JOE CONNOLLY KNOWS something about winning All-Irelands, having skippered the county to the title in 1980.
But he doesn’t envisage on of his countymen making a victorious speech, as he famously did in 1980, any time soon.
“There is a lack of hope in Galway hurling at the moment,” Connolly said on TG4′s Seo Spoirt last night.
“There are many things that should have been over the past 20 years that didn’t happen. If you want to be successful in hurling, you need one of two things — good structures within the county or a good management team. If the structures aren’t there but if you have a great management team, like Jim McGuinness for example, you can overcome those issues.
“In Galway I don’t think we have those things. It’s a great pity that Galway hasn’t done the things that are needed. There’s no structure to help young players make the step up to senior. There’s no structure in the county. There are no targets and no organisation.
“For Anthony (Cunningham) and the management team, they’re great men whom I know personally. But out of the 24 league games Galway have played under them, they have yet to win two consecutive games.
“You can’t make progress with that type of inconsistency. Every year, Galway produce a big performance. Sometimes, we have a big year – 2012, 2005 and 2001. When we get close in Galway, those with power say – “We’re not far off, we’ll keep going the way we are.”
He continued: “Galway hurling is an important transition. But when you see the lack of progress in the senior team, you have to blame what is not being done within the county in terms of those little steps.”
It’s hard to believe a county with all the underage success that Galway have had since the very early 90s have not been able to win at least one all Ireland title at senior level. They’ve had some great talent over the last 25 years but they constantly seem to just fall away from the team without making a real impression. I would imagine it must be deeply frustrateing for Galway supporters. As an outsider looking in I just wonder is there too much rivalry or bitterness between clubs that leads to disharmony within the camp. It’s a great pity whatever the problem is. Hurling needs Galway to be strong and I say that as a Kilkenny man.
You should go to a galway club game. They literally kick and flake the sh!t out of each other for 60+ mins. I don’t understand how they even sit beside eachother in a dressing room for galway, not to mind play with one another
Thats what should happen! Full blooded thunder! It’s hurling a physical mans game, not tiddlywinks
Agreed and that’s part of the problem too. The talent is there up to minor and then it falls apart. There is focus and investment in promoting and developing best practice coaching but worryingly this year the juvenile county board folded due to internal politics and wrangling- what hope is there for proper structures !