In the aftermath of Galway’s loss to Dublin and subsequent elimination from the championship at the weekend, a crestfallen Henry Shefflin spoke of how his team felt they had to bring something ‘a little different this year.’
Two similar and successive All-Ireland semi-final losses to Limerick would suggest that, from the outset of the season, something different was required if Galway were ever to dethrone John Kiely's men and consequently, ever to win an All-Ireland.
Galway produced something different this year, but unfortunately for them it was something worse.
Speaking at the launch of the Electric Ireland All-Ireland minor championships, Richie Hogan spoke of his admiration for his former team-mate on the grounds of his risk-taking in trying to take Galway not just to the top of Leinster, but to the top of Ireland, while acknowledging that it didn’t work out.
“I think it shows more about the mindset of Henry Shefflin as a person, as a leader (that he went for something different),” Hogan says.
“Just looking from the outside in, if Galway had won a Leinster title this year and got to an All-Ireland semi-final or a final, and were pipped by the likes of Limerick or others, everybody would have said it was a very successful year for Galway.”
“But Henry wasn’t looking at that.
“He was looking at getting better, beating the best, taking risks.
“If they had another relatively strong year, which they’ve had over the last two years, you could say he’s doing a good job, but he’s not interested in doing a good job.
“He’s interested in winning and to win you’ve to take risks and sometimes they don’t work out. This time it hasn’t worked out for them.
“When taking that risk and trying a couple of things that were different, they probably didn’t expect that they would finish fourth.
26 May 2024; Galway manager Henry Shefflin ahead of the Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 5 match between Galway and Dublin at Pearse Stadium in Galway. Photo by Daire Brennan/Sportsfile
“They probably thought worst case scenario, they would finish second or third in Leinster. So he can be hugely disappointed, but you really have to admire people that go to try and win.”
Hogan didn’t necessarily notice an obvious change in Galway’s approach - this ‘little difference’ Shefflin talks about - but that he says is because they were dominated in games and when you’re dominated in games “it doesn’t matter what your game-plan is. It won’t shine through.”
“Not particularly. In most of the games that I watched Galway playing in, they just didn’t look like they were the better team.
“Whatever they were trying internally in terms of systems, formations, what they do with and without the ball, all of that, it didn’t shine through, because they were being dominated in games by stronger teams.
“Maybe they’ll have to introduce a couple of players or maybe they’ll have to tweak another couple of things or bring more enthusiasm to it maybe, I don’t know, but it certainly didn’t work out.”
Pictured is former Kilkenny Minor hurler, Richie Hogan, at the launch of the 2024 Electric Ireland GAA Minor Championships. This summer, Electric Ireland will use their social channels to spotlight players from across the Championships, in recognition of the major impact that playing Minor can have on young people’s future successes, on and off the field. You can follow the campaign on social media @ElectricIreland and via the hashtag #ThisIsMajor.
©INPHO/Dan Sheridan
Hogan didn’t feel that their performance against Dublin was all that bad - acknowledging the impact of David Burke’s red card early on in the game - but the lion's share of the damage was done in that tanking by Wexford at the beginning of the month.
Either way, there’s no getting escaping the reality of a premature championship exit. Hogan isn’t sure if Henry will remain at the helm in Galway but he is sure that his ‘winners mindset’ won’t change.
“Henry will continue to have that winners’ attitude, whether next year is with Galway or with somebody else.”
“He’ll continue to bring that.”
