Galway for Sam? They have the depth to do so

Well, now, who saw that coming? I for one have to admit that I didn’t think Galway stood a chance against Dublin last weekend. Their epic win though has thrown this year’s championship wide open. As a Mayo man, I can’t say that I was thrilled to see our nearest rivals win but their stunning victory certainly stirred something deep inside me and is good for Gaelic football.

In the last decade, if we forget about Kerry, then Mayo, Dublin and Tyrone have been the most consistent counties and the ones that have appeared in most finals. They’re all gone now though and a championship that looked to be trundling along the same old predictable pattern has burst into life.

I was doubtful about Galway’s credentials and prospects pre-match and I was equally as sceptical at half-time. They were battling valiantly and staying in touch but Dublin looked so comfortable and polished that another 8 or 9 point full-time winning margin looked extremely likely. Crucially, however, Galway did not concede any goals. In fact, Galway have only shipped one goal all season in seven championship outings. That is seriously impressive going and if they can continue in that vein then they will go very close to the big prize at the end of July.

Systematically they are rock solid and look well coached defensively. They get bodies back, have a good shape and all their defenders have good recovery pace. If Galway do indeed go the distance this year in their pursuit of Sam Maguire, then it will likely be a toss-up between Johnny McGrath and Dylan McHugh for Player of the Year. McGrath has been outstanding since January. He’s a real terrier and the perfect build for a corner-back with his low centre of gravity, explosive power and aggression. After all, any man that can do a decent one-on-one marking job on Ryan O’Donoghue must have something about him. He is also highly adept at carrying the ball forward to start Galway attacks.

With Sean Kelly struggling to regain form and fitness this season and John Daly out of favour, Corofin’s McHugh has become Galway’s leader at the back. He has such a sensible head and as is the wont of Corofin defenders, he tackles well and distributes sensibly. Even when there were signs that Con O’Callaghan may be starting to get some traction in the final quarter, Galway introduced Cian Hernon to the full back-line to add his considerable pace and power. Hernon just rejoined the Galway panel in the week of the Connacht Final but is a massive addition to the Galway squad.

The game bore all the hallmarks of Mayo’s smash and grab against the same opposition in the All-Ireland Semi-Final of 2021. In both games, Dublin looked awesome early on as they stormed into a lead with ruthless efficiency. But they got a little too comfortable that night and the same thing happened them last Saturday. Once the big mo goes against you it is hard to wrestle it back. And if talented, doughty opponents smell blood you better be careful. For all their medals and greatness, this Dublin team can be very complacent. That’s probably a function of having multiple All-Ireland medals.

Hindsight is 20:20 but the signs of Dublin’s regression were probably there for us all to see since January. In the first round of the National Football League, Monaghan ran amok in Croke Park. In Round 2, Mayo found a way to win against Dessie Farrell’s stuttering charges. In the Division 1 Final, Derry were worthy winners. Roscommon did well against them in the All-Ireland Series group stages and we should have beaten them in Hyde Park two weeks ago. When the 2025 All-Ireland Final rolls around in 13 months’ time, Cluxton will be 43, Fitzsimons 36, McCarthy 35, Fenton 32, Kilkenny 32, John Small 32, Mannion 32, Scully 31, McCaffrey 31 and Costello 32 so it’s fair to say that the end of an era is nigh. I’m sure Dublin have a lot of hot prospects coming on the conveyor belt but how do you even begin to replace the aforementioned players? It’s an impossible task so slippage is inevitable.

Galway were full value for their victory. They hung in there admirably in the first-half and really kicked on in the second as Dublin ran out of ideas and hunger. Galway’s two main problems this season have been injuries and interest. Joyce has really struggled to get his best players on the park and with Shane Walsh and Kelly hobbling off, that issue may continue to haunt them in the coming weeks. However, they now have a big, deep squad and once they get all their stars on the park are a formidable force.

When I say “interest” has been a problem, I mean that this team this season has failed to ignite any spark in their supporters. A safe, dogged and sometimes lateral game plan contributed to that as the die-hards felt that it did not match the ideals of classic Galway football. A mere 6,000 in Pearse Stadium for the Preliminary Quarter-Final bears testament to that fact. There were 14,000 in MacHale Park for the Mayo v Derry clash. If last Saturday evening’s stirring performance doesn’t now get the juices flowing, nothing will.

After an abject league display against Mayo in January, I called Galway “an uninterested rabble”. It was a very poor display but that was probably a bit harsh and unfair. We’ve seen a lot of evidence in recent times to devalue the importance of the NFL and I don’t think the league really does anything for Galway’s big players. The likes of Comer, Walsh, Kelly, Conroy and Silke have all played an enormous amount of top-level football for their clubs and counties so are probably wise to look to peak in high summer rather than drab January.

Galway’s big players really showed up at the weekend and looked so comfortable in those lofty surroundings. You could say that Comer was a little quieter than usual but he was still a nuisance for Dublin and that game will do him the world of good. Walsh and Cillian McDaid reprised their starring roles from the 2022 Final by putting in virtuoso scoring displays. Between them they scored 10 of Galway’s 17 points last Saturday and in the 2022 Final they hit 13 out of 16.

Padraic Joyce deserves huge credit too. I loved his honest post-match quote where he said that “You’re a genius when it works out and you’re a clown when it doesn’t”. Indeed a pat on the back is only a few inches from a kick up the bum but he has managed Galway’s players to be fit and come good at just the right time of the season. He’s the ultimate alpha-male though and a serial winner so he won’t be happy if this is their lot for the campaign. He has presided over Galway’s biggest win in HQ for 23 years and led his team to three Connacht titles but he won’t want this victory to be his managerial legacy.

It’s a small thing but another reason to lavish praise on Joyce is for the way in which he always lines out his team as named in midweek. There’s no jiggery-pokery or childish games. What you see is what you get. I love when managers do that as it shows great confidence in their team and their capabilities. This is us, we have nothing to hide, beat us if you can!

Of course, I couldn’t help but feel pangs of regret and pain as I watched Galway romp to victory. There isn’t a Mayo man or woman who hasn’t wondered what might have been now that Dublin are out of the equation. As tough as it is for us though, poor Roscommon haven’t won a championship game in Croke Park since 1980.

It was Galway’s weekend and now it’s anyone’s All Ireland. Interesting times.

One more thing … The first 11 points in the Donegal-Louth game were scored by 11 different scorers. What’s more, Donegal have scored an average of 22 points per game in this season’s Championship. That’s some shooting.