David Burke hoping Galway can turn near misses into Leinster glory
David Burke is expecting another tense and tactical battle when Galway and Dublin meet in Saturday's Leinster SHC final.
Having experienced plenty of those contests during his own playing career, Burke believes Dublin's have made impressive progress under Niall Ó Ceallacháin.
"Galway would have had a poor championship record against them until we started playing against them a bit more often. In these one-off games in Leinster, before the round-robin came in, it was 2015 we beat them. I lost one or two games to them before that, down in Tullamore and under Anthony Daly when they were really good that time. And in 2013 when they obviously went on and were unlucky not to get to the All-Ireland final. So, they've had really good teams and they do come together and they look like the manager Niall Ó Ceallacháin has put a really good job on them, they're fierce organised,” said David Burke at the launch of the Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Championships.
According to Burke, meetings between the sides often develop into tactical affairs where fine margins decide the outcome.
"The games just become hugely tactical for some reason, I don't know why. Both teams really get match-ups kind of right when there's a lot of man-marking involved in those games. There might have been sweepers in previous years. And when we go to Parnell Park, or when it's on in Pearse Stadium in the round-robin, conditions come into it because normally, it's in April or May and the weather mightn't be that great."
The prospect of silverware will carry huge significance for both camps, particularly for a Galway squad that has come close on several occasions in recent years.
"Them players will want another All-Ireland medal. Conor Cooney as well, in 2012, he was there. A couple of the older lads that have Leinster titles from 2017 and '18, they'll definitely want one."
Burke feels some of Galway's younger players deserve to experience success after suffering heartbreaking defeats.
"The other guys that came in after that, they would be the cohort that I'd be talking about that we've lost a few to Kilkenny. The one where we conceded the goal against Cillian Buckley in the last minute, that was a killer in 2023,” added Burke.
"I felt if we could have got over the line at all. I think winning things and winning things in Croke Park when you win a trophy gives a group huge momentum and a kind of self-belief that you're not arriving, you haven't won an All-Ireland, but it gives you great confidence and the county a great boost. They'd be the cohort I'd be hoping would get their hands on something."
Regardless of the result, Burke believes Leinster teams are capable of challenging the Munster teams later in the championship.
"We can see that any of the Leinster teams on their day can put it up to those teams coming out of Munster as well. Regardless of how the Leinster final goes, you'd be confident that Galway can give the championship a good rattle after that as well."
Despite that, he is hopeful conditions in Croke Park will allow for a more open contest.
"But when you're playing them, they turn into kind of those tactical affairs, and albeit the next day, on Saturday evening at six o'clock, the weather should be good hopefully and two teams can go right at it."