A RECRUIT FROM New York provides ‘a massive boost’ to the Galway hurlers as they gear up for Sunday’s league semi-final against Limerick and a summer championship assault.
Jonathan Glynn last lined out for the county in the 2015 All-Ireland final loss to Kilkenny but it was revealed last Saturday that he is to commute from Stateside as part of Galway’s bid to land the Liam MacCarthy Cup this year.
He moved to New York in the wake of that loss to Kilkenny, playing football against Roscommon in the Connacht championship 2016.
Glynn lined out for his club Ardrahan in the county senior championship last weekend and impressed since bursting onto the scene with Galway in 2012 when he was just out of the minor ranks.
“In 2015 Jonathan was a massive player for us,” admits Galway team-mate Padraic Mannion.
“He is only 24 this year, but he has massive experience and a player like that coming into the panel, especially at this time of the year, it is a massive boost for the panel.”
The addition of Glynn, coupled with the emergence of players like Thomas Monaghan and Sean Loftus this spring, has increased the depth of Galway’s panel this year.
“Probably a few of the younger players came in around the same time. You can definitely see them growing and improving over the past few years. Consistency in our performances is one of the things we are focusing on.
“As a player matures you can see that coming more so, we definitely saw that against Waterford, the character is beginning to come.”
After the setback of missing out on promotion from Division 1B, Galway are aiming to capitalise on the opportunity to book a place in a league final.
“One of the aims at the start of the year would have been to get up to Division 1A, but you see Clare and Waterford over the last few years getting to League Finals and winning them from 1B,” says Mannion.
“You are still probably better off to be left in the league in the knockout stages. You have more game time and more knockout games which stand to you coming into the Championship.
“The longer you can stay in the League, no matter what division you are coming from, the better you’ll be coming into the championship.”
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