GALWAY OPEN THEIR championship campaign against Dublin in Tullamore on Sunday, but find themsevlves in unfamilar waters.
Micheal Donoghue’s men are 10/3 favourites with the bookies to go all the way in September, even though they haven’t lifted the Liam MacCarthy Cup since 1988.
On current form, Galway deserve to be ranked as the frontrunners, although must be said this is as open an All-Ireland hurling championship as we’ve had in some time.
The demolition job they did on Tipperary in the league final last month made people sit up and take notice. In his second year in charge, all the evidence suggests Donoghue has this team primed for a tilt at the big one.
A major boost for the Connacht side this season has been the positioning of Joe Canning at centre-forward. One of the most scrutinised players in the country, the knock on Galway in the past has often surrounded Canning’s positioning in their attack.
Perhaps it’s because of their size, but Aidan O’Shea and Michael Murphy are two other inter-county stars who were subject to intense speculation over their best position on the field.
Since he returned to action in the maroon jersey this year, Canning has been shifted to centre-forward and it’s paying dividends so far. Donoghue is blessed with serious firepower in his attack, meaning he can afford to place Canning further out the field.
Inside forwards Jason Flynn and Conor Whelan posted 2-6 between them from play against Tipperary in the league final, while Canning pulled the strings further out the field. He was flanked on the half-forward line by Cathal Mannion and Joseph Cooney, both imposing ball winners with an eye for goal.
Conor Cooney missed the league final with an injury after scoring 1-4 from play in the semi-final. His return will add another major threat to the Tribe attack.
Canning has featured at 11 at various points during his career, but this year the Portumna sharpshooter is a permant fixture in the role. He no longer has to shoulder the burden of putting up big scores from play, and appears to be hurling with more freedom and energy.
“I think the pressure is gone off Joe,” explains his former teammate David Collins.
“If you looked at him years ago, everything was, ‘Give it to Joe. Give a long ball to Joe. Find him.’ And now that responsibility is taken off him, he’s free to hurl. And he looks like he’s enjoying it. His conditioning is fantastic. He’s in fantastic physical shape.
“Joe’s ability to read and dictate the game at centre-forward could be the key winning factor.”
But what exactly does he offer Galway from centre-forward?
Positioning
“I wouldn’t fancy being a centre-back standing on top of him,” continues Collins. “He drifts out and he plays the game against Ronan Maher the last day perfectly. He drifted out, got the loose ball and distributed.”
Canning loves to drop deep or wide and that leaves the centre-back a major dilemma. Do you follow him out the field and leave a big hole at the back, or let him roam and allow him to pick off scores from deep?
In the league final against Tipperary, we can see how Canning dropped to midfield and caused them problems from deep.
In the clip below, Premier centre-back Ronan Maher isn’t tight enough as Canning collects the sliotar in midfield and slots over a score from distance.
“He has hurling intelligence, and that’s something that I really love to see in a player,” says former Kilkenny poacher Eddie Brennan. “He’s a fella with good on field awareness.
“They see things happening around them. They mightn’t be the biggest or the fastest, but their hurling brain, and if it’s in the wrists as well. That’s what will get them out of trouble.
“Sometimes it’s just that little clever flick out to somebody in space. And Joe Canning has that.”
When the ball is being worked out of the Galway defence, Canning likes to pull wide and give his backs an easy outlet ball. In the example below he collects a short clearance and a dangerous delivery into the full-forward line but it doesn’t quite come off.
“He kind of floats in around the middle as well, and I have seen him a few times pick up ball in his own half back line and pick that pass,” continued Brennan.
“To me sometimes someone that has played in the full forward line and goes out the field knows the type of ball (the forwards want).
“Cha Fitz was the example, played all his career underage in the forward line, and I loved when Cha was midfield. He would know where to put the ball for you, preferably put it across a defence and I think Canning does that.”
It’s very tempting for the centre-back to follow the 27-year-old out the field, which leaves oceans of space in front of the dangerous Galway full-forward line.
Puck-outs
Galway targetted Canning with nine puckouts against Tipperary at Semple Stadium, and his presence on the half-forward line gives Colm Callanan a major outlet from restarts.
Donoghue’s teamalso pulled out a number of interesting restarts off the training ground.
In the instance below, left-half forward Joseph Cooney runs into the middle channel, leaving a huge gap on the wing for Canning to move into and contest the puck-out.
This may be a tactic we see again before the end of the summer.
