When you have a defensive unit that doesn't give anything away and then roams up the field to score at the other end, you know you've a serious outfit. It is an extra weapon in the Galway arsenal that has been coming to the fore in this summer's games for the Tribesmen.
This extra dimension has highlighted the newfound flexibility in the Galway rearguard — and is bound to see quite a few of them throwing on the tuxedos come wintertime and awards season.
To the fore of this has been Dylan McHugh — a classy operator on and off the pitch. Cool, collected, calm, a man for whom patience is a virtue.
His iconic scores this summer against Dublin and Donegal have been at times when ships needed to be steadied; the boost they give to the supporters bouncing back out to the pitch
McHugh puts it down to being in the right place at the right time. But it's much more than that, I feel.
"Padraic would have always encouraged me since I've come in to try to add scores to my game and add scores from the halfback line. Like the first score I got the last day against Donegal, there was no individual brilliance.
"The ball was blocked and fell into my hands, so there's obviously an element of luck that comes with it. But it's obviously something that you'd want to improve on. You know, we need to score more than the opposition at the end of the day
"Obviously there is a lot of instinct as well. Probably just trying to get into a position where I can give it to someone who can shoot, but in that instance in the games, it just opened up a bit. And then it's just instinct from training and playing for the last 20 years kicking a football."
Here's hoping that instinct kicks in again on Sunday.
