Dubs step back as Tribe try to take leap forward

NO win in two games for Dublin.

A crisis?

Not a chance. I fully expect the Dubs to carry off the major honours again this year as I don’t see anybody improving sufficiently to catch them.

But that’s not to say Jim Gavin’s team haven’t regressed. It’s just not possible to maintain the level of performance that Dublin have had and there are signs that they’re not quite as strong as they were.

They are still good enough to win another All-ireland but the absences – for varying reasons – of Stephen Cluxton, Paul Flynn, Bernard Brogan, Jack Mccaffrey, Cian O’sullivan and Diarmuid Connolly have been felt. That’s half a dozen exceptional players and while the alternatives are good, they’re certainly not that good. You just don’t replace what the likes of Connolly have done at the drop of a hat.

Are Galway the next big deal? We’ll find out a lot tomorrow, though it shouldn’t be all about winning or losing for them.

They need to put in a performance against a top team in Croke Park, something they have failed miserably at in the past, last year’s All-ireland quarter-final against Kerry a prime example.

They’ve had a soft centre for a decade or more now and it’s time they dispelled that perception of them for good. Kevin Walsh and Paddy Tally are trying to instil a bit of steel and seem to have built a sound defensive structure.

The Tribe were a shambles at the back for too long. They’ve found a reliable full-back in Sean Andy O Ceallaigh while Gareth Bradshaw is doing what a centre-back should do first and foremost – defend.

They’ve a solid midfield and lots of exciting talent up front, with the decision to make Damien Comer captain one of the best Walsh has made.

Shane Walsh is one of the most electrifying forwards around but he needs to lose the rawness that dogs his game. He lacks the composure of the very top forwards, particularly in and around the scoring zone. Worryingly, he is repeating the same mistakes and undoing brilliant build-up play all too often.

He needs to work on his decision-making and just pop the scores. Tomorrow is the ideal platform for him to go and do that. Galway need to keep the errors to a minimum.

Kevin Walsh is in a nice position going into this game, having made seven changes for the last meeting a fortnight ago while still earning a draw. He got game time into players to keep the panel happy and didn’t show his hand.

Dublin look more suspect now than at any time in the last three or four years.

I take Galway to spring a surprise and claim a first League title in 37 years.

CARLOW won’t have been too disappointed by their loss to Laois last weekend and it sets things up nicely for today’s Division Four final. It’s a derby game and a big one for Laois too, as they won’t want to lose to their neighbours in Croke Park. I...