The Galway senior hurlers Allianz National League adventure begins this weekend when Offaly venture west again, this time to Pearse Stadium on Sunday afternoon, for the first of the Tribesmen’s three home fixtures in Division 1A.
Yet again Galway have been handed a relatively low-key opener, having started their campaigns against Antrim, Laois, and Westmeath in recent years. But with Henry Shefflin sending a team out in Salthill for the first time, the turnstiles operators should be kept busy ahead of a 2pm throw-in.
Shefflin restored some household names to the starting 15 last time out against Antrim, and his starting team for this encounter will be a hot topic for debate, given that 43 players saw game time during the Walsh Cup, including 17 debutants. While experimentation with young and upcoming players was welcome, quite how many of those newcomers will now make the cut and put their name forward for more relevant action in the coming weeks remains to be seen, especially given the shocking collapse against Dublin, who claimed the trophy with another dominant display against Wexford last weekend.
Galway are in the more competitive of the two groups, and have four tougher assignments ahead of them after Sunday’s fixture, with all due respect to Michael Fennelly’s side, which put in a decent performance in Duggan Park four weeks ago before falling to a 2-19 to 0-19 defeat.
Offaly’s next outing at home to Antrim in Tullamore was more successful as three first-half majors paved the way for a 3-18 to 0-21 win, with Luke Nolan netting twice before Eimhin Kelly added another. Dublin eventually got the better of Offaly in Birr in the last round of fixtures after Fennelly’s charges had made a positive start and led at the break, thanks to Brian Duignan’s goal. However, a raft of telling substitutions strengthened Mattie Kenny’s side enough to turn the tide.
With Shane Cooney and Jason Flynn now confirmed as long-term absentees due to injury, and plenty of squad members still involved in Fitzgibbon Cup action with GMIT and NUIG, Shefflin will more than likely have to mix and match his starting line-ups over the next few weeks.
The starting positions of the core experienced group such as Daithí Burke, Padraig Mannion, Gearóid McInerney, Joseph Cooney, Cathal Mannion and Cathal Whelan will be closely monitored, while the integration of the St Thomas’ contingent will also be a key feature.
Questions about a discernible style and pattern of play attributed to Shefflin’s management team will also hopefully be answered, as Galway fans desperately cling to the hope they still could be the team to somehow knock Limerick off their perch later in the year, given they are still ranked as the leading contender by the oddsmakers.
Another interesting feature to keep an eye on over the next few weeks will be how all teams react to no longer having a tactical breakdown available every quarter - the recent removal of the “water break” by headquarters being a welcome step towards the old normal.
