People out west are rightly excited about what could be to come from the Galway hurlers over the next couple of years after their most recent managerial appointment, with the team getting off to a winning start under Henry Shefflin yesterday.
They would run out as 2-19 to 0-19 winners over Offaly in their Walsh Cup meeting in Ballinasloe, with a limited capacity crowd of 3,000 turning out for the occasion.
This is set to be a year of big change for Galway. Not only will it see a new name at the helm the team, but they will also be without Joe Canning for the first time since 2008, with the Portumna man opting to retire from inter-county action last year. However, he will be involved in Galway hurling in some capacity after joining Fergal Healy's minor management team.
Speaking after yesterday's game, Shefflin admitted that he did have a conversation with Canning about the possibility of reversing his decision. While this was a non-runner, he said he was glad to see the five-time All-Star become involved with Galway's underage structures.
Yes I did chat to Joe, but Joe was very comfortable with his position...
I think it was very positive for Galway hurling again to see Joe going in with Fergal Healy and the management team with the minors.
I think it’s just a great sign. I’ve seen him in Loughgeorge Saturday mornings and Sunday mornings at 10am, so he’s very much hands on and wants to work for the betterment of Galway hurling. Would I have loved to work with him? Of course, I would have. You know he was a once-in-a-lifetime hurler, a generational hurler and he’ll be a massive loss.
But it’s over to the other players now and they know that. They have to fill that void. A massive void to fill but they’ll have to fill it...
It's been brilliant so far. It was great to see the crowd there today. You'd have loved if the hurling was a little bit better but that's just the way it was. The players are putting in a big effort and that's all we can ask for at this moment in time.
After a disappointing 2021, Galway will be hoping for a much better showing this year.
It will be interesting to see if Henry Shefflin can bring about some immediate improvements in the team.
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