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Galway Hurling thread

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Wouldn't get carried away with any league game in isolation, teams trying new tactics, players etc. Players involved in Fitzgibbon probably struggling, if anything shows this over the weekend is the 2 goals Tipp got, does anyone really think Kilkenny would concede 2 goals that soft in championship.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 13/02/2023 17:14:06    2458142

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Replying To Dermot_Desmond_96:  "Worrying times. Could be a lean year for Galway GAA. Got crushed on our own puckout and were absolutely destroyed at midfield. Tom Monaghan has started this season slowly. Sean Linnane is quite clearly not at the level required. Galway always struggle with Corks mobility."
Do we always struggle with Cork's mobility? From memory we have a very good record against them since we lost the 2005 final to them. Just think we had too many players underperform in the middle three lines of the pitch yesterday. But not sure I'd read any more than that into it. Cork won more loose balls and second balls and we left ourselves very open in the half back line especially.

Marooned (Galway) - Posts: 2264 - 13/02/2023 18:50:14    2458156

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Replying To katser:  "The way hurling is being played now you Don't need natural defenders because everyone is running all over the field!!
Maybe just go with Natural goalie and Full Back line and 11 natural forwards.... in other words start forwards in the half back line and midfield and just get to the ball first and drive it over the bar from outfield!!"
Well in pierce stadium yesterday galway took this to the extreme some of the worst defending I have ever seen at one stage in the first half number 9 from cork was on the sideline in front of us in the terrace calling for their puck out lee dropped back to cover him 9 jogged into midfield unmarked and recieved the ball under no pressure and scored a point and this just one example I could give several more

minor77 (Galway) - Posts: 231 - 13/02/2023 19:15:54    2458160

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Henry is trying different mixes and people on here always giving out about certain players at different stages. It's bad enough our own are at it but the same one or two from another county always come on especially after a loss.

Galway were not great but tipping along in the first half. Some good passages of play at times involving some players that get spoken about negatively here at times. The reality is our defence made some serious errors for the 2 goals and the sending off killed the game and any real chance of winning. It left too much to do for the players to do. More work to do in the defence than I thought but it's early. We were a bit naive tactically and didn't have much of a plan once we went down a man either. I think Galway will learn from this more than Cork. For most teams it's about trying to find a few who can push the starting 15 and there are signs of that in my view but some still looking a bit short. The undersod was poor in the stadium. Very heavy. I'd be more hopeful that come into championship with a harder and faster ground it will suit more of our players.

KaiserChief (Galway) - Posts: 17 - 13/02/2023 19:26:13    2458161

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Replying To KaiserChief:  "Henry is trying different mixes and people on here always giving out about certain players at different stages. It's bad enough our own are at it but the same one or two from another county always come on especially after a loss.

Galway were not great but tipping along in the first half. Some good passages of play at times involving some players that get spoken about negatively here at times. The reality is our defence made some serious errors for the 2 goals and the sending off killed the game and any real chance of winning. It left too much to do for the players to do. More work to do in the defence than I thought but it's early. We were a bit naive tactically and didn't have much of a plan once we went down a man either. I think Galway will learn from this more than Cork. For most teams it's about trying to find a few who can push the starting 15 and there are signs of that in my view but some still looking a bit short. The undersod was poor in the stadium. Very heavy. I'd be more hopeful that come into championship with a harder and faster ground it will suit more of our players."
KaiserChief: Question re your user name?
Are you a fan of
a) the English indie rock band
b) South African soccer team
c) Lucas Radebe
d) Leeds United
e) all of the above

anotheralias (Galway) - Posts: 930 - 14/02/2023 10:38:35    2458210

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On a more positive note Martin McManus was Galway's MOTM with 1-3 and did very well in his first competitive start outside of the Walsh Cup. Kevin Cooney did well in parts but needs to be stronger and more controlled when in possession. Liam Collins is very talented and with a bit more S&C to break tackles etc will be very effective going forward.

tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 14/02/2023 11:07:30    2458219

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Replying To TerribleFootwork:  "Wouldn't get carried away with any league game in isolation, teams trying new tactics, players etc. Players involved in Fitzgibbon probably struggling, if anything shows this over the weekend is the 2 goals Tipp got, does anyone really think Kilkenny would concede 2 goals that soft in championship."
Tactics, players... Yes not much of an issue.

