Post-mortem on hurling year to begin next week
The process of nailing down the Galway senior hurling management for 2014 begins in earnest next week when club delegates will be given a chance to give feedback on what went wrong during a disappointing season for the county’s flagship team.
Delegates from the clubs will air their views on the Anthony Cunningham-led management team at the first Hurling Committee meeting to take place since the All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Clare in Thurles two months ago.
With team coach and selector Mattie Kenny having announced his resignation in mid-August, it remains to be seen whether the delegates will urge senior officials to allow Cunningham remain in place for a third season – with a new backroom team – or press for a change of management following a bitterly disappointing second season under his management.
All of the optimism generated by the 2012 Leinster Final success and subsequent run to a replayed All-Ireland Final was blown away by a series of lack-lustre displays culminating in the comprehensive 1-23 to 2-14 defeat to Clare on July 28.
Kenny’s departure has fuelled speculation about the future of team boss Cunningham and selector Tom Helebert, who will need to add a new coach and selector to the management team who delivered an All-Ireland U-21 title to the county before taking over the senior side in late 2011.
Hurling Committee Chairman Joe Byrne said a meeting would be held “next Tuesday or Wednesday” to begin the process of nailing down the senior management positions by mid-October.
Byrne said a review process had already been taking place behind the scenes, after Cunningham had completed the first two years of a three season term, since the heavy defeats to Dublin and Clare in this year’s championship.
Cunningham has yet to deliver his report on the disappointing 2013 campaign to the Hurling Committee and was unavailable to comment on his plans for a third term this week.
For more, read this week’s Galway City Tribune.