Five hurling talking points as Galway and Waterford progress

Galway prosper without Joe show and four other talking points...

Workrate always wins

Waterford’s appetite for covering and tackling increased in the second-half, and they targeted two of Dublin’s key men, Danny Sutcliffe and Liam Rushe.

Just after the 40th minute, both were harassed by Waterford players on the Dublin half-back line and the ball spilled to Colin Dunford, who shot wide. If it had gone over, it would have been a coaching highlight — the result of hard work.

Cork remain inconsistent

While last year’s demolition by Tipperary might have been partly attributable to inaction after the Munster final win, Cork went into yesterday’s game with momentum, following the wins over Wexford and Clare.

The second-half collapse was a disappointing echo of last year’s All-Ireland semi-final, but what can be done to improve the team’s displays after half-time?

Waterford’s squad numbers

When is a dummy team not a dummy team? Answer: when Waterford put one in place. Yet again, the team they named on Friday was different to the one that appeared in the match programme, Maurice Shanahan (21), Shane Bennett (22) and Darragh Fives (17) starting in place of Tom Devine, Stephen Bennett and Brian O’Halloran.

It doesn’t appear Derek McGrath is contravening any rules but Waterford have been adopting a squad number policy by stealth for quite some time now. Shanahan has wore no other jersey this summer than the one marked 21. Ditto Devine at number nine and so on.

Hurling’s not dead

It had got to a stage that somebody was due to do a Jarlath Burns and claim that hurling was close to the end given how poor this championship has been, not to mention the drop in goals and points scored.

On the basis of the opening halves of each game yesterday, and how points were converted with gay abandon, there’s still life in the old game yet. The first game at least offered a lot of quality until Waterford ran out winners in the closing stages. Cork’s flatness shouldn’t take away from Galway’s attacking menace. They worked 60 scoring chances.

No Joe show but so what?

In the 41st minute of yesterday’s second match, substitute Joe Cooney let rip at Joe Canning for taking a low percentage show from the Ryan Stand side. His shot strayed wide, his sixth of the game. It mightn’t have looked it initially but in that brief exchange there was living proof of how Galway have matured.

Two years, maybe even a year ago, Cooney would hardly have had the gumption to give out to the team’s leader. Canning remains the main man but Galway don’t depend on him as much as they used to. That can only be healthy for a team who have heaped too much pressure even on his wide shoulders.