Joyce new captain as Galway hit badly by injuries

STEPHEN GLENNON

LONG serving defender Damien Joyce is to captain the Galway senior hurlers for 2011 after he was handed the armband by boss John McIntyre and his management team last night (Wednesday). 

Cappataggle clubman Joyce – recognised as one of the most committed exponents for both club and county – takes over the responsibility from long-term injury victim Shane Kavanagh, who captained Galway to Walsh Cup and National League honours last year.

The Galway management has also announced that Rahoon/Newcastle’s Tony Óg Regan and Portumna’s Damien Joyce, two other hurlers renowned for their fierce commitment to the cause, will serve as vice captains.

With Joyce (groin) and Hayes (knees) both out through injury at present, it will be Regan who captains the defending champions for their National League opener against Wexford at Pearse Stadium this Sunday (2:30pm).

Indeed, the meeting of Galway and Wexford, two traditionally proud hurling counties, pits the Division 1 and Division 2 champions against each other, although this, of course, will not be their first meeting since they won their respective titles, having already clashed in last year’s Leinster championship.

On that occasion, 14-man Galway had it all to do to nudge past a plucky Wexford outfit, eventually winning on a scoreline of 2-22 to 1-14. “Yeah, Wexford gave us plenty of bother in last year’s championship. They are also coming up as Division 2 champions and, indeed, the last time Galway met Wexford in the National League – a quarter-final – three or four years ago, Galway were well beaten down in Nowlan Park,” said Galway manager McIntyre.

“I suppose, this is a first round League game and anything can happen, so if we are not up for the challenge on Sunday we could end up licking our wounds.”

Galway’s task in hand has been made all the more difficult by the absence of many regulars, including Joyce, Fergal Moore and Portumna duo Joe Canning and Hayes. “Our casualty list is still quite high, and we already have eight players who are unavailable due to injury for Sunday.

“They are Joe Canning, Damien Hayes, Joe Gantley, Kevin Hynes, Aidan Harte, Damien Joyce, Fergal Moore and Niall Donohoe. Of course, we will also be missing our two Clarinbridge players (Barry Daly and Eoin Forde) as well. A measure of our casualty list is that we can name a panel of 26 players for Sunday’s game, but we have only 24 players available!”

McIntyre said he didn’t expect any of those players to return for the Offaly game either a week later, which means the Tribesmen will be, somewhat, on the back foot entering their 2011 National Hurling League campaign.

“We have a weakened hand starting our National League campaign against Wexford, but that is life at inter-county level,” acknowledged the Galway manager. “We are not about to whinge about it. If anything, it will give some of the younger players a chance to experience top flight hurling over the coming weeks.”

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.