I think the winners of All Ireland will be one of the teams that tops their group so this is a massive game for Galway and Tyrone, the loser of this match has slim to none chance of getting that number one position in Group 2 with a really tough match against Armagh to come without points on the board.
Can't say that it's a match I'm looking forward to, would have plenty of trepidation about Tyrone and we could have got an easier team from pot 3 for sure. Have immense respect for what Tyrone have achieved since 2003 in becoming one of the consistent football counties at the very top, have been far better than Galway and we are trying to get up to that level now. Hard to believe we haven't played championship at some point since we were thumped in CP for John O'Mahony's last game as manager. That Galway team were yesterday's men at that stage but I'd say few of us leaving the stadium that day realised how far down the tubes Galway football was going to go for the next ten plus years.
Even when Galway have not been great, they have managed to hang in games this year. League final and to a lesser extent the round 3 match against Roscommon have been the only real concerning performances where there was little positive to take from it.
This Saturday is all about the players performing and showing up, Comer and Tierney have carried the scoring load in championship to date, would be good to see someone else join the party with a heavy scoring return against Tyrone, ideally in tandem with one or both of those lads hitting a good total as well.
Galway defence will get a right test, have been playing well but some quality players up front for Tyrone, I thought they were outstanding for the first half against Monaghan, don't want to see them playing similarly well in this match.
Hopefully Galway can dog out a win, I think we have a few lads there now that are plenty fit to go into the trenches if needs be and I think it might, wasn't always been the case. This is a serious game against players that have the Celtic Cross in the back pocket, can Galway step up another level from championship performances to date is the question, I don't doubt Tyrone are going to come with a big showing.
