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Messages - GalwayBayBoy

#1
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
March 27, 2024, 03:31:18 PM
Quote from: Maroon Manc on March 27, 2024, 12:55:54 PMToo many injuries for Galway, only saving grace is there's likely 6 championship games to be played before they play knockout football but I don't hold any hope.

Form the team that started the 2022 All Ireland Final (all of them are on the panel) 4 haven't started a league game, 3 have started one league game and Tierney has started 3 league games. Throw in the likes of Hernon & Cooke who both look like good division 1 players but decided not to commit then Galway are missing far too much quality, staying in the division is a good achievement.

There's a lot of lads on their first year on the panel who've got game time, there's a few others outside of that who aren't upto to this level but their size and physicality has been needed at times. Mulkerrins & Molloy have both found it very difficult coming back from serious injury, have my doubts about Mulkerrins anyways.

McGrath has been superb, Maher has been good but both were below their best and looked tired against Kerry. They've both played a lot of football during the league and it began to show.

Keeper had a nightmare 2nd half, Joyce has been very loyal to him but surely that can't continue. He just lost the plot.



The Galway team that played in the 2022 semi-final and final have basically never played with each other since due to injuries. That was the one year they kept everyone fit and available (apart from Cooke who was away). Last year Silke was away. Molloy out for the year. And Comer and Sean Kelly got injured. This year a clatter of them have been out injured. Patrick Kelly started the 22 semi-final and final and has barely kicked a ball since since due to injury.

It's all very well lads being fresh for championship but there comes a tipping point where even if you get these players back on the field they are running out of time to get up to match fitness and match sharpness required for championship football.

Best Galway can hope for is that they can muddle through the Connacht championship (on the easier side of the draw). Reach a provincial final and whether they win or lose it will have them in the AI group stages. Hopefully they might get a few bodies back by then.
#2
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
February 25, 2024, 08:00:26 PM
Quote from: galwayman on February 25, 2024, 06:48:56 PMWe got the result that we expected to get in Pearse Stadium.
We are really struggling at the moment.
I was up in Owenbeg two years ago when we beat Derry comfortably.
Only 5 starters that day started today.
You just can't see where the scores are going to come from at the moment.
We're missing loads of players but even when we get them back (if we do) they will have been out for so long will it be too late for us to get some cohesion going - that's the question.
Being able to start a game with Silke, Kelly, Conroy, Tierney, Walsh, Comer, McDaid should transform a team in theory - it's half a team right there.
Somehow though I just feel as if it won't this year for some reason.
I think we'll bow out without firing a shot. Can't put a finger on it

Yeah, all very well getting a load of players back but they are missing a lot of football now and expecting them to all get up to match fitness and sharpness in time for championship might not be realistic. Even Molloy looks short on sharpness after his long injury and he's actually fit at the moment.
#3
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
February 23, 2024, 12:52:30 PM
Quote from: Wildweasel74 on February 22, 2024, 05:13:25 PMAway to Galway this weekend but can't see a win, our record against Galway is terrible, even when they had a bad team.Derry focus on winning their last 2 home games. Dublin may be tough if they need the points.

I would be very surprised if Derry don't win comfortably on Sunday. Yes, they nearly always lose to Galway but Derry are flying with a full team out at the moment while Galway are pretty much down to an FBD league selection. I'm hoping they can somehow keep it competitive for as long as possible.
#4
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
February 02, 2024, 10:48:15 PM
Injury bug continues to spread. No Comer again and no Shane Walsh.


#5
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
January 28, 2024, 04:43:58 PM
QuotePadraic Joyce confirms Peter Cooke isn't part of the squad for 2024. Cillian McDaid likely won't play any part of the league.

James McLaughlin and Cian Hernon also gone on Erasmus until May.
#6
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
January 28, 2024, 03:52:55 PM
Now in mitigation Galway are down a lot of good players at the moment and given the teams selected I expected Mayo to win that game. However I have absolutely zero idea what the Galway management were trying to achieve there today.

