There was some surprise in Galway football circles yesterday with the news that Killererin star Nicky Joyce is not on the panel for the upcoming Connacht football championship.
Galway will face Roscommon in three weeks’ time in Hyde Park (May 20 ), and it is highly unlikely Joyce will be back on the panel for that tie.
According to Galway manager Alan Mulholland, Joyce is not in a position to fully commit to inter-county football and has therefore been omitted from his current championship panel.
“Nicky was with us for the league campaign. However he is not in a position to give a commitment at the moment to inter-county football and therefore he has been released from the squad.
“We will be keeping an eye on club games over the coming weeks and we are not closing the door on anyone. Other players such as Cathal Kenny, Johnny Ryan, Joe Joe Greaney and Donal O’Neill, who all got some game time in our league games, are not on the panel either. These are the tough decisions that have to be made. We can only carry a championship panel of 31 and that is what we have picked.”
Galway players have also picked up some niggling injuries over the past few weeks and Gareth Bradshaw (knee ) and Padraic Joyce (calf ) are now in a race to be fit for Galway’s championship tie with Roscommon.
On the plus side, Seán Armstrong and Michael Meehan are coming back to fitness and Armstrong is likely to be in real contention to be in the side to face Roscommon if he remains injury free.
Galway 2012 championship football panel: Adrian Faherty, Colin Forde, Conor Doherty, Cormac Bane, Damien Burke, Danny Cummins, Diarmaid Blake, Finian Hanley, Fiontán O'Curraoin, Gareth Bradshaw, Gary O'Donnell, Gary Sice, Gary Sweeney, Greg Higgins, Joe Bergin, Johnny Duane, Joss Moore, Keith Kelly, Kieran McGrath, Manus Breathnach, Mark Hehir, Michael Boyle, Michael Martin, Michael Meehan, Niall Coleman, Padraig Joyce, Paul Conroy, Peadar O'Griofa, Sean Armstrong, Thomas Flynn, Tomas Fahy.
