JOE CANNING SAYS he cannot understand why the Dublin hurlers would play their home games in the Leinster SHC at Croke Park instead of their regular venue in Parnell Park.
Dublin will play two of their round-robin games against Wexford and Galway at GAA headquarters, while their victory over Westmeath yesterday was held at the grounds in Donnycarney.
Canning discussed the issue alongside former Dublin hurling boss Anthony Daly on the Sunday Game highlights show. Both pundits questioned the decision to have next weekend’s clash with Wexford at Croke Park.
“Bizarrely, they’re switching the match to Croke Park because, for me, a packed Parnell would have been a harder place for Wexford to get out of. Darragh Egan will fancy his chances going in there,” Daly said in the company of presenter Damian Lawlor.
Canning agreed with Daly’s comments and referred to his own experience of playing in Parnell Park with the Galway hurlers.
“I can’t for the life of me know why they took the games out of Parnell Park. For me, as a player going up to play Dublin, you don’t want to play in Parnell Park against them because it’s hostile enough there. So, I think Wexford will be happy enough with that.
Who will get the third spot in the Leinster round robin? Are Dublin mad to move their vital match with Wexford from Parnell Park to Croke Park? Anthony Daly and Joe Canning think so. pic.twitter.com/Hs4ylDLo0Q
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) April 30, 2023
“Getting the likes of Lee Chin back, pushing up Rory O’Connor further in the game, instead of having him back the field. If you add in Conor McDonald, he came on and probably had a chip on his shoulder for maybe being dropped a little bit. Wexford will be a little bit confident going into that.”
Following Westmeath’s defeat to Dublin, manager Joe Fortune told The Sunday Game that he was disappointed by comments made from the opposition management team. He said the remarks “annoyed me a small bit” and insisted that they weren’t true. He added that his side “went out to hurl.”
“In fairness to Dublin, the better team on the day. I thought they really kicked on. But, some of their comments annoyed me a small bit because I’ve spent a lot of my coaching career and management career here and some of the comments from the Dublin management weren’t true. We went out to hurl today and really go at it. I’m just thankful that there was an honesty in our endeavor today. Just the second half wasn’t good enough.”
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