We are in the midst of the greatest Canning era yet 2015 has not been the summer of Joe. There have been memorable moments, sure, like the wonderful, goal against Kilkenny in the Leinster final but it's generally accepted Joey Holden held him that afternoon.

He hit eight wides down in Thurles despite the dismantling of Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-final and seemed disgusted with himself afterwards.

Five wides yesterday to go with just two points from play, an easily saved penalty by Darren Gleeson and a real goal chance which he belted into the turf. Granted a 0-10 total - including an exquisitely faded sideline cut - has him up to 4-47 for the championship but in a game that demanded accuracy and precision Canning was hooked twice by Pádraic Maher.

So it’s not about Joe or not just about Joe anymore.

And still his words were drowned out by his tribe as RTÉ attempted to interview him afterwards. He had to acknowledge them but his steely determination betrays a great talent without a county All-Ireland title.

“In another era we would have maybe lied down,” he said in reference to a 27 wait for Liam McCarthy to return west. Canning was born a month after that 1988 win.

“But the young lads in this team now...” he even knows how important they ahve become.

Cathal Mannion matters now as does Jason Flynn and fleet-footed teenager Conor Whelan. That trio gathered 0-11 from play. Flynn even belted over a long range free from wide on the right a few seconds after Canning hit his third second half wide. It was a temporary demotion, if one at all, as Portumna's fully matured boy prodigy steeled himself down the straight with two more pointed frees.

Joseph Cooney came in when Cyril Donnellan was low on fuel.

Shane Moloney, a minor with Canning, came in and hit a shot so poor it didn't even go wide. Then he hit the winning score from a clever Canning assist. In other eras he probably would have pulled the trigger himself from the tougher angle.

That's old Galway.

"Shane wasn't on the league panel, he wasn't fit enough," said Anthony Cunningham. "He was with us a couple of times and the harsh reality is we have to let guys go if they're not at the level. Shane went away and worked tirelessly and then presented himself. We played Wexford in a challenge and we brought him to make up the fifteen because we had guys injured. He got two or three goals. He's one for the future, he has massive skill and that point today will bring him on a ton."

But it is Mannion and Flynn who are driving Galway onwards now. Johnny Glynn was anonymous in comparison to his monstrous showing against Cork but he did produce a brilliant hook on Pádraic Maher that led to Mannion's late point.

“We need more from everybody else and from Joe as well,” said Cunningham. “We are always demanding. That is the level where we are at, everything bar being paid is professional from those guys. They are mad to learn. We are all set for the next day.”

A major concern was the three identical goals scored by Seamus Callanan.

“He’s probably unmarkable really, Seamus Callanan, we tried very hard.

Padraig (Mannion) had a good enough game but the goals were killers for us. Every goal that we conceded, though, we got back on or two points, we showed great character.”

Should the fullback line not have been given more protection? “It’s hard, we wanted to keep three backs, it was man to man there today.

After getting the goal there wasn’t much ball going in, then they got the second goal in the second half. That’s the way they go. We’d be disappointed too that some of our bigger players were in hard luck for a couple of goals. It balances out.”

Canning’s reference to previous Galway sides capitulating is relayed to Cunningham. “I suppose this year we tried to add a bit more steal.

We were disappointed last year that we lost our shape [in defeat to Tipperary], we looked at the qualifier match there last week and how we faded there last year. We just gave up a goal and then more or less collapsed. We looked at that very methodically there last weekend and tried to teach a lesson that you have to keep your shape in hurling. A ball or two over the bar and you are back in the game again.”

Michael Jordon was 28 when he won his first NBA title, Lebron James 27. They lost their finals before they won. As has Joe Canning in 2012.