Cork vs Galway

[Offalys Future]

Be interesting to get views on this game.

I myself think Cork are going to win. Even if they won by 20 points last weekend people
would still question them so by winning by 5 points it really doesnt matter.
They have named a pretty strong team and a very experienced forward line.
I think there is serious pressure on Loughnane and Galway and to be honest i don't think
they will be able for the pressure.
Cork to win for me!

[bula bula]

Then that has to be Galway for me then. Only joking OF. people are definitely writing Cork off too early but still feel that Galway will have that bit more in the end.

[azoffaly]

I think Galway will get it seriously hard in this game, and if they come through it, they will be a genuine threat. They are untested, and I have doubts over their full back line, half forward line and midfield.

Cork are not great, but they are ticking along at the same time. Dublin were always going to give them a rattle for a while, I'm just surprised at how long they stuck around. Ger McCarthy seems to be a little dithery in what his best team is, but if they let the ball in low, in front of the full forward line, they can cause havoc for Galway's full back line. The Cork half back line will want a big game, and Galway's half forward line is weak enough in the ball winning stakes. Iarla Tannian will probably be out around there to try and shake things up, but the likes of Curran and O'Hailpin have experienced this before.

All in all, it's hard to be confident about either team, but on the basis that Loughnane will be able to channel the pressure correctly, I'll go for Galway. just.

[brokenman]

Too many unanswered questions about both teams for me to get oof the fence..whats new!

I think the two Cannings are a huge addition to Galway obviously enough and if Ollie is to take Joe Deane it should be a hum-dinger of a battle. As for Joe, surely Diarmuid O'Sullivan wont be the man for that job after seeing what Lar Corbett did to him. McCarthy will have to come up with some sort of game plan there. Having said that i dont think much will come through the Galway half-forwards. Gardiner's been hurling well and the return of Curran and Sean Og makes it the best half-back line in the country in my opinion (maybe 2nd to our own!!).

I'm rambling...Cork by 2 points

[Lone Shark]

Similar to a lot of people on this thread, I remain to be convinced by Galway. I would have been quite happy for us to draw them as opposed to Waterford and unless Cork are really off the pace then I'd expect them to give the western lads plenty to think about. When you think about it, last year Offaly stayed with Kilkenny for 60 minutes, by which time we were losing by three. we lost by thirteen. Most people called it for what it was - a good display with Kilkenny always having a bit in hand. Galway were just three points better off - level after 60 and lost by ten - and yet everyone remembers that as a close game????

The only other championship match they played against real opponents was in Ennis against Clare and they lost.

I don't doubt that the Cannings will improve matters but galway just have too many question marks for me. They have the hurlers, but they've had the hurlers for years now. Again, nothing new there and they still haven't won any All Irelands.

Galway could turn out to be what everyone thinks they are, but like a poker player happy to play a steady high pair against a guy with a straight flush draw, I'll take the solid team against the "what if" crowd.

[the weasel]

i cant understand how galway are rated so high and cork so low. people are rating galway on their league performances but galway usually have a good league and dont do much after. there team was named and it doesnt look anything special to me, they will depend alot on joe canning and damien hayes for there scores. This is deffently corks best line up so far this year and their back line was significantly weakened against dublin from the absence of ronan and sean og, and there forward line looks balanced and im expecting a big game from pa cronin who i think is better on the wing than full forward. i expect cork to win by 4 or 5.