By John Harrington

If you had a euro for every time someone said, ‘There’s something different about Galway this year’, you’d have a nice pile of dosh by now.

It’s true though, there is something different about the Tribesmen this year.

They’ve been a team with a lot of quality players for some time now, but it looks like they’ve finally clicked all the component parts into their right places.

The players who lost All-Ireland Finals in 2012 and 2015 have matured, and there’s a real ruthless edge to the way they’ve gone about their business since the knock-out stages of the League this year.

Johnny Coen has been hurling for Galway since 2011 and believes the group is now capable of going to a higher level now than it ever has in the past.

“At this stage we're 25, 26, 27, we've played in two All-Ireland finals a lot of lads as well,” says Coen.

“We've good experience and at this stage it's about driving it on and really going for that All-Ireland at this stage.

“We've set the bar a little bit higher. We're on the right track anyway, so hopefully we can get there.”

Coen is a central cog in the Galway machine along with his midfield partner David Burke.

The two of them look like they have an innate understanding of one another’s game, which is probably not that much of a surprise considering they’re best friends and teach together in St. Brigid’s Loughrea.

“We see enough of each other anyway!” says Coen. “He's across the hall (in school). He's one year older than me, he's January '90, I'm March '91.

“We'd be talking the whole time and that. I'm metalwork and he's woodwork. We were actually in college together then as well and in 2011 we played midfield for the U21's as well. It's no big deal I suppose.”

Their midfield isn’t the only component of this Galway team that now looks rock-solid.

Until recently the spine of their defence would have been perceived as a weakness, but with the powerful Daithi Burke now a fixture at full-back and Gearoid McInerney’s emergence as a centre-back of real authority they’re looking formidable.

“Yeah, two strong lads and two lefties as well so they're awkward enough and tricky enough customers,” says Coen.

“We've tried to settle down on a team and when you've good solid lads, good physical lads with great presence, other lads would feed off that.

“They give you a bit more power, strength, and structure and when you're playing with the same lads all the time it gives you confidence in your own position. You kind of know what they're going to be doing.

“Gearoid was actually on that U-21 squad that won the All-Ireland that time. He has been there all the time and has been producing some very good displays at training and very good League performances, but this year he really took it upon himself to kick on and nail down that number six jersey. Fair play to him really.”

Galway have also made obvious improvements in attack. No longer are they over-reliant on Joe Canning to produce some magic, now others like Conor Cooney, Joseph Cooney, Conor Whelan, Cathal Mannion, and Jason Flynn are all scoring heavily too.

“Not that he (Canning) was on his own or anything but a lot of lads are putting their hands up now as regular starters and performers of the team,” agrees Coen.

“Conor Whelan was man of the match against Dublin and he was good again against Tipperary and Offaly.

“Conor Cooney then showed very well in the Leinster final, Joseph Cooney showed very well as well.

“Lads are standing up. That's what you need. You're never going to win an All-Ireland with one man or two or three, you need the full 15 and five subs.”

Galway are well-served on the side-line too with manager Micheál Donoghue who is not just tactically shrewd, but according to Coen an excellent motivator too.

“He’s a serious man-manager as well. Hurling isn't just about the sport, it's about life, and if you're happy in life then you're going to portray that in the game as well.

“So he has very good man-management skills. If he knows when a lad is feeling down he may give you a night off training or something like that.

“He demands a high standard all the time and that's one of his big things. He's trying to get us to a bigger standard than we've ever been at.”

So far at least, it looks like this Galway team is ready to reach it as they bid to win the county’s first All-Ireland SHC title since 1988. 

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