It has not been an easy start for Finian Hanley and Galway in the National League this year. Two defeats in their opening two games and two defections from the camp has had the eyes of the GAA public on Galway for all the wrong reasons, but Hanley has put all that behind him and is looking forward to Sunday’s game with Mayo and making progress.
“The only issue at the moment is that we’ve played two matches and have no points. As regards anything else, the honest truth is that we didn’t know anything about it until we read it in the papers. The lads are working hard training away. We’re trying to blood a few new players.”
The loss of both Kieran Fitzgerald and Niall Coleman will leave big holes, but Hanley is confident the next batch of Galway players can fill the gap in the long run.
“Any county, even Kerry, when they lost a couple of their experienced players, they weren’t able to cope last year. Kilkenny were the same. In Galway obviously we need players like that, we need leaders and they are a massive loss, but that said we are a team trying to build again and we’re looking to the future now.
“They have given great service to Galway, and whatever about Kieran, I hope to see Niall back again as he’s only 25. But we need to look to the future and see if we can get lads coming through. We’ve blooded a few. Yesterday Colm Forde and Danny Cummins came in and did very well. These lads will learn from these games. You don’t really learn from FBD games and training games. These are the big games you have to go out and do it in. We’ve no points, but we are trying to improve.”
With Galway and Sunday’s opponents Mayo rooted to the bottom of the table at present, Sunday’s game is an early season relegation six-pointer but Hanley is looking forward to mixing it up with the northern neighbours.
“We enjoy playing each other and maybe we both have taken a dip in the last year with Roscommon and Sligo contesting the Connacht final. When Galway play Mayo and the ball is thrown in, there is no stone left unturned, everybody is up to win it. It’s a massive rivalry and it’s a derby as well.
“You only have to look at the table. We have no points and they have one point so we are both down near the bottom. A win for either team can turn it on its head and put you right back in the mix, so we will be looking to get a win - as they will.”
