Canavan: Joyce facing welcome Galway selection headache
Galway manager Pádraic Joyce will have a welcome selection headache when more of his experienced players return to the fold, according to Peter Canavan.
The Tribesmen roared back into their Division 1 contest with Kerry in Tralee on Saturday night to snatch a draw with wing-forward Shane McGrath catching the eye with a player of the match performance.
Joyce has been without a number of established players in the early part of the season, but those at his disposal have rallied in all three league outings to date, making life difficult for Mayo coming down the stretch in their opener after falling heavily in arrears and coming back to pip Armagh at the death in round 2.
Joyce indicated that Paul Conroy has returned to training, though wouldn't put a timeframe on getting Shane Walsh back on the pitch. Damien Comer continues to battle on the injury front while Liam Silke and Sean Fitzgerald were other absentees in Tralee.
With the aforementioned McGrath, Ciaran Mulhearn, Fionn McDonagh and Oisin McDonagh gaining valuable experience in the league, Canavan believes Galway are building serious strength-in-depth.
"He will have problems picking his best 15 when he gets everybody back," he said on Allianz League Sunday.
"A number of younger players have put their hands up. He’s blooding a lot of these younger players and the thing about Galway is all their younger lads are 6ft plus.
"He will have serious options in another few weeks."
Fellow analyst Cora Staunton agreed that the newer members of the panel are impressing.
"The resilience that they have shown in these few league games, but probably in the last few years," she pointed out. "They were without Sean Fitzgerald and Liam Silke (against Kerry), and their younger players are standing up.
"They are finding players."
