Since his return to the helm as Galway senior hurling manager, Micheál Donoghue has been on the receiving end of four 12-point losses in just seven competitive outings - a statistic that provides an accurate summation of where his team lie in the current Liam MacCarthy food chain.
Three of those defeats arrived during the National League, but last Saturday afternoon’s loss to Kilkenny was arguably Galway’s worst defeat in well over a decade and ranks alongside their ten-point loss to Waterford back in 2011.
For Donoghue and his management team, the period between the National League and Championship was supposed to offer a welcome opportunity to iron out some chinks. But on last weekend’s evidence, very little looks to have been addressed, with the same difficulties raising their head again.
Problems galore
There were so many issues, it’s difficult to know where to begin. Firstly, and probably the most worrying, was the complete lack of intensity all over the field.
Where was the fight? Galway played at a league pace whereas Kilkenny arrived like a team at least semi-ready for championship warfare. Not that the Noresiders needed to be at full tilt, given how little urgency Galway displayed throughout.
Again, Galway’s backline was noticeably porous and seemed to have learnt very little from their league hammering to Cork, with the oceans of space left in front of the full-back line. The defensive shape appeared non-existent as Kilkenny seemed to drag our defenders all over the place.
Padraic Mannion has been a wonderful servant and is still good enough to start - but in the half-back line. He spent too much time trying to put out fires near his own goal, with not nearly enough cover in the half-back line where he should have been dictating things and leading what was an inexperienced line.
Up front, Galway’s paltry tally of 21 points would barely win you a 60-minute club game - never mind at senior inter-county championship, where the top teams are often hitting in excess of 30 points.
Another concern is, yet again, we failed to create a single goal chance. Where is the killer instinct?
While the form of team captain Conor Whelan in 2025 hasn’t been anywhere near what we’ve come to expect, the tigerish Mikey Butler dominated the Kinvara man. It’s a bit early to say either way, but maybe the captaincy could be a burden he could do without. He certainly wouldn’t be the first in that regard in recent years.
Sadly, as things stand, we probably have one player who would make the Limerick or Cork starting teams. That’s Cathal Mannion. Though, if searching for positives, the likes of Cianan Fahy and John Fleming (in the early exchanges ) had some good moments. Overall, they were far too few and fleeting across the whole team.
Tough test awaits
Suddenly, Saturday’s away tie with Offaly has become even more daunting. Galway enter clearly low on morale.
In contrast, their upcoming opponents are a county on a clear upward trajectory, gave Dublin a hell of a fright last time out, and will smell the prospect of a maroon-coloured scalp in their nostrils.
The word transition has been bandied about quite a lot over the past few months in local hurling circles. But despite examining 40-plus players over the course of the league, only John Fleming is the only real “new” face Donoghue has deemed good enough - though Gavin Lee’s redeployment as a number six is certainly a fresh approach.
Perhaps now, with All-Ireland hopes slim and Leinster success looking increasingly unlikely, this is the ideal time to lean into wholesale change with a view to the next three to five years. Defeats like the Kilkenny one would be easier to take for supporters if young players are being introduced and learning their craft.
At least the humbling wasn’t fatal - but the summer will be over before it’s begun if Galway deliver too many more lifeless performances similar to against the Cats.
Rossies rumbled
Without two All-Star forwards in Shane Walsh and Damien Comer, Galway senior footballers' Connacht semi-final had the potential to be a bit of a banana skin.
So, for Padraic Joyce’s men to swat away Roscommon with such professionalism and ease was hugely encouraging. The likes of Cein D’Arcy, John Maher, Paul Conroy, and Matthew Tierney were hugely effective, while Rob Finnerty was at his elusive best up front.
Mayo awaits in the final, where it’ll be a much cagier affair. If Galway play close to their best, though, there should only be one winner on all known form.