Comer out before the game so they replace him with Niall Daly, a midfielder, and tell him to play up front. Through no fault of his own he doesn't play well up there so they sub him off again after 20 minutes. They have another midfielder, Cein Darcy, playing at wing forward marking one of the fastest wing-backs in the country in McLaughlin. To nobody's surprise he can't run with him but they leave him there anyway. Dylan McHugh a natural half back is playing in midfield and Sean Mulkerrin is playing at wing-back where I don't think I've ever seen him play. Cathal Sweeney a wing-back continues to be picked at corner-forward. Tierney came off the bench despite not being fully fit either and barely touched the ball. They just looked a disorganised mess. And I don't think they'll be getting any of the injured players back soon bar maybe Comer.

About the only bright spots is that the young lads O'Conghaile and O'Curraoin look like they are well able to kick scores when they get some service.  But they probably won't be picked anyway as they'll want someone who can run around the the half back line instead.
#7
GAA Discussion / Re: NFL Division 1 2024
January 25, 2024, 01:41:03 PM
Quote from: Maroon Manc on January 23, 2024, 02:17:33 PMDoesn't sound like Galway have a clean bill of health either with Silke & McDaid out with broken feet and Sean Kelly still out too. Plenty of rumours about Glynn & Tierney too but we'll know come the weekend and neither Hernon or Cooke will be around this year either.



Even Comer said on Parkinson's podcast that he probably won't play the entire league. I'd say they are just hoping to get enough points to stay up and hopefully have everyone fit for championship. The injuries sunk them last year and they are already carrying a few into this year
#8
GAA Discussion / Re: Sigerson Cup 2024
January 10, 2024, 02:06:40 PM
Quote from: Maroon Manc on January 10, 2024, 09:37:59 AM
Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on January 09, 2024, 09:20:02 PM
Quote from: Blowitupref on January 09, 2024, 08:31:58 PMAnother surprise result. University of Galway 1-10 TU Dublin 2-8

Was up at it. Big shock alright. Trinity just hung in there. Few minutes left and they were 2 points down when one of their players tried a point attempt from way out. Ball went high in the air but dropped well short into the keeper. Nobody near him. Under no real pressure. He caught the ball into his stomach but let it slip through his arms and he fumbled it into the net. Huge howler. Galway had a late free from almost straight in front of the posts to take it to extra time but Ryan O'Donoghue kicked it against the post and it went wide. Bad miss really as there wasn't a drop of wind out tonight.

Not many forwards named to start in the Galway team although Sheriden has form in that department! Surprised not to see O'Currain starting, seems like he made an impact when he came on anyways?

Doesn't seem like Sean Kelly will play any part in this competition so must be doubtful for Galways first few league games.



O'Curraoin was very good when he came on. Scored two great points. Very close to a third. Just dropped short. Sheridan picking two corner forwards who are better known as backs seemed an odd decision alright. Presume Tommy Conroy has a knock as he was there but never came on.
#9
GAA Discussion / Re: Sigerson Cup 2024
January 10, 2024, 02:04:08 PM
Quote from: shark on January 10, 2024, 09:22:48 AM
Quote from: GalwayBayBoy on January 09, 2024, 09:20:02 PM
Quote from: Blowitupref on January 09, 2024, 08:31:58 PMAnother surprise result. University of Galway 1-10 TU Dublin 2-8

Was up at it. Big shock alright. Trinity just hung in there. Few minutes left and they were 2 points down when one of their players tried a point attempt from way out. Ball went high in the air but dropped well short into the keeper. Nobody near him. Under no real pressure. He caught the ball into his stomach but let it slip through his arms and he fumbled it into the net. Huge howler. Galway had a late free from almost straight in front of the posts to take it to extra time but Ryan O'Donoghue kicked it against the post and it went wide. Bad miss really as there wasn't a drop of wind out tonight.

It's hard to keep up with the name changes, but I don't think TU Dublin is Trinity. Isn't it the former DIT ?

