Delighted PJ and the lads shoved that firmly up my arse.
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Some face saved for Galway GAA.
Theyâll have to run Henry before training Tuesday
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Lot of decent hurlers but all of the same standard. None capable of taking the step up. The drop off from minor to U20 is shocking though.
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Seriously, whoâs not in the panel that should be?
Could anyone do the needful??
Eddie Brennan: Credit Tipp players for answering their managerâs call, but Galway are just not firing for Henry Shefflin
Waterfordâs Dessie Hutchinson (left) in action against Tipperaryâs Cathal Barrett during the Munster SHC Round 3 match at Walsh Park. Photo: Piaras Ă MĂdheach/Sportsfile
Waterfordâs Dessie Hutchinson (left) in action against Tipperaryâs Cathal Barrett during the Munster SHC Round 3 match at Walsh Park. Photo: Piaras Ă MĂdheach/Sportsfile
Galway manager Henry Shefflin shows his dissatisfaction on the sideline during his sideâs loss to Wexford
Galway manager Henry Shefflin shows his dissatisfaction on the sideline during his sideâs loss to Wexford
Waterfordâs Dessie Hutchinson (left) in action against Tipperaryâs Cathal Barrett during the Munster SHC Round 3 match at Walsh Park. Photo: Piaras Ă MĂdheach/Sportsfile
Waterfordâs Dessie Hutchinson (left) in action against Tipperaryâs Cathal Barrett during the Munster SHC Round 3 match at Walsh Park. Photo: Piaras Ă MĂdheach/Sportsfile
Galway manager Henry Shefflin shows his dissatisfaction on the sideline during his sideâs loss to Wexford
Galway manager Henry Shefflin shows his dissatisfaction on the sideline during his sideâs loss to Wexford
Eddie Brennan
Today at 20:09
As a former player, there are times you watch hurling and wish you were still in there â telling yourself youâd do this or that in certain situations. But looking Waterford and Tipp knock lumps out of each other on Saturday, I was glad to be nowhere near it.
It might not have been a spectacular game of hurling, but the middle third was like a warzone, both teams heading into the trenches for an almighty scrap. You couldnât fault players for their endeavour. It was toe to toe, slugging it out, and they served up a game that had everything.
Itâs just a pity itâll be remembered for an outrageous refereeing blunder. Now, Iâm very much on the side of respecting our officials â itâs a tough job and not many are lining up to do it â but James Owens should stand up and own that mistake. It was an accident, yes, but he screened the goalie for the penalty, making it easy for Stephen Bennett to slot home into the opposite corner. The fix was simple in that moment: have it retaken.
That annoyance aside, Tipp will be delighted to have got a point because they looked to have let it slip away. They were the slightly better team and reacted really well to the criticism last week, from within their own county as much as anywhere, fighting for their manager and themselves.
Still, Iâve spoken about their need for a reliable free-taker and sadly for Jason Forde, he had another off day. In tight matches, itâs things like that which are the difference. Those wides might come back to haunt them.
Tipp shook things up a bit from the previous weekend and having someone like Noel McGrath in the game, albeit not as the same player of old, made a difference. He came up with a couple of big scores and his ability to deliver ball was key. Conor Bowe has been a big success for Tipp â a former forward whoâs been very solid at wing-back. The Tipp defence was much improved, but two key lapses in concentration cost them two goals.
Waterfordâs Dessie Hutchinson (left) in action against Tipperaryâs Cathal Barrett during the Munster SHC Round 3 match at Walsh Park. Photo: Piaras Ă MĂdheach/Sportsfile
Waterfordâs Dessie Hutchinson (left) in action against Tipperaryâs Cathal Barrett during the Munster SHC Round 3 match at Walsh Park. Photo: Piaras Ă MĂdheach/Sportsfile
I love seeing players in such a pressurised environment showing calm, clear thinking, the way Dessie Hutchison did for Bennettâs goal. The Tipp backs switched off and he fired a perfectly weighted ground strike across the 21, with Bennett smacking it home to give Waterford the crucial jolt of energy.
It was a brilliant piece of creative thinking, but Bennett still mixes the sublime with the sub-par and he also had a couple of poor wides. Davy Fitz will be annoyed as they were four points up after 70 minutes and if they donât get out of Munster, heâll look at this match with regret.
Meanwhile at Wexford Park, we saw a real contrast, with one team standing up and fighting for their season and the other bringing no real energy, that raw desire, looking like they just didnât really want it enough.
I felt last week that the draw against Kilkenny glossed over a poor Galway performance, and were it not for Evan Nilandâs free-taking they would have lost. Galway are just not firing right now. When the chips are down and you have to deliver, thatâs when the real men stand up, but all the men on Saturday were wearing purple and gold.
The refereeing was again disappointing, with the heat of battle getting to SeĂĄn Stack too, missing definite frees and compensating with softer ones nearby â something that frustrates players.
The red card for Cian Byrne was a stonewall red, but rather than hinder Wexford it seemed to spur them on. Lee Chin and Mattie Hanlon were superb, while Rory OâConnor delivered what heâs threatened to do for the past few years. He was immense.
Little moments win games, and in the 56th minute we saw one of those. Conor McDonald won a ball when he was heavily outnumbered and you wondered where was Galwayâs extra man? McDonald fed Cathal Dunbar, who went in for a goal chance, with Chin putting over the resulting 65.
Then, in the 63rd minute, Wexford went short off a puck-out and after passing out the right, where it didnât work out, they didnât panic, showing great composure to work it back across the middle. They soon found a couple of players loose and Conor Foley slapped over a point.
In that moment, you knew Galway were cooked. Five points from play tells you everything about their attack. For Henry Shefflin, it was a big call to bring Johnny Glynn back, having not been training through the winter.
Itâs something that either clicks spectacularly or leaves you with guys whoâve been there all along looking at you and asking: âWhat about me?â Thatâs the risk a manager takes, but with the best will in the world to him, Glynn looks miles off the pace.
By this stage of the provincial campaign, we probably expected the door to be slammed shut on some teams, but the weekendâs results have left things wide open. Rest assured: thereâll be lots more twists and turns along the way.
Thanks my oul pal.
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Least i could do for you after yesterdayâŚ
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It was 
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What did owens do for the waterford penalty?
If PJ was an actual manager weâd be All Ireland contenders but in life itâs very hard to crib after one of the most nervous intercounty player of all time wins a provincial. Weâre shite but weâll enjoy this week.
Fairly sure an All Ireland winner is holding back laughter there.
BAYHST!
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Who is it?
Clean cut bunch
I think itâs Brian Silke covering his mouth laughing
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