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Larkin: 'The priority is to be competitive and consistent'

Galway manager Micheal Donoghue and selector Noel Larkin.

Galway manager Micheal Donoghue and selector Noel Larkin.

By Cian O'Connell


Selector Noel Larkin is hoping some of the newcomers to the Galway panel can impress during the Interprovincial series and Walsh Cup.

Galway recently returned to training with several youngsters included in an extended squad ahead of the Allianz Hurling League.

Saturday’s clash between Connacht and Leinster at MacDonagh Park, Nenagh offers an ideal chance to assess how they are developing according to Larkin.

“Definitely, there is no point bringing them in unless you give them game time because that is where you ultimately find out how they will cope under pressure,” Larkin admits. “We will try to give them a couple of games each to see how they go.

“Yeah, it is great for us to run the rule over them. We have done two weeks already so it will be good to get a bit of competitive time into them and see how they perform under a bit of pressure.”

Larkin, who worked alongside manager Micheal Donoghue and Francis Forde, feels Galway are making progress. “Yeah, everyone knows we got the job late so we were probably on the back foot a bit straightaway,” is Larkin’s assessment.

“In fairness the players didn't hold back, they threw themselves into it. We had a mixed year. After the second half of the Leinster Final the usual stones were being thrown at the team for underperforming and whatever else.

“We had a good performance against Clare and with the bit of luck on the day against Tipperary sort of deserted us. Overall I suppose we are making a bit of progress, we would like to think.”

Joe Canning suffered a serious hamstring injury in the 2016 All Ireland SHC Semi Final.

Joe Canning suffered a serious hamstring injury in the 2016 All Ireland SHC Semi Final.

Lukasz Kirszenstein’s arrival as strength and conditioning coach is significant according to Larkin. “Obviously he comes with a great pedigree so he is working really hard. The lads are really buying into what he is doing so hopefully we will see the fruits of that next summertime.

“We are getting in a bit of a foundation before Christmas, we have a new S and C coach in as everyone knows, that is working very well. Hopefully we can hit the ground running in January. We only had three days (training sessions) before our first match last year, now we have probably six weeks.”

Larkin also confirmed that Joe Canning has returned to light training following a serious hamstring injury suffered in the All Ireland SHC Semi-Final loss to Tipperary. “He probably won't see a whole lot of League action, but he is making good progress, he is back doing a bit so he is working hard.”

Being 'competitive and consistent' in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League is Galway's Spring objective. "The priority is to be competitive and consistent," Larkin says. "They are the things we are trying to look at.

"Hopefully results will go our way, new players get game time into them and we get players back from injury and hopefully qualify for a League Quarter Final and take it from there then."