There is nothing more sacred in the GAA then some top quality dressing room wall material.
"Something said. Not good."
Never mind your volunteer ethos, to hell with the true Gael, there is a legitimate argument that dressing room wall material is the real 'lifeblood' of the GAA.
Such is its importance that there have been many stories of managers actually making up stories about slights in the media to help spark his players into life. Galway hurling manager, Shane O'Neill, will have to do no such thing, as eight-time All-Ireland champion, Eoin Larkin, has just handed him a season's worth of material.
Speaking on RTÉ 2fm's "Game On" on Friday night, Larkin gave his views on why he thinks Galway have stuggled to kick on since their 2017 All-Ireland win: "I tipped Galway to win the league but they are really flattering to deceive for the last couple of years. They promise so much and deliver so little."
"As a group they're not really together. They come out with all the right things in the media, that they are together now more than ever and all this, but when it really comes down to it I don't think they're really willing to put their bodies on the line for each other."
"It’s all about the individual, not the collective. I think really that to be a consistent, top-performing team you have to be willing to put everybody else before yourself."
Larkin then continued:
"There were problems in the Galway over the last 10 or 15 years, in the club scene. There were bad belts being pulled and things like that. They weren’t really getting on and I don’t think that has really gone out of Galway hurling. They don’t seem to be pulling together and playing the way they can play as a team."
While the Kilkennyman believes they have the talent, he has yet to be convinced by their team spirit and that has held them back:
"There is no doubting they have fantastic individuals but fantastic individuals don't win you All-Irelands and they don't win you back-to-back All-Irelands. I know they have won one All-Ireland but really, with the panel of players they have, they should have been more successful."
After an opening day win against Westmeath, Galway were then beaten by an impressive Limerick and will face Tipperary on Sunday in a match that Larkin thinks will show where they're really at:
"This test at the weekend is the acid test really. It will show where they're going for the year if they can beat Tipperary."
Grade A dressing room wall stuff. You can nearly see the post-match interviews after they win the All-Ireland already. 'No one gave us a chance, Marty. They said we weren't together, Marty. This team would do anything for each other, Marty!'
