Canning no longer vital to Galway success
GALWAY take on Clare today and the derby nature to it should add real spice. Galway don’t have Joe Canning after he sustained a broken finger and I don’t think he’ll be a critical loss. Given the success of Portumna in the club championship down the years, they have learned to cope without him.
Of course he’ll be missed but they have talent there to fill the gaps. Same goes for Damien Hayes after his retirement.
As they showed winning the Walsh Cup, Galway are a dangerous proposition. They remain hurling’s great enigma but they’ll always be there or thereabouts in the League.
For Dublin, who host Tipperary, life without Anthony Daly begins in earnest. Daly will be talked about in the annals of Dublin hurling for a long time. As Conal Keaney admitted, things just came to a natural end.
Ger Cunningham will be good for the players. I don’t think he’ll change too much but he’ll bring freshness.
His managerial astuteness is second to none. With all his experience as a Cork coach and selector, he will bring a bit of cleverness also.
Kilkenny are missing so many and I’d worry that Tipperary might suffer their own hangover from losing the All-Ireland final. Don’t be surprised if both end up in a relegation dogfight with Galway, Clare, Cork and Dublin making the play-offs.
In Division 1B, it’s time for Limerick to deliver. They won a Munster Championship in 2013 and reached an All-Ireland semi-final last year.
I expect them to top their group this year and finally go up.
Waterford are truly a team in transition and, along with Wexford and Laois, can slip into the top four slots in Division 1B.