Sidelines
He has long been renowned for his ability to curl over sidelines from long distance, but Canning can also set up scoring chances by going short.
Here are examples of two well-worked sidelines in the second-half, the second of which produced a score.
Watch Canning’s head tilt to the left before he hits the ball, clearly indicating to midfielder David Burke to make a run forward.
Canning pops the sideline perfectly into the path of Burke who splits the posts.
“I think it’s experience and getting smarter,” adds Collins. “He’s 27 and when you were a young lad, everything is rosy and it’s all good. Now, he’s going on 28, he has to win an All-Ireland. This is his peak. David Burke is the same way. Those are leaders, those guys are key to it.”
After returning from a hamstring injury which threatened to end his career, Canning has thrived since he made his comeback against Wexford in February.
He scored 3-47 in six games while acting as a creative force from 11. Galway’s young forwards are motoring around him and putting up big scores. It all bodes well for their chances of September glory.
The42 is on Instagram! Tap the button below on your phone to follow us!
This was an epic entertaining game tbh, you’d feel sorry for any team that loses but to come out the wrong side of a cracking game is wicked tough, 2 cracking teams did themselves and club proud.
@Now or Never: Watched most of it on You Tube. Tullaroan were a bit better although Father O Neills never gave up. The 2nd half was unreal. Some high scoring and some top drawer scores. Maybe the 2 boys suspended was the difference, but saying that Tullaroan are worthy champions. Delighted for Tommy Walsh. Club is king.
@Decko49: ah I was hoping for a draw after 62nd min, but what a way to win and lose aswel. You’ll do well to see a better game all year tbh. Tullaroan worthy winners and Walsh is just a joy to watch. Some game!!
@Now or Never: hi let me tell you, a DRAW would have been a fair Result !!!!
@Tom Harrington: as is a one point win for Tullaroan, game was there to be won for either side. But another day out would have been great,just to see them go at it again.
Mandatory Viewing for any Squad …
Phenomenal ! like a Rocky movie
Had it all folks -certainly feel for the loser
Refree contributed greatly by letting Game flow
Have to say & this is a Big Statement
That Was thee most Entertaining
Hurling Match I’ve seen in years…
& I was extremely Neutral…
Hurling is a gift from the Almighty
That’s some win. After 10 mins I thought Fr O Neills were going to walk it. It’s mad 2 Tommy Walsh’s on the team and the refs name was Thomas Walsh.
Great day for Kilkenny clubs. Hope Ballyhale complete the treble tomorrow.
@Jason Pierce: it’d be a brave man who would hit a Walsh on that team, you’d have 7 others after you!
@John S: even the ref was Tommy Walsh
One of the best games ever to grace Croker. Gutted as a FON man but the lads gave it everything and more
@James Irwin: Ye were unlucky. Ye beat us in Kilfinane this year and it was a great game in difficult conditions. But today was an unbelievable game. It had everything. The 2 boys missing were a big loss. Overall the year was a great one for ye so you should be extremely proud of your team which I’m sure you are. Hope ye do great this coming year too
A cork team (male) really needed to get over the line at Croke Park in any division. Cork teams in the habit of losing big hurling games of recent times.
@Johnsinker: Father O Neills done themselves and Cork proud today. Yes they lost but they died with their boots on. The boys suspended were a huge loss. It’s tough to lose the way they did. I think they will be very competitive at senior level next year In Cork
@Johnsinker: Quite a stretch to claim a Fr O’Neills win at Croker would have had any relevance to the Cork senior hurlers later in the year. Ridiculous, in fact. What a game of hurling. Well done to both sides.
@Decko49: I think they will only be playing Senior 2 in Cork next year with the new set up.
The best thing to happen to Cork hurling was Fr O Neills winning intermediate championship to split up Imokilly.
@Jason Pierce: Yes you are correct about Senior 2 but they will be competitive. As for Imokilly, I agree with you about splitting them up. I think Father O Neills had 5 members of that panel.
@Decko49: they will Be competitive. I think some of those lower tier senior teams are poor enough. Fr O Neill’s should be way to strong for some of them. They will have a huge start on the others with fitness too.
Sounded unreal. I always think in a game that tight with one team having scored 2 goals more, if the other team can beat them by a point or two it’s well deserved
I read the whole article and still don’t know if it was football or hurling
@Scoozie: the fact it involved a kilkenny club was a big give away
@Breanainn Buggy: and the high scoring!
@Scoozie: obv dont recognise Tommy Walsh as a hurler then eh