GALWAY HURLING HAS been thrown into chaos after the senior hurlers backed a vote of no confidence in manager Anthony Cunningham, weeks after he led the team to a second All-Ireland final in four years.
Cunningham, who was part of the last Galway side to lift the Liam MacCarthy in 1988 and who has also tasted All-Ireland glory as a manager with the county’s Under-21s, has been at the helm since 2012.
In his first season in charge of the seniors, Galway reached the championship final, losing to Kilkenny in a replay.
Last month, Cunningham’s charges were back at GAA HQ for a repeat of that decider but ultimately lost to the Cats again by four points.
When the players met as a group last weekend, it was decided unanimously that a new manager was needed and Cunningham was informed of their stance.
Still, at a county board meeting just two days later, Cunningham was reappointed as manager for the 2016 season.
With the players deeply frustrated at such a development, a stand-off looks inevitable.
In recent days, Mayo GAA have been hit with a similar story with the senior footballers tabling a vote of no confidence in co-managers Noel Connelly and Pat Holmes and the pair subsequently walking away on Friday night.
Seems like players take no responsibility anymore. 2 all Ireland finals, Leinster champs. The man deserves better than this.
It hasn’t been rosy in the Galway camp for most of his tenure. He has created problems with treatment of players – gives more leeway to those from his own club. Rumour and I repeat rumour is he didn’t talk to a number of players in week running up to final
Don’t get the negative comment around such votes by players. I’m sure the players don’t take these decisions lightly. These decisions are made only to try and push on and be successful – at the end of the day they lost both a leinster final and all ireland. The players themselves are the ones dealing with the management team on a regular daily basis, and are best placed of anyone to make these judgements. Of course the players have to take some responsibility, but the only way you do that is put the pressure back on them.
From the outside this doesn’t look right. Were it not for the greatest side of all time, he would have 2 All Irelands in 4 years, was extremely unlucky in 2012, only for Henry, Kilkenny would have been well beat. He is not afraid to give youth a chance, building a nice team, just needs to find a full back and Tannion ain’t the answer at centre back. If they keep progressing next year with the youth in attack and Canning steps up for a change when it matters, they could take that final step.
Hardly the greatest Kilkenny team this year in fairness. While we got all the changes right against Tipp, the changes in the final left a lot to be desired. Saying that, who do the players want instead?
Mattie Kenny probably!
canning steps up every day for his club and has done it numerous times for his county, cork in ’08, kk first day in ’14,
So Canning has stepped up twice of note in 7 years?? Surely a real top player should be stepping up in most games.
Disagree with you John, i think Joe has left a lot to be desired in his performances over the years. Its easy do it a club level, Galway dont have a full back so they obviously dont have anyone that can take Joe on in training or at club level. Joey Holden came in for a lot of criticism, people suggesting that Canning would destroy him, but Joey won his battle in both Leinster and all Ireland finals. Seamus Callanan is the best full forward in the country by a mile. & wides against Cork, wouldnt pass the ball against Tipp for a certain goal on top of that. The 2012 drawn final he was brilliant for 25 minutes but everyone watching that match remembers Henry’s performance. He used to have the excuse of not having other lads to back him up but Galway have very good young hurlers like Flynn, the 2 Mannions, and Whelan. More than anything I think the change of management that saw those guys make a good breakthrough into senior is unfair and might effect them badly. If they are that against Cunnigham staying in charge then there’s not really much he can do unfortunately
exactly why galway will never win an all Ireland constant in fighting , criticism Kilkenny all you want but this would never happen there
This wouldn’t happen in Kilkenny
You can sing it Ron.
Why would it happen in Kilkenny?
What the hell has what would or would not happen in Kilkenny got to do with it?
players vote no confidence in Cody wouldnt be the smartest move
Ron that is such a stupid comment. It hasn’t happened in Kilkenny precisely because they have been so successful. If Kilkenny lost a leinster final and an All Ireland after nearly 30 years of winning nothing you can be sure there’d be pressure on the manager regardless of who he is.
Ah yeah but the whole thing smacks of deflection. The players need to look in the mirror.
Look in the mirror? they outfought and held they’re nerve against a highly fancied Tipp team in a tight match, they’re doing their best. Deflection? At the end of the day they lost the All Ireland final and nothing deflects from that – its written in stone now. What they’re trying to do now is push on and be their best. That management team has had 3 and a half years now so that’s a fair craic of the whip with such a talented team. OShea only stayed in Tipp for 3 years, 4 years for JBM. You don’t get forever if you’re not being successful. Unless your name is Davy Fitz maybe!
I know they are amatuers but you can’t have a situation where the players pick who manages the team.
Tipp are complete bottlers though with zero heart. Galway got too carried away with that win.
