Galway hurlers - maligned but still standing

The Galway hurlers haven't been flavour of the month at any stage in 2023 but they are still standing despite it all.

Most of the floating punters in Galway had assumed that their footballers were a better bet in 2023 and that the hurlers were stagnating by comparison.

On the whole, the campaign has done wonders for Galway hurling's integration into the Leinster hurling family.

That adulation showered on the Munster SHC and Leinster's portrayal as the dour, idiot brother has recently inspired almost as much resentment in Athenry as it would have in Tullaroan.

Throughout May, the narrative had been that the big two in Leinster would struggle to keep it pucked out against even the runt of the litter in Munster, never mind your Limericks and your Clares [and even your Tipperarys for a while].

After Galway again took down Tipperary - their third successive victory over Tipp in championship - there were gleefully sarcastic remarks to the effect that it was a "disgrace" that Leinster had taken two semi-final spots once again.

The westerners will never be fully Leinster, of course. Joe Canning is on record saying that his three Leinster medals didn't mean much to him and we're informed that Brian Cody was especially offended at the notion of a Galway captain lifting the Bob O'Keefe Cup.

So while the Tribesmen were always said to regard their provincial home since 2009 as a means to an end, they were visibly devastated at the manner of their Leinster final loss this year.

Despite topping the Leinster round-robin for the third time in four attempts, Galway weren't showered with glowing reviews

The exquisite cruelty of that defeat would cause anyone's knees to buckle. And the majority of the Galway defence slumped to the ground after