Galway v Dublin, Pearse Stadium, 2.30pm

Sunday, February 26
Allianz Hurling League Division 1A
Galway v Dublin, Pearse Stadium, 2.30pm

Sunday represents a new chapter in the history of Galway hurling, as Anthony Cunningham takes over the reins as manager from John McIntyre, who departed at the end of a disappointing 2011 campaign.

Although it was probably apparent that things weren’t quite working out in McIntyre’s final year in charge when Galway struggled to beat Westmeath in their Leinster Championship opener, the evidence that the Tribesmen were in serious trouble came when they were taken apart by Dublin in the provincial semi-final in Tullamore.

Last season ended on a real low with the drubbing by Waterford in the All-Ireland quarter-final, but the arrival of the ever-enthusiastic Cunningham, who is double-jobbing as the Garrycastle football manager until March 17, has given the Galway hurling public a real sense of hope ahead of the start of the new campaign.

Cunningham led Galway to the All-Ireland U21 title last year, and while he has included eight of that team in his starting XV for Sunday, he warned this week that senior success is not guaranteed as a result.

"There's always huge expectation in Galway," he said. "We've had a lot of underage success and that piles on additional pressure. Lads are wondering where all these players have gone. The challenge is to get these guys to develop to a higher level, to senior level.

"Some of the players won at underage but didn't push on with their own development to get to the next level. You don't just walk off now from a minor and U21 panel straight into senior.”

Galway looked sharp and in great physical shape in their Walsh Cup campaign, which only ended in defeat to Kilkenny in the final. However, the mood has been darkened somewhat with news of Joe Canning’s shoulder injury, sustained while on Fitzgibbon Cup duty with LIT. Although the injury may not be as bad as initially feared, the Portumna man will be out for between two and four weeks and will definitely sit out this game. In addition, Niall Healy, Andy Smith and Kevin Hynes are ruled out through injury.

It’s a sign of the times and the changes in the hurling landscape that Dublin will go into this game as favourites, given they are the reigning Allianz Hurling League champions.

Last year’s Allianz League encounter between the sides provided one of the few blots on Dublin’s copybook, with a late Éanna Ryan goal giving Galway a 2-11 to 0-14 win which, at the time, jeopardised the Sky Blues’ place in the final. They recovered, though, and few will forget their victory over Kilkenny in Croke Park last May.

Given there are just five teams in the top division this year, manager Anthony Daly warned that there is no room for similar slip ups.

"You could lose the first two games and be in a relegation battle straight away or you can win the first two and try to win a semi-final,” Daly said this week. "It's going to be harder for everyone but it's going to be more interesting for everybody as well. Every day is flat to the boards, try to do your best from the start."

Daly’s task will be made easier with confirmation that Young Hurler of the Year Liam Rushe, Peter Kelly and David Treacy are fit for the trip west, although David O’Callaghan (pneumonia) and Paul Schutte (hamstring) are ruled out. Conal Keaney, Tomás Brady and Stephen Hiney are all long-term absentees.