Joe Canning is in flying form as he heads into his 14th campaign with Galway, according to manager Shane O’Neill.
Canning’s 2020 season ended when he was stretchered to hospital with a suspected concussion after a heavy collision with teammate Joseph Cooney during the All-Ireland semi-final loss to Limerick last November.
Canning, 32, who was discharged from the Mater Hospital later that night, shot four points from sidelines that day but it was not enough to prevent a 0-27 to 0-24 defeat to the eventual champions.
Limerick native O’Neill, now heading into his second term in charge of the Tribesmen, said the five-time All Star was flying since they resumed training last week.
“He has been working very hard, he’s in very good nick and is in great form. It (the injury) is not something we’ve broached at all actually, because he is flying it,” said O’Neill.
Galway open their campaign away to Westmeath on Saturday week before taking on All-Ireland champions Limerick in their first home match and O’Neill said everyone is just thrilled to be back.
“We are absolutely delighted. We are back since last Monday. We did Monday, Wednesday and the weekend and on to our fifth session now.
“It’s a quick enough run-in actually. After waiting so long we would have thought we’d have a lead-in but it’s just a three-week lead in. It’s a bit more than what it was for Championship last year.”
O’Neill praised the players for the excellent condition in which they returned after working on individual training programmes over the past few months.
“They came back in very good nick, they were obviously working very hard themselves.
“It would have been hard enough for the boys who are on their own, but guys then that are maybe sharing houses were able to train together somewhat. Overall, I’d say 99.9 per cent of the boys came back in very good shape.”
O’Neill and his management team of John Fitzgerald, David Forde and Fergal Healy had to deal with all the Covid disruption last year, but benefitted from the club championships taking place before the provincial and All-Ireland series kicked off.
This time round they are straight into inter-county action after months of being unable to train collectively and O’Neill admitted it brings its own challenges.
“Solely from a hurling management point of view we have learned an awful lot over the past year. We knew Galway hurling and a lot of the Galway players, not all of them as intimately as we think we do now.
“They have done an awful lot on their own anyway, but it’s that bit of contact that we are just trying to add to training. That’s the important thing, and not to have injuries,” added O’Neill.
