All Ireland Football Championship Final Build-up
Galway senior football manager Padraic Joyce says you ‘couldn’t trust’ the GAA’s score detection system ahead of the All-Ireland final.
Hawk-Eye malfunctioned in the Tribesmen’s semi-final win over Derry, with television replays forcing the officials to overturn a call by the technology.
“You couldn’t trust it after Saturday, what happened with Shane Walsh’s 45,” Joyce said.
“I don’t know. In fairness, let’s put it in perspective – that’s the first real mistake it’s made and how many years is it on the go?
“After the last day you would [be worried] in fairness like.
“You don’t mind a marginal call that’s over the top of the post, you wouldn’t worry about it – but one that’s a foot inside it. It was clear that last day that was inside it and you just wonder what’s going on with that.
“That’s something for Croke Park to worry about.
“Croke Park are the governing body. They look after this stuff and we have to trust it.”
There were reports Galway threatened not to re-emerge for the second half until Walsh’s point was awarded, but Joyce rubbished such claims.
“Nah, this is where headlines come,” he said.
“I spoke to our secretary going in at half-time and said, ‘look, that point’s after going over the bar.’
“I said go on and ask the question, ‘Should it be a point?’, and they did, but there was never a debate.
“We knew probably halfway during our half-time speech that the point was given and it was rectified – there was never an issue.”
He insists it was not disruptive.
“You get on with it,” he said. “You only have 15 minutes at half-time when you get in.
“You have a lot of your stuff pre-planned, what you want to do when you go in anyways.
“It wasn’t disruptive. It would be worse if it was taken off you. If it’s given to you, it’s a bonus.
“As it stood we had it at 4-3 starting in the dressing room and coming out we were 4-4.
“It was great to get it.”
Sean Hurson Appointed Referee – All Ireland Football Championship Final
Meanwhile, the Tribe boss says he has no issue with the appointment of Tyrone’s Sean Hurson as referee for the All-Ireland final.
Hurson hails from the same club, Galbally Pearses, as Kerry selector Paddy Tally.
But Joyce insists the link is irrelevant.
“I knew he was in line for the final and, look it, Sean is a top-class referee,” he said.
“I’m not going to question anything that Sean Hurson’s going to do on the day. He’s going to do his job and, look it, he’s a man of integrity. Whether he’s friendly with Paddy Tally or not doesn’t matter.
“I mean, Brendan Cawley refereed the game the last day and he’s from the same town as Cian O’Neill, you could say, even though rival clubs – no one mentioned that. It shouldn’t be an issue, to be honest. And in fairness to the GAA, if they were trying to pick referees that had no relationships with teams or selectors or whatever, they’d find it hard.”
He is not surprised to see Hurson get the nod.
“We’ve had Sean here – we had him in a league match this year with Derry,” he said.
“We had Sean here in the Connacht final, where Sean Kelly got pulled down. I’d a few words that day with him about it but again, look it, I know there’s a bit of talk about Sean and all that kind of stuff.
“But to me I think it’s a great honour for him – a great honour for anyone to be in an All-Ireland final – so he’ll be fine, there’s no issue with referees for us. Because I always say that we can control everything as much as we can, bar the weather and the referee. So, it shouldn’t come down to a refereeing decision in the match anyway.”
Otherwise, Joyce confirmed a clean bill of health, 11 days out from the All Ireland Football Championship Final showdown with Kerry.
Come back on Friday for a comprehensive preview of the 2022 All Ireland Football Championship Final.
Will the Kingdom be crowned the King of Ireland or will Galway be victorious?
Bet on the All Ireland Football Championship at www.hollywoodbets.co.uk or www.hollywoodbets.ie
