Was John Mc Intyre for real about Galway's chances this year ?

[Bord na Mona man]

A feature of both McIntyre's stints in Offaly was that he never seemed to get a teams to take the field highly motivated and raring to go.
The performances tended to be very muted.
Maybe that was just bad luck, but he really needs to get a reaction out of Galway now.
He is probably right about Galway hurling, but he's taking a chance with his timing.

Another point worth pondering, is that it is often claimed that the matches in the Galway club championship are notoriously tough encounters. Savage hard hurling, wild pulling, cuts, bruises, broken bones, the whole works.
Yet the 15 players sent out to represent Galway in championship hurling always seem to have several players who wouldn't go into a dark room.
Maybe a complete clear out is needed, with a few more tough nuts and less fancy dan hurlers on on the Galway panel?

[milltown row]

they had them in the 80's and won two all irelands!! not a bad idea

[AZOffaly]

That's a good observation BnM man. Club hurling in Galway certainly used to be savage, although I'm not sure if it is as rough now, I doubt it because Portumna's style of hurling wouldn't flourish in the jungle that used to be Galway club hurling.

[johnneycool]

Another point worth pondering, is that it is often claimed that the matches in the Galway club championship are notoriously tough encounters. Savage hard hurling, wild pulling, cuts, bruises, broken bones, the whole works.
Yet the 15 players sent out to represent Galway in championship hurling always seem to have several players who wouldn't go into a dark room.
Maybe a complete clear out is needed, with a few more tough nuts and less fancy dan hurlers on on the Galway panel?

Every team needs a good smattering of 'ball winners' and Galway certainly seem to lack them all over the park.

Sylvie, Finnerty, Coleman and Co.  must cry when they look at some of the gutless performances from modern Galway teams.

some might say hurling has moved on and it has but you get round Noel Hickey, Derek Lyng and even wee Tommy Walsh and you'll know you've been in a battle..

[GalwayBayBoy]

That's a good observation BnM man. Club hurling in Galway certainly used to be savage, although I'm not sure if it is as rough now, I doubt it because Portumna's style of hurling wouldn't flourish in the jungle that used to be Galway club hurling.

The club hurling in Galway can still be fairly wild. You don't have to go back too far too see when it hit the headlines for the wrong reasons. Portumna are so good at the moment though that they can just rise up above it for the most part and while they are not a team full of hard men they can at least take care of themselves.

I would say though that there aren't quite as many axe murderers about as there used to be in Galway club hurling. The lads from the 80's were great hurlers but they loved a battle and would bury you in the ground a minute after shaking your hand. The current lot I just don't know. It looks like they are depending on a 20 year old for leadership. Granted a 20 year old genius but he won't be able to do it alone.

[cicfada]

John Lee will be back after his exams in April, so it's not all doom and gloom for Galway!

[GalwayBayBoy]

John Lee will be back after his exams in April, so it's not all doom and gloom for Galway!

Back training already apparently.

[muppet]

Another point worth pondering, is that it is often claimed that the matches in the Galway club championship are notoriously tough encounters. Savage hard hurling, wild pulling, cuts, bruises, broken bones, the whole works.
Yet the 15 players sent out to represent Galway in championship hurling always seem to have several players who wouldn't go into a dark room.
Maybe a complete clear out is needed, with a few more tough nuts and less fancy dan hurlers on on the Galway panel?

Every team needs a good smattering of 'ball winners' and Galway certainly seem to lack them all over the park.

Sylvie, Finnerty, Coleman and Co.  must cry when they look at some of the gutless performances from modern Galway teams.

some might say hurling has moved on and it has but you get round Noel Hickey, Derek Lyng and even wee Tommy Walsh and you'll know you've been in a battle..

Lynskey would have been top of the list surely?

[slow corner back]

What a class act Lynskey was, saw him in 87,88 and especially 89 in the all ireland semi finals and he was class. For a man with no pace and not overly tall he caught some balls and his distribution was the best in Ireland. He could certainly stand up for himself but that was a prerequisite back then. Galway should kil for a player with his leadership and ability now.

[GalwayBayBoy]

What a class act Lynskey was, saw him in 87,88 and especially 89 in the all ireland semi finals and he was class. For a man with no pace and not overly tall he caught some balls and his distribution was the best in Ireland. He could certainly stand up for himself but that was a prerequisite back then. Galway should kil for a player with his leadership and ability now.

In Ice Hockey terms Brendan Lynskey was an enforcer. Someone who would get stuck into any of the opposition who would be roughing up his own side's more gifted players. That said Brendan Lynskey could hurl when he needed to. Players like that are really invaluable and someone like Joe Canning would thrive even more if he had a Lynskey playing just behind him.

[orangeman]

What a class act Lynskey was, saw him in 87,88 and especially 89 in the all ireland semi finals and he was class. For a man with no pace and not overly tall he caught some balls and his distribution was the best in Ireland. He could certainly stand up for himself but that was a prerequisite back then. Galway should kil for a player with his leadership and ability now.

In Ice Hockey terms Brendan Lynskey was an enforcer. Someone who would get stuck into any of the opposition who would be roughing up his own side's more gifted players. That said Brendan Lynskey could hurl when he needed to. Players like that are really invaluable and someone like Joe Canning would thrive even more if he had a Lynskey playing just behind him.

Niall Mc Carthy, Cork would be in the same mould - never afraid to get stuck in - in fact that was his job and like Lynskey could hurl when he needed to.

[muppet]

Niall Mc Carthy, Cork would be in the same mould - never afraid to get stuck in - in fact that was his job and like Lynskey could hurl when he needed to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8miOmqcKI-0

I preferred real men who dropped the hurley first when proving how hard they were. IMHO McCarthy is not one and Lynskey certainly was.

[orangeman]

Niall Mc Carthy, Cork would be in the same mould - never afraid to get stuck in - in fact that was his job and like Lynskey could hurl when he needed to.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8miOmqcKI-0

I preferred real men who dropped the hurley first when proving how hard they were. IMHO McCarthy is not one and Lynskey certainly was.

To be fair, I don't think he'll look back fondly at that "stroke" but IMO was a handful and is / was a tough, uncompromising player.

I take your point alright but don't think we should judge him on this one incident.


Reillers - please take note of my defence of Niall here. 

[AZOffaly]

Niall McCarthy isn't half the hurler that Lynskey was. Lynskey was rough as a badger's arse at times, but when it called for hurling, he could hurl. Niall McCarthy is more of a workhorse.

[orangeman]

Niall McCarthy isn't half the hurler that Lynskey was. Lynskey was rough as a badger's arse at times, but when it called for hurling, he could hurl. Niall McCarthy is more of a workhorse.

Jesus lads, it's hard to compare Lysnkey of the 80s and Niall of this decade. Niall is / was a good hurler and IMO would compare favourably to Lynskey but maybe that's me being too much of a Cork fan and a defender of their honour !