Shefflin salutes Daithí Burke’s leadership skills as massive Limerick test looms

Galway manager Henry Shefflin said that Daithí Burke has performed well as captain and tends to lead by his actions on the pitch.

Burke’s shoulder charge on the inrushing Seamus Harnedy was a defining moment of their 2-19 to 1-21 All-Ireland quarter-final win over Cork and Shefflin is looking for more of the same when they take on Limerick on Sunday.

Shefflin appointed Burke as Galway skipper after he took charge late last year and he’s been impressed with the leadership qualities of the Turloughmore clubman.

“He has performed very well. Daithí is like a lot of our experienced players; they are all good lads, and they all want to do what’s best for Galway hurling. That incident [the shoulder on Harnedy] probably showed his commitment.

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“It was borderline, but that’s the way Daithí plays the game and that’s the kind of character he is. But I think if you’re a player up at the other end of the field and you see that, you’re thinking, ‘he is doing everything for us,’ and that’s what you look for in a leader.”

Shefflin said the leadership of 2017 All-Ireland winning captain David Burke is also huge, not least as several young players are making the breakthrough this season.

“That’s well spoken about; his leadership qualities, but it’s his hurling and his hurling brain and his skill when you see him doing drills. I don’t think that should be lost either, it’s very evident in his play and he hit two vital scores at vital times so he’s a brilliant lad to have around the group.

“All of those experienced players are very important, because there are a lot of new players. You have Gavin Lee sitting his Leaving Cert, Tiernan Killeen and Greg Thomas, all from minor teams last year, and then you have Jack [Grealish] and Tom [Monaghan], who I know have been around, and Cianan and Darach Fahy are all new players, so it’s vital for them to see the way the older players carry themselves because they are the future of Galway hurling,” he added.

Shefflin said they know they need to improve from that win over Cork but he’s looking forward to having a crack at Limerick on Sunday.

“So, look, it was a quarter final. Do we need to go to another level? Absolutely. But it’s great to be still there and we’re hurling in July, which would have been a goal for ourselves at the start of the year,” added Shefflin.