But we were absolutely cleaned out on puckouts on both ends and there's no excuse for that.

GAA Statsman had them on twitter and Galway were around 22/19(just over 50%) and Cork were around 25/11(they were around 70%).

This was an issue last year as well, we wouldn't win an argument when it comes to contested ball, and let's be honest Cork aren't exactly the top dogs in this area.

In the first half when we were 4 up, we lost 5 in a row and that got Cork back into the game.

Can anyone explain to me why if you do decide to go to the other HF line, that you can't have some predetermined call and flood that area?.. is it really that complicated?... For some of the 5 in a row we lost, it was droppe on the Cork HB line where they had either 2v1 or 3v1.

We can make excuses for players and red cards but we can't make excuses for overlooking very minute, but important parts of the game.

We won't be beating anyone in hurling or football when we are the worst at retaining restarts and poor at contesting the opposition's.

Gilberto_Eire (Galway) - Posts: 77 - 14/02/2023 11:28:31    2458225

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Replying To Gilberto_Eire:  "Tactics, players... Yes not much of an issue.

But we were absolutely cleaned out on puckouts on both ends and there's no excuse for that.

GAA Statsman had them on twitter and Galway were around 22/19(just over 50%) and Cork were around 25/11(they were around 70%).

This was an issue last year as well, we wouldn't win an argument when it comes to contested ball, and let's be honest Cork aren't exactly the top dogs in this area.

In the first half when we were 4 up, we lost 5 in a row and that got Cork back into the game.

Can anyone explain to me why if you do decide to go to the other HF line, that you can't have some predetermined call and flood that area?.. is it really that complicated?... For some of the 5 in a row we lost, it was droppe on the Cork HB line where they had either 2v1 or 3v1.

We can make excuses for players and red cards but we can't make excuses for overlooking very minute, but important parts of the game.

We won't be beating anyone in hurling or football when we are the worst at retaining restarts and poor at contesting the opposition's."
Why is that? You looked a fairly large team in Wexford Park tbh?

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13343 - 14/02/2023 12:34:44    2458246

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Replying To Marooned:  "Do we always struggle with Cork's mobility? From memory we have a very good record against them since we lost the 2005 final to them. Just think we had too many players underperform in the middle three lines of the pitch yesterday. But not sure I'd read any more than that into it. Cork won more loose balls and second balls and we left ourselves very open in the half back line especially."
Cork have really bought into the running game in the last couple of years, it's a recent enough thing, played them twice last year and struggled both games. Again Sunday. Their U20s destroyed ours in a final 2 years ago with the same thing, some of these players coming through now.

We didn't help ourselves in other ways but we do struggle against pace, the Waterford defeat a few years ago comes to mind also.

Galwayspur (Offaly) - Posts: 231 - 14/02/2023 13:45:07    2458257

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Replying To Galwayspur:  "Cork have really bought into the running game in the last couple of years, it's a recent enough thing, played them twice last year and struggled both games. Again Sunday. Their U20s destroyed ours in a final 2 years ago with the same thing, some of these players coming through now.

We didn't help ourselves in other ways but we do struggle against pace, the Waterford defeat a few years ago comes to mind also."
Cork started all that off in the late 90s

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13343 - 14/02/2023 14:23:46    2458268

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Replying To Galwayspur:  "Cork have really bought into the running game in the last couple of years, it's a recent enough thing, played them twice last year and struggled both games. Again Sunday. Their U20s destroyed ours in a final 2 years ago with the same thing, some of these players coming through now.

We didn't help ourselves in other ways but we do struggle against pace, the Waterford defeat a few years ago comes to mind also."
Just a small point. Cork have been running teams into the ground for years in the National League. Last year they destroyed Limerick below in the Gaelic Grounds and got to the Final but were destroyed thereafter. Do you really think Connor Lehane will get 2.3 against major opposition in the Championship
Maybe but it will make him an overnight success in his eleventh year in Senior
Championship Hurling

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4458 - 14/02/2023 15:10:18    2458285

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Replying To Viking66:  "Cork started all that off in the late 90s"
Don't agree. Shag all of it around when we played them in 2005 final.

