It's reasonable to assume that we can expect more discussion of Joe Canning throughout the day. Where to play him? Whether he's delivering? Should Galway be expecting more from him? etc, etc...
Henry Shefflin made a pertinent point in the Sunday Independent. Galway don't need more from Joe Canning. They need more from everyone else.
At 26, he has amassed a ridiculous collection of great goals, the kind of strikes that you have to watch about ten times before you can go about your day.
Here are five of his best, at least until throw in today....
5. Galway v Clare, 2011
The Galway hurlers are, in venue terms, the anti-Dublin footballers. While the Dublin footballers are never asked to leave the Jones Road area, there appear to be almost no circumstances in which Galway are allowed a home match.
There last home game in the championship occurred in late June qualifier in 2011.
Clare, still in the wilderness before the arrival of Davy, were demolished on a scoreline of 4-25 to 0-20 with the game being long over by half-time.
A swaggering Canning struck the third goal after literally flinging Nicky O'Connell out of the way, feigning a shot and selling the dummy to avoid the first block, balancing the ball on the hurl that extra bit longer than usual and firing the ball to the net.
4. Galway v Cork, 2008
One of the greatest performances ever from a player on a losing team, Canning scored 2-12 out of Galway's 2-15 on his debut.
His first score of the game demonstrated his physical strength as he wrestled free of Diarmuid O'Sullivan to swing it one-handed to the net.
3. Galway v Kilkenny, 2012
'How did he do that?' roared Ger Canning.
The build-up to the 2012 All-Ireland final was dominated by discussion of the faintly shocking Leinster final, in which Galway built up an eye-rubbing 2-11 to 0-1 after 31 minutes.
Canning had been central that day and his early goal in the 2012 All-Ireland final shook Croke Park to the core. It allowed Galway to settle into a game in which they, in spite of the Leinster final, entered as underdogs.
2. Galway v Tipperary, 2008
A goal from the early Joe Canning era - from before he had even played a senior championship game for Galway.
The circumstances of the game required that Galway score a goal and gave the score a vaguely 'Strawberry, hit a home run' feel. He picked the ball up in a position in which a goal was hardly on.
He even dropped the ball on receiving the pass. He then proceeded to barrel past all comers, turning down the prospect of a point, and lashing the ball past Cummins.
1. Galway v Kilkenny, 2015
Even opposing supporters in Croke Park were clapping and gazing in wonderment and near bemusement.
As with many Canning wonder-strikes, it was scored in a game which Galway ultimately lost, an ll tooo predictable tale. It may not have escaped notice that Galway have only won one of the games listed here.