Which would lead to a lot of reflection
The only problem with that statement is Davy fitz was successful unless you were in a coma maybe for 2013 and by the way that’s only 2 years ago
I’m aware of that but not winning a single championship game in nearly 2 full years could hardly be considered successful, regardless of 2013, particularly with Clare’s so called golden generation of talented hurlers.
Seems to be a new trend with the chokers from the west. If you look at Galways record they have lost more all Irelands than Mayo since the eighties. Players not taking responsibility for their own actions in the pitch!
Generally Galway have a crap season after reaching an All-Ireland final, so doesn’t matter who’s in charge.
It seems strange at the moment but the players must have their reasons. Everyone will have to wait and see what they are. Apparently something happened in the dressing room at half time of the All Ireland Final.
Go on….
Allegedly a father of a player who was taken off in the 1st half went into the dressing room room at half time and caused a stir about his son been taken off.
Ha ha Mr Josie Harte was it !!!!!!
ah Galway, the Dutch of hurling.
No confidence thing is obviously catching in the West. Bad move by Galway here, the players should be looking at themselves, not their manager
I’ve a raging hangover and am just out of the bed , please let somebody tell me I am seeing things !!!!
the clubs aren’t too happy either, supposedly one of the gort players fathers walked in to the dressing rooms at half time to give out about his son being taken off!
Seriously?
Absolute lies. Don’t believe every rumour you hear.
Rightly or wrongly the players make the sacrifice and should have a say…
as a Corkman I blame Cusack and his clowns cronies for these spate of player “revolts” no player has any right to pick the manager it’s the other way round and if they don’t like it don’t play
we’re all mad out Whest
Great. While I was disappointed with how the hurling final turned out, I thought that we have a bunch of young good players that may finally deliver, and I was reasonably optimistic. Instead, getting knocked out in Leinster and not even making a quarter final is probably going to be our fate with this kind of shenanigans. :(
Anyone who remember KK prior to Cody the exact same was happening there too, Nicky Brennan (then manager) booed off after a league defeat, in fighting between different clubs, same sh*t as every county. Only for KK won the All Ire when Cody dropped Charlie Carter there would have been war in KK. That was a watermark for Cody, every player knew then that nobody was as important as the team / jersey and winning All Ire…
Why oh why had they a bust up at half time can anyone tell me. For all their hurling in first half they were only leading U.S. By 3 pts and in fairness it the mood in croker seemed it was only like a cat playing with a mouse and Kk were ready to finish its victim off. Could they not have shut their mouths for another 35 mins at least and see where it would have taken em even though their best on the day was just not enough. Cunningham seems a decent hurling man. He can only do so much so it’s up to his men on the field to do the business
Oh I don’t know, maybe some one like jeff lynsky. Time to go with someone younger.
In alot of sports when you lose the dressing room you tend to lose your job.
Bye bye Galway for the next five years. Not one all ireland medal in the squad and they pulling that shit
They probably have several with All-Ireland medals between club, minor and U-21.
Exactly my point not one All Ireland between the senior squad. Big difference between the grades you stated these kids think they are better then they are.
Denis Walsh article in the Sunday papers today shows what many in Galway knew for awhile. These stories have been around Galway for awhile. It can be said that he brought them to 2 finals and that’s fair but these issues are here since 2013.
what it has to do with Kilkenny is that they are the beat team in the country they are the standard every other team should be striving hence why disruption like player votes etc has an affect therefore the Kilkenny comparison is necessary !
The Stepford Wives always do as they are told so the comparison is not valid.
Still bitter I see Maloney. Ya gotta feel for the Tipp folk, nothing but a shower of bottlers! 2 All Irelands in over 20 years says it all.
I’m sure Galway would gladly be Stepford Wives if it meant they had some All Ireland medals in their pockets.
Eamonn = Donal Og in disguise.
There Is a lot of talk of if fighting with the management or some players father coming in causing trouble, but if the players were man enough they would have told management and that father to fup off and then huddle together as a team and go out and blow Kilkenny off the pitch for the memory of one of their fallen comrades. Red thumb all ye want!
It was obvious something happened at half time as they came out with no ambition to win and this IMO is a disgrace to their county and supporters. Problems with manager or not they were there to play for their county as a team and they didn’t do that.
I doubt very much the players threw the biggest match of there hurling career in some child like strop because of something that happened at half time. If they did Galway are better off without the team not the management.
Are you serious about the argument at half time?! Galway came out a different team in the second half.
this has to be a result of the bust up there was between management and players at half time of the Final. can’t have poor morale like that in the camp. he needs to go anyway, the arsene Wenger of the GAA
While in the kk dressing room s.o. gave a very powerful speach…
Management should take a vote of no confidence in the players and drop them all