You're correct. The name changes have me confused.
#10
GAA Discussion / Re: Sigerson Cup 2024
January 09, 2024, 09:20:02 PM
Quote from: Blowitupref on January 09, 2024, 08:31:58 PMAnother surprise result. University of Galway 1-10 TU Dublin 2-8

Was up at it. Big shock alright. Trinity just hung in there. Few minutes left and they were 2 points down when one of their players tried a point attempt from way out. Ball went high in the air but dropped well short into the keeper. Nobody near him. Under no real pressure. He caught the ball into his stomach but let it slip through his arms and he fumbled it into the net. Huge howler. Galway had a late free from almost straight in front of the posts to take it to extra time but Ryan O'Donoghue kicked it against the post and it went wide. Bad miss really as there wasn't a drop of wind out tonight.
#12
Extremely soft free given by McQuillan for a foul on O'Brien reduced the gap to one. Just when Derry thought they had a huge turnover. Seemed like a big momentum changer. Reminded me of the late very soft free Kerry got in last year's final at almost the same point in the game. That also negated a big turnover.

That said Derry kept Kerry scoreless for 15 minutes earlier in the 2nd half but they wasted quite a few chances to extend their lead up to 4, 5 or 6 up. I'd say they will have plenty regrets after this one unfortunately.
#13
Phone footage from the crowd of the stamp/foot rake going around. From the reverse angle. Not good. I think the intent is fairly clear. I get the desperation to win but that kind of stuff goes over the line. IMO of course. Hitting a player a hard shoulder is part of the game. Stamping on an injured body part isn't. Can't believe this even needs to be pointed out.
#14
Injuries finally caught up with them year. No Silke or Molloy before a ball was kicked. Dylan McHugh barely played in championship. That's half of last year's starting defence gone. Patrick Kelly another who started last year's All-Ireland final who missed the entire championship through injury. Finnerty was in and out with niggles all year. The injuries to Comer and Kelly finished them though. No team can afford to lose their best two players like that. While they both started neither was anywhere near right. Whatever chance they had went once they blew the Armagh game. Maybe a week off could have got them fitter but once they had to tog out again this week it was going to be very tough. Those two fit and I'm relatively confident they would have beaten Mayo. Whether there would have been anything left in the tank for next week is another story.

Walsh's poor form a big problem also. His free taking was excellent last year but he missed a scatter of frees this year. The two he missed in front of the posts with the wind at his back in the first half yesterday were criminal. He seemed distracted and out of sorts all year. Needs to sort his head out as he's no spring chicken any more. Heaney never really got going this year. Ian Burke looked increasingly ineffectual. His lack of physicality and pace standing out in the tougher games. All he does is recycle the ball back out the field. Not really enough these days. Tierney had his moments but very up and down. Still young though and will be a big player going forward.

On the plus side Galway have two good corner-backs for the first time in a very long time. If anything McGrath was even better than Glynn this year. He done a right job on some very good forwards and was on his way to an All-Star nomination but probably won't get one now. Maher a great find in midfield. Young Sweeney good for the most part. Cooke got better and better as the year went on. Despite a couple bad turnovers in the 2nd half yesterday. Will he even be available next year though? He's often abroad due to work. The management will definitely want him around. Our finishing was poor enough this year. Lost count of how many goal chances we butchered. I counted 6 good goal chances over last two games against Mayo and 0 goals actually scored. Combine that with a serious dip in the free taking this year and Galway have been leaving far too many scores behind them.
#15
Quote from: Wildweasel74 on June 25, 2023, 04:55:27 PM
Galway were actually stronger last year.

Everyone was fit and available last year. Apart from Cooke who came back.

Silke and Molloy missing before a ball was kicked this year. Comer, Finnerty, McHugh, Patrick Kelly have been battling knocks all year. Sean Kelly on one good leg today. Unfortunately it caught up with us eventually. Even if we had sneaked a win today we would have been struggling next week.