Captain chopped as new Galway boss wields axe

NEW Galway hurling boss Anthony Cunningham has dropped one third of the team which started the All-Ireland quarter-final against Waterford this year in a massive clear-out.

Damien Joyce, who was named Galway captain earlier this year, has also been dropped along with another former skipper Shane Kavanagh, half-backs Donal Barry and Adrian Cullinane, former All Star Ger Farragher and attacker Joe Gantley.

Defender John Lee, who came on as a sub in that ten-point loss to Waterford, is another big casualty as Cunningham and his selectors, Tom Helebert and Mattie Kenny, opt for youth in a bid to end Galway’s quest for All-Ireland glory.

They have picked 18 members of this year’s U21 squad, which Cunningham and his selectors guided to All-Ireland glory, in the 37-man squad.

“Some of those players who are not included have given years of service to Galway hurling and we acknowledge that, but we think this is the best squad at the moment. It will change, some will come and go,” he said.

“We will be monitoring club and college games, as well as the Galway development squad, and the squad will be revised again for the national league.”

Galway squad 2012: J Skehill, D Collins, F Moore, T Óg Regan, K Hynes, A Smith, C Donnellan, E Ryan, D Hayes, J Canning, M Lydon, J Ryan, B Daly, C Cooney, D Burke, D Glennon, G O’Halloran, J Regan, J Grealish, J Coen, N Burke, R Cummins, B Regan, I Tannian, B Burke, C Burke, D Cooney, D Fox, F Flannery, N Donoghue, P Gordon, T Haran, A Harte, P Huban, M Horan, B Flaherty.