Well we had all those players in 2022 and we only bet Mayo by a point. We had the majority for the 3 years previous and lost all of these games.
MapleSyrup (Galway) - Posts: 165 - 06/03/2024 09:33:32 2530036 Link 2 |
Controversial take incoming: Shane Walsh has not delivered on his potential. I don't think anybody doubts Shane Walsh's talent and maybe due to that talent he is held up to a higher standard and so much is expected of him. I think I am correct in saying he made his debut it 2013, so this is his 12th season at IC. Apart from KWs 1st league, Walsh has started when fit. In all the games I have seen him play for Galway (a lot), I have rarely seen him take a game by the scruff of the neck and produce game changing moments (much of his career has been Division 2 also). Yes the all Ireland 2022 and Connacht 2018 and even 2022 he was very good. For me, he has mainly produced little flashes here and there, the flick against tipp in 2014, some lovely scores in games when we were well beaten (Kerry 2014, Dubs 2018). People would leave games talking about his skill and potential and his electric pace. But I feel it's been few and far between where he has terrorised opposition teams and dragged his team over the line or produced big, game changing moments like other top forwards. Contrast it with Comer who when fit is a more consistent and a constant thorn for opposition. He usually impacts most games. Even McDaid and Kelly in their much shorter Galway careers have produced huge game changing moments. Johnny Heaney has scored massive goals over the years, even game saving blocks v Mayo in 2017. Even Tom Flynn was able to produce huge moments to win games for his team (Mayo. 2016 comes to mind). And if we contrast Walsh with other top forwards (McGuigan, Cliffords, McManus, CON, Kilkenny, Mannion, Cillian O Connor even), he is nowhere near as consistent. Again, maybe I'm holding Walsh up to a much higher standard due to his unquestionable talent but I feel his Galway career has flattered to deceive and hasn't delivered on the promise but in sparse patches. Because so much is expected of Walsh, every time he misses, it sucks so much life from a team. The flip side is when he scores from play, it's a huge boost. Of course if he's fit, he starts. A sub par Walsh is still a threat. And if he does hit form in some game, we could beat anyone and win an all Ireland. I'm not naive enough to think he is the reason we didn't win an Ireland last year or over his career, it's a team game. But if we are to win one, we need him on fire throughout a championship not just for 1 or 2 games. jobseekersbent (Galway) - Posts: 383 - 06/03/2024 09:53:36 2530039 Link 1 |
Galway play Dublin next. SixtiesKid (Galway) - Posts: 338 - 06/03/2024 10:12:34 2530044 Link 2 |
Only beat them by a point? They'd been in the previous two All-Ireland finals. I'd take a any win against Mayo in championship. Comer, Walsh, Kelly and McDaid when introduced were key to that win. With all those players in 2022, we got to an All-Ireland final. The point is not that having them fit is a guarantee of success, but that it definitely makes us a stronger team. How anyone can say otherwise is very odd. WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2253 - 06/03/2024 10:22:28 2530045 Link 1 |
We beat them two years in a row in the league in 2009 and 2010. We had a good few draws with them in the league around those years too. After we went down to Division 2, we didn't play them for a good few years. In championship, I don't think we played them from 1983 until the semi-final in 2018. We drew with them in the league that year, before losing the final. WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2253 - 06/03/2024 11:25:46 2530055 Link 0 |
I'm trying to think of a way Galway can be competitive, but I honestly cant see how it wont be a 5 or 6 point loss (at least) Good job its not in Croker - hopefully a wet & windy Salthill. hopballref (Galway) - Posts: 424 - 06/03/2024 12:11:49 2530065 Link 2 |
Its a fair point but Galway will likely have 6 championship games before they play a knockout game so its almost like the league again. Its no ideal but at least the current format gives injured players more of a chance to get match fit. TheBishop (Galway) - Posts: 289 - 06/03/2024 13:28:28 2530073 Link 0 |
Walsh not getting an All Star in 2018 was a shocking decision. He was by far our best player all year. Ian Burke did get an All Star and while he was decent, Walsh was better. galwayman2 (Galway) - Posts: 1302 - 06/03/2024 15:38:57 2530094 Link 2 |
Walsh is capable of turning a game on his own which is a serious weapon for Galway to have. JahTribe (Galway) - Posts: 155 - 06/03/2024 20:51:31 2530136 Link 1 |
We're in our 5th year under Joyce and he's still talking about routinely coughing up turnovers and unnecessarily running down blind alleys. Are these not problems a manager should be addressing in his first year????? StopTheLights (Galway) - Posts: 399 - 07/03/2024 09:29:56 2530159 Link 4 |
In fairness, Kerry wouldn't have been up to much without Cliffords 8 points either. StopTheLights (Galway) - Posts: 399 - 07/03/2024 09:37:38 2530160 Link 0 |
Agreed - 5 years is a long time to be still ironing out sloppy turnovers and many even by more "experienced" players!
tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 07/03/2024 10:30:54 2530166 Link 4 |
The last day v Monaghan Galway very poor in going into unnecessary contact players just giving ball away and unfortunately it's happening more and more in every game ,, I know Padraig was talking about it after game in interviews but if he keeps picking the same players who are doing it nothing will change , Galway are definitely conceding more now in games than have being , I think a player like Liam Boyle deserve a chance he very smart player quick and kick a score and rarely gives ball away ; Kickitout (Galway) - Posts: 1020 - 07/03/2024 14:22:26 2530195 Link 3 |
I will have a go at picking team v dubs Kickitout (Galway) - Posts: 1020 - 12/03/2024 18:42:56 2530946 Link 0 |
Can't see it being much different from that. If Finnerty is injured, Darcy will start. Hopefully Conroy is fit enough to play some part.
jobseekersbent (Galway) - Posts: 383 - 13/03/2024 09:16:24 2530989 Link 0 |
The Dubs won't be too frightened by that forward line, have we no one better than Daly at full forward?
hopballref (Galway) - Posts: 424 - 13/03/2024 09:19:33 2530990 Link 0 |