Galway V TipperaryTHE GAA season starts to quicken this weekend with the first of the league finals. Adding to the anticipation is the presence of two counties who have already improved on last season.
Ger Loughnane has settled the Galway team with consistent selections, in contrast to the randomness of last season, whereas Liam Sheedy has reconstructed Tipperary's challenge after the fluctuations of last summer.
Though there will be a suspicion that last week's beaten semi-finalists, Cork and Kilkenny, will remain the teams to beat this summer, the mood within the game has been lifted by the emergence of tomorrow's finalists in a more optimistic frame of mind.
Both are unbeaten and drew their earlier meeting, so the scene is set for an intriguing contest.
That match in Salthill was a good result for Tipperary, who had Ryan O'Dwyer sent off and still managed to hang on.
The core contest is between the Galway forwards, now enhanced by the long-awaited arrival of Joe Canning, and the Tipperary defence that has played well all campaign, culminating in the tight job done on the All-Ireland champions last week, albeit in the absence of Henry Shefflin.
Doubts about Ger Farragher's injury could give Loughnane the opportunity to shake up his announced selection, and there are options. Alan Kerins could come in, or Richie Murray could make the switch with Eoin Lynch taking over at centrefield.
Tipperary's reliance on Eoin Kelly has remained a theme in the campaign and this will be an issue tomorrow. In the regulation fixture, Fergal Moore gave a restrictive and abrasive display of marking the Mullinahone marksman, and given the Galway corner back's form to date - in the words of one observer "if the All Stars were given out now, he'd be an automatic choice" - he'll pose similar problems this weekend.
Should that happen, Lar Corbett will be needed in productive, inside-line form rather than running and ball-winning farther out. His switch to full forward will test Tony Regan for pace.
Centrefield will also be an interesting arena. Shane McGrath's hard-working performances have played a big role in Tipp's progress and his ability to disrupt Murray and Kevin Hynes, whose instinct to move ball quickly is an important part of Galway's game plan, will be essential.
Playing a similar role at centre forward, Fergal Healy has also prioritised fast distribution into the full forwards and, when it's flowing, the game is hard to counter.
When it's not, as last week when Cork's reconfigured second-half challenge at centrefield took its toll, Galway struggle. Canning's arrival has given Loughnane more options, in that the Portumna forward can play as a target in the half forwards and utilise his formidable powers of distribution.
Tipperary have been resilient and responded well to both Kilkenny and Waterford when threatened, but Galway have superior firepower and can make it count.
TIPPERARY: B Cummins; E Buckley, P Curran, C O'Brien; E Corcoran, C O'Mahony, S Maher; B Dunne, S McGrath; S Butler, R O'Dwyer, J Woodlock; E Kelly, L Corbett, W Ryan.
GALWAY: J Skehill; C Dervan, T Regan, F Moore; A Cullinane, J Lee, S Kavanagh; K Hynes, R Murray; G Farragher, F Healy, N Healy; D Hayes, J Canning, I Tannian.
Referee: Barry Kelly (Westmeath).
• The GAA have announced there are still tickets remaining for tomorrow's all-ticket footbal Division Two match between Dublin and Meath at Parnell Park. These are available from Ticketmaster and, if stocks last, at the venue tomorrow.
