Who dares to speak of '98?

GALWAY'S stock may have shot through the roof after a dismal opening to their league campaign, but Michael Meehan believes Sunday's NFL final against Kerry in Limerick will produce a far more accurate appraisal of their All-Ireland hopes.

Since last capturing the Sam Maguire in 2001, the county have stockpiled nine Connacht crowns between the minor, U21 and senior grades. Only once in that time have they gone on to win the national title.

That's a poor return for a county of such pedigree, as is the fact that the last of their four league titles was secured 25 years ago.

A victory at the weekend would end that particular drought, but the greater benefit might lie in the resultant boost to their confidence levels.

"Galway want to be competing for titles and that's what we're doing every year," said the third-level student yesterday. "This is a great opportunity now next Sunday, but championship is what everyone is looking at.

"Sunday will be a huge test because Kerry are going all guns blazing, so it should be a good game.

"We're happy enough. We're ahead of where we were last year."

If Sunday's fixture is anything like the 2004 league final the same two sides played out, few people will have cause for complaint. Kerry earned a one-point win that day, after the game produced four goals and 27 points at Croke Park.

Though the purists salivated at the spectacle, the realists scoffed at the lack of physical confrontation and Kerry, at least, have acknowledged the realities of the modern game since by adopting a more muscular approach.

Even so, Meehan expects a similar exhibition to the one the teams put on 24 months ago. "That was a very open, high-scoring game, but Galway-Kerry games are always like that.

"That's what you can expect Sunday, I'd imagine, but I'd settle for a two points to one Galway win."

What will be different is the location. The decision not to host the two league finals in Croke Park didn't sit well with a lot of people, but Meehan understands that Dublin can do without the extra traffic with a certain rugby match being played on the far side of the Liffey that afternoon.

Truth be told, after winning one point in their first three games, Galway are probably delighted to be in the final, full stop.

Old heads like Michael Donnellan, Padraic Joyce and Derek Savage have been rewinding the clock back to 1998 with their performances and defence Galway's Achilles heel in recent years has progressively solidified.

The win over Mayo, last weekend, saw Galway supplant their neighbours as top seeds for Connacht.

Beat Kerry on Sunday and they will have their backers for the 'Big One' in September.

"I don't know about that because we saw last year the gap to the top three teams and we were a good bit off that pace," Meehan cautioned.

"We know we have a lot of improving to do yet before we can compete with them, but we're happy at this stage that we have improved a bit."