Daly’s Dubs can stay the distance

ARE Dublin hurlers now serious contenders for All-Ireland honours?

Galway manager John McIntyre certainly seems to think so. After a stirring comeback against over Kilkenny on Sunday, overcoming a horrific opening four minutes during which they conceded 2-3 without reply, to win by four points, big Mac looked ahead to his team’s next challenge, against Dublin in Parnell Park on Sunday week.

His initial comments were very much tongue-in-cheek. “Dublin are the team of the league,” he announced; “They will be overwhelming favourites to beat Galway — I don’t know is there any point in even going up there, to be honest, but we’ll do our best.”

Then, however, John turned serious, and verbalised what a lot of people throughout the country are already beginning to think — Dublin hurlers are now a threat to anyone.

“Anthony Daly (manager) and Richard Stakelum (with whom John played in their native Tipperary) and the rest of them up there, they are doing a fantastic job. People are talking about Dublin as potential All-Ireland champions this year, and that’s a fantastic thing to see in the wider hurling climate.

“But it just shows you the task we have against them. They beat us in the Walsh Cup semi-final, they were too physical for us, they were too strong for us. It is going to be a massive challenge for Galway.”

Galway did get their own league challenge back on track with that win over Kilkenny, but in what has become a very topsy-turvy series, Dublin are now the only unbeaten team.

Their physicality is something that many have remarked on, and Offaly’s Rory Hanniffy felt the brunt of that in Dublin’s big win in Tullamore a few weeks ago. “Dublin are certainly All-Ireland contenders,” argued the Midlands barrister. “At the moment they are fitter than anyone else and full of confidence. Hopefully they will be less so on May 29!”

That, of course, is when Dublin kick off their championship campaign when they meet Offaly, venue yet to be announced, with Galway (presuming they beat the winners of the Westmeath/Carlow clash) awaiting the winners in the Leinster semi-final.

Wexford were Dublin’s latest victims, beaten in Wexford Park on Sunday and shipping 3-21 in the process, though Dublin were without Conal Keaney, their main scorer this year, and Alan McCrabbe, their top marksman for the past two years.

It left Wexford’s Rory Jacob impressed: “It’s hard to judge on league results but Dublin certainly have very good players and are improving. Anthony Daly has them really well drilled — it just goes to show how a good manager and a good setup can improve a team. But are they as good as Tipperary and Kilkenny? Time will tell.”

On April 2, in the penultimate round of the league, the Dubs will test themselves against Kilkenny again, albeit this time without the lights, the clocks having changed by then, but against a stronger and fitter Kilkenny team, and with a lot more at stake.

By then too, Dublin will have played Galway, and after those two games, we will have a far more definitive answer to the question — real McCoy or not?