Tribe’s greater need should spur them towards final

THERE is very little fire between these two so it was refreshing of former Galway forward Damien Hayes to raise the temperature during the week by suggesting his county is ‘way ahead’ of Limerick and should win this one easily.

Perhaps Hayes wasn’t in the Gaelic Grounds a few weeks ago for the final round Division 1B game when Galway needed David Burke and Joe Canning to inspire them to a three-point win over a young Limerick side.

It’s true the Tribesmen are further down the road of their development than the Shannonsiders, who used ten Under 21 players in the 35 players deployed so far in the League, but that doesn’t mean they are ‘way ahead’.

Galway, as is their tendency, have only been playing in bursts this spring. It was good enough to beat Limerick, and good enough to stage a dramatic comeback against Waterford in Pearse Stadium. But a consistent performance over 70-plus minutes still eludes Micheál Donoghue’s side.

John Kiely must be pretty content to be within one game of a national final only a few months into his reign. And there are signs that this Limerick team may be capable of delivering on the talent produced in recent years.

Claiming the All-Ireland U21 title in 2015 engendered plenty of optimism in the Treaty County and their younger players have stood up during this campaign. Gearóid Hegarty continues to thrive in the half-forward line while Declan Hannon is relishing a return to centre-back, where he excelled as an underage star. Diarmuid Byrnes, John Fitzgibbon and Cian Lynch have all offered hope for a golden future in Limerick hurling.

However, Galway need a national title more than them or the other semi-finalists, even if the suggestion out west this week is that their Championship opener against Dublin on May 28 is what counts.

Joe Canning has looked sharp since returning from his hamstring injury and helped turn things around against Waterford, while David Burke remains a vital player. Daithí Burke is in solid form at full-back, while the return of Jonathan Glynn from New York adds to the sense that there is something stirring in Galway this year and that they will be big players come August and September.

Of course, a League triumph would frank their AllIreland credentials. And while Limerick won’t make it easy on their home patch, and will be fired-up by Hayes’ comments, today’s prize is much more important to Galway at present.

Galway