Galway’s forwards can reachheights of Kilkenny immortals
‘ The potential of Galway’s forwards is almost limitless’
GALWAY’s attack can become one of the greatest forward lines in the history of hurling. Yesterday’s tour de force against Kilkenny was the latest evidence that there’s something very special about the way Micheál Donoghue’s team do things up front.
It’s a remarkable turnaround. A few seasons ago the team was referred to as ‘Joe Canning’s Galway’ so often you’d swear that was its actual name. Real Madrid. AC Milan. Joe Canning’s Galway.
Canning was Debbie Harry and his forward colleagues were the lads in Blondie whose names no-one could ever remember. He nearly had a stoop in the shoulders from carrying the team.
Canning is still Galway’s best player. He’s also in the finest form of his career. That’s probably because his burden has been lessened by the blossoming of so many quality accomplices.
He remains the leader and it was notable that after Kilkenny’s third goal Canning immediately cruised through for a point at the other end to calm any nerves. But nowadays he’s able to delegate a bit more work.
In Thurles yesterday Galway’s forward play provoked the same reaction as it did during last year’s All-Ireland final. Namely, how can you possibly mark these guys?
Their combination of pace, physical power and the kind of accuracy which makes the pitch look small and the gap between the posts enormous makes them unplayable when on top form.
Cathal Mannion epitomises this. Big, intelligent, lightning quick, able to score from almost any angle, he’s like some dream forward designed by computer. Yesterday he bagged six points from play as Kilkenny’s full-back line was mercilessly eviscerated.
In the other corner
Conor Whelan is a less expansive player than Mannion, a man for the quick turn in a tight space rather than the electrifying solo run, but he’s just as dangerous and landed four.
Between them was Jonathan Glynn. Attacking the opposition where they’re strongest is a tactic beloved of great managers and Donoghue employed it to perfect effect yesterday.
Pádraig Walsh’s high fielding had been a rallying point for Kilkenny last Sunday so Glynn was placed at the edge of the square, where he wreaked aerial havoc as Galway ran up a big lead in the first quarter.
The big man’s transatlantic commuting made it inevitable he’d be a peripheral figure last season. Now that he’s back in Galway for the summer, Glynn is a far scarier proposition. Glynn was a late replacement for Conor Cooney. That Donoghue could bench the St Thomas man – an All-Star last year and outstanding in round robin victories over Kilkenny and Wexford – shows Galway’s awesome strength in depth.
Joseph Cooney, superb last year, has been quietly efficient this term. Niall Burke seems primed to finally deliver on his huge potential. Jason Flynn has the ability to make a crucial contribution before the summer is out, while Brian Concannon is an exciting prospect.
Conducting the whole orchestra is the Portumna maestro himself. Last year Canning lost the title of being the best hurler never to win an All-Ireland; his new companions in attack give him the chance of replacing it with something far more impressive in the coming years.
The 1-28 they scored in Thurles is the same total Tipp hit against the Cats in the classic 2014 drawn All-Ireland final. Two years later the Premier were scoring 2-29 against Kilkenny and that Seamus Callanan/ Bubbles O’Dwyer/John McGrath led