Galway captain David Burke.
By Cian O'Connell
Gerry Spelman has spent his whole life serving the game of hurling in a variety of roles in the west.
A fiercely respected competitor during his playing days with Clarinbridge, Spelman is a highly regarded coach, who trained Gort to Galway SHC glory in 2014.
Spelman continues to work effectively as a Hurling Promotion Officer in Galway and believes that strides are being made in the county.
Performances since 2015 offer hope following All Ireland Final and Semi-Final appearances in the last two summers. Why does Spelman feel that Galway can now consistently compete against aristocrats Tipperary and Kilkenny? “Number one the skill level is extremely high,” is former Mayo manager Spelman’s verdict.
“If you look at all the teams at that elite level Galway, Tipperary, and Kilkenny that can make scoring easy. To do that you must have a very high skill level and a huge level of creativity and creation of space.
“Other teams are good, but it takes a lot of effort for them. Galway, Tipperary, and Kilkenny are hugely, hugely skilful in terms of scoring and creating. The last day against Limerick Galway put up 1-21 really at their ease, the ball from Joe Canning to David Burke, from Joe Canning to Cathal Mannion. Savage interplay up front, I just feel the skill level is extremely high and there has been an improvement in it.”
Gerry Spelman is a highly regarded hurling coach in Galway.
Signs of Galway’s improvement are available with Spelman highlighting Gearoid McInerney’s emergence as another encouraging factor. “Look at Gearoid Mc for instance, he has really improved his skill level,” Spelman says.
“Conor Whelan's weak side has really improved, you could look out for small things like that about a guy developing. Not just will he get bigger or stronger, the game is at the centre of everything, skill level is at the centre of that. Certainly the skill level has come up a nice bit over the last number of years.
"When you look at the team at the moment it is a big team. Joe Canning, Conor Cooney, you add in Joseph Cooney, Gearoid Mc, Daithi Burke, these are big physical guys, Aidan Harte - they are all big men, but we have pace, we are a fast team. The skill level is there, the challenge now and we will find out a bit next Sunday.”
The Allianz Hurling League decider against Tipperary at the Gaelic Grounds will be another revealing encounter with Spelman hopeful that Galway can carve out a victory.
“When the squeeze comes on near the end of a game, that is the only question mark over this Galway team,” Spelman states. “When the squeeze comes on can we do it? With five or six minutes to go when you are a point up or a point down can they see it out? Have they enough leaders to manage the game properly?
“You would have to look around to say at this stage that we certainly should have. That is the challenge and what is in front of them on Sunday. They will have to do that and to come through that.
“In the League game Limerick started well, but we had maybe three quarters of the game on top. The League game, not the last day. The game against Waterford they came from 10 points down with a lot of momentum in the last 15 or 20 minutes.
Gearoid McInerney has emerged as an important player for Galway.
“I'm talking about looking ahead in an All Ireland Final or Semi-Final or a Leinster Final, you are looking at the Kilkennys or Tipperarys. Can we go toe to toe and see the game over the line? That is the only doubt that is in my mind about this Galway team.”
Securing a League title would offer a significant pre-Championship boost. “Any time you win it adds confidence to the group and helps trust between management and players,” Spelman remarks.
“They will look around at each other and say we are able to win this and why can't we take the next step now to win a Leinster title or the ultimate one to win an All Ireland. When you lose a Final it is a setback obviously, there is no point in saying otherwise.
“Winning breeds confidence and then confidence breeds success. Kilkenny have been the obvious masters of that, Tipperary are attempting to do that now, but why can't we as a group or a county take that on board. If they were to win silverware that would be a foothold to more success.”
Spelman won a Galway SHC alongside current Galway manager Micheal Donoghue in 2001 with John McIntyre in charge.
“I think he has done very well this year,” Spelman states about how Donoghue is operating. “He has got setbacks, but he hasn't allowed them derail them from looking at the bigger picture. He has taken a number of players and trusted them, the likes of Gearoid Mc has broken on to the team on a consistent basis.
Galway manager Micheal Donoghue.
“He has added a certain amount of discipline to the team and there is a tactical awareness, I suppose. Yeah, Micheal has done a good job. The whole thing could have fallen apart, there was a danger when Galway lost to Wexford.
“Morale could have went and we are in this Division for another year, but he refocused them and in all his interviews he said lets go as far as we can in the League. They've went as far as they could, which is a great tribute to management, to be able to refocus players, to get the group going again after a setback. They took it in their stride and they marched on.”
An interesting match against standard bearers Tipperary provides a real opportunity for Galway to demonstrate their potential.
“When you look at it Galway have had a good League, they have a big game against the All Ireland champions, who are going well, that is a very good test,” Spelman remarks.
“I'm expecting Galway to have a good go at it. There is a confidence and you are entitled to have confidence when you have the likes of David Burke, Joe Canning, Daithi Burke, these are serious hurlers.
“You add in your new guys with the mix that is there. Both teams are similar enough, with a lot of skill, scoring power is there in abundance. There will be very little between the teams.”