Galwayspur (Offaly) - Posts: 231 - 14/02/2023 15:13:02    2458287

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Replying To tommy k:  "I agree none of them were good but P Mannion fumbled 2 balls one after the other in the second half and another fumble in the first half (GMac involved also) that led to soft Cork goals. These are the most experienced defenders. Joseph Cooney has played most of his intercounty career in the forwards so he could be forgiven for some of his errors but at least he caught ball and delivered some good balls. There was also a noticeable difference in size and S&C between the Cork and Galway players. Since the retirements of the JC's (Joe Canning and Johnny Coen) along with the withdrawal of Niall Burke a couple of years ago a clear lack of size and strength is very evident now in the middle third. Also Monaghan seems to have regressed a lot since last year which doesn't help."
I'm not too sure about this size and strength thing...OK in the 80's and 90's when the game was played at alot slower pace and alot more physical you'd need big horses of men!!!
The game nowadays especially in summer time is frantic fast and lads are playing completely out of their starting positions.
I'd prefer super fast skillful lads even if they were only 5ft tall because its all about getting to the ball first and your gone like a geasil!!!!
Speed will always beat strength, as the old saying goes....if you can run and your fast you will get away from trouble!!

katser (Galway) - Posts: 2431 - 14/02/2023 15:37:51    2458293

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I am beginning to think that Henry does not know his **** from his elbow. :-).

LottoPlus (Kilkenny) - Posts: 79 - 14/02/2023 15:54:53    2458296

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Replying To Galwayspur:  "Don't agree. Shag all of it around when we played them in 2005 final."
Funny you should mention that game. It was a good final and unusual insofar as Cork played alot longer of a game than usual. Galway actually had more short puckouts than Cork in the 1st half as far as I remember.

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13343 - 14/02/2023 16:05:16    2458299

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Replying To katser:  "I'm not too sure about this size and strength thing...OK in the 80's and 90's when the game was played at alot slower pace and alot more physical you'd need big horses of men!!!
The game nowadays especially in summer time is frantic fast and lads are playing completely out of their starting positions.
I'd prefer super fast skillful lads even if they were only 5ft tall because its all about getting to the ball first and your gone like a geasil!!!!
Speed will always beat strength, as the old saying goes....if you can run and your fast you will get away from trouble!!"
Another old saying about a good big 'un always beating a good little 'un.

Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3830 - 14/02/2023 16:59:08    2458313

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Replying To Galwayspur:  "Don't agree. Shag all of it around when we played them in 2005 final."
Ah come on. They were the first to play the short puck out game and they had a forward line five of whom were about 5 9 or less, when they won in 99 They simply had to play possession hurling which involved a lot of hand passing and they are still at it.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4458 - 14/02/2023 20:54:08    2458347

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Replying To Marooned:  "Do we always struggle with Cork's mobility? From memory we have a very good record against them since we lost the 2005 final to them. Just think we had too many players underperform in the middle three lines of the pitch yesterday. But not sure I'd read any more than that into it. Cork won more loose balls and second balls and we left ourselves very open in the half back line especially."
Well, last weekend and last years league games to my mind. And lets call a spade a spade, Cork should have won in Thurles last summer so......

Dermot_Desmond_96 (Galway) - Posts: 39 - 15/02/2023 11:28:41    2458370

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Replying To Dermot_Desmond_96:  "Well, last weekend and last years league games to my mind. And lets call a spade a spade, Cork should have won in Thurles last summer so......"
They should have but they didn't. We have a pretty good record against them over the past 15 years, which is a decent stretch.
We've struggled far more against other teams in this time than we have with Cork.
Cork seem to have potential, but we won't really know where teams are at until the championship throws in. The same applies to ourselves.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2147 - 15/02/2023 11:33:06    2458372

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Replying To Dermot_Desmond_96:  "Well, last weekend and last years league games to my mind. And lets call a spade a spade, Cork should have won in Thurles last summer so......"
Was at that game and thought Galway deserved to win it tbh

Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13343 - 15/02/2023 11:52:01    2458375

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