GAELIC GAMES: KEITH DUGGANgets the views of the Galway manager after the thrilling victory over Kilkenny on Sunday

THE IMPACT that Dublin hurlers have had on the league has focused the attention of Galway manager John McIntyre. The Tribesmen’s scheduled visit to the capital does not take place until Sunday week but after their thrilling win against Kilkenny on Sunday, it becomes the crunch tie of the spring season.

It says something about Dublin’s progress that the Galway manager could indulge in the ritual of presenting his team as the outsiders.

“Dublin are the team of the league,” McIntyre says. “They will be overwhelming favourites to beat Galway. I don’t know if there is any point in even going up there. We will do our best! We will do our best! Anthony Daly and Richie Stakelum and the rest of them up there are doing a fantastic job. People are talking about Dublin as potential All-Ireland champions and that is a fantastic thing to see in the wider hurling climate.”

The Dubs presaged their spring form with their Walsh Cup success, which included a win against Galway despite having only 14 men for the entire second half.

“Yeah, it shows the task we have against them,” McIntyre acknowledges. “They beat us in the Walsh cup semi-final because they were too physical for us, too strong for us. So it is going to be a massive challenge but at least we are going up with something to play for.”

Anthony Daly will hardly be fooled by the understatement but he will be keen to extend Dublin’s encouraging run.

Galway’s defeat of Kilkenny leaves Dublin as the only unbeaten team in this year’s league after seven games played. Their clash against Galway would give them a huge push towards a league final appearance. But McIntyre’s team has also performed well, with the exception of a muted first half against Cork. The manner of Sunday’s victory against Kilkenny, which required them to recover for the concession of 2-3 in the first five minutes, was vitally important.

Equally significant is that the team has been developing without the presence of Joe Canning because of the Portumna man’s injury. Canning is among a number of players unavailable to McIntyre because of injury but the advertised “injury crisis” has been a blessing in disguise, with other players getting a chance to shine. McIntyre confirmed that a number of familiar names will remain sidelined in the weeks ahead.

“We don’t expect to see Damien Hayes for the remainder of the league and Joe Canning will be lucky to make the concluding stages of the league. And we also have big concerns about Aidan Harte and Kevin Hynes. Joseph Cooney had a broken thumb: he is out of plaster now. But look it, hurling is no longer a 15-man game and I was saying to the boys before the Kilkenny match to be taken off with 20 minutes to go is no shame. You need fresh legs and you need fresh impetus.

“You look at the rugby fields and that is what they are doing – maybe Declan Kidney did it too soon (against Scotland). You need a strong panel. To beat Kilkenny was a good day for Galway hurling but if we go up and don’t front up to Dublin, people will forget about it quickly enough. But it just shows that there is something in Galway.”