McIntyre: We’re further away now than we’ve been for 20 years

GALWAY manager John McIntyre will consult with county hurling board officials before coming to a decision on his future.

A deflated McIntyre has served three years at the helm but his current contract has another year to run.

The Tipperary native said: “I have another year to run with a review after this season. I’m realist — I can imagine some of the stuff that’s being said out there but what can I do? That’s the jungle and that’s the jungle I’m happy to live in. I’ll sit down and talk to the Galway hurling board and we’ll carry out a review. The bottom line is — whatever is in the best interests of Galway hurling, John McIntyre has no problem in accepting that.”

McIntyre, meanwhile, warned that Galway “are further away from an All-Ireland now than at any stage in the last 20 years.”

He added: “I’ve never believed in the script and all the loose talk that’s been going on over the last fortnight. We knew there was going to be a huge Waterford backlash. We were looking at the Munster final, after the game was over, and thinking that I would have much preferred if Waterford were only beaten by two points rather than 21. We were beaten all over the field today — there are no excuses.

“As a group of men, it’s much easier to cope with losing by 10 points rather than the one we had to endure last year and the year before. I’d like to apologise on behalf of myself, the team management and the Galway players to the Galway supporters that were here. That’s not a true reflection of the team. I know Waterford were good on the day and had an almighty cause. And fair dues to them, I congratulate them wholeheartedly but we just didn’t perform. We never got to grips with Kevin Moran around midfield — there was an edge to Waterford that Galway just didn’t have. We got off to a terrible start, we pulled it back a bit and I thought at half-time that we were still in the contest. But Waterford did to us what we needed to do to them at the start of the second half. That’s just the way it is — Galway’s attitude wasn’t wrong today — we came down here expecting a battle but we were found wanting.”

McIntyre admitted that he’s bracing himself for criticism within Galway following yet another disappointing defeat for the Tribesmen, who are without an All-Ireland SHC success since 1988.

“We’re all in this together — there will be a blame game but it’s going to happen outside of the Galway dressing room. Those players have given me their heart and soul over the last three years. They’ve really trained hard, decent men, honourable men to work with and I’m upset for them, upset for the team management as well. An awful lot of work has gone into this and where there’s winners, there are losers. The defeat is very comprehensive and Galway is going to have to carry out a root and branch examination of why they’re not delivering on the underage successes and All-Ireland club victories. Physically, Waterford overpowered us today. I think that was a key component, they were sharper on the breaking ball and thoroughly deserved their win. As I said to them in their dressing room, it might look better on paper than the reality of beating Galway by 10 points today and now it’s up to them to drive on. You’d never know — they looked a busted flush after the Munster final, they’re back in the All-Ireland semi-final and I’d say Kilkenny will be on their guard now.”