Galway GAA star Rob Finnerty admits timing of All-Ireland draw ‘doesn't make sense' after being placed in group of death
ROB FINNERTY feels that the All-Ireland SFC group stage draw should not have been made until after the provincial finals.
The groups making up the 16-team race for Sam Maguire were
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Robert Finnerty, right, admitted the All-Ireland draw did not make sense
Credit: GAA
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The draw took place before Galway beat Mayo in the Connacht football final
Credit: Seb Daly/Sportsfile
Finnerty helped the
The victory
Galway will host the Sky Blues at Pearse Stadium on May 17 at 5pm after their hurlers' Leinster SHC clash with Antrim at 2.30pm.
Finnerty cannot wait for the Salthill double-header but reckons the draw was made unnecessarily early.
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He said: 'All we were thinking about was winning another Connacht title. It wasn't ideal that they did the draw beforehand.
'Even this weekend after the Ulster and Leinster finals would be ideal, just do it on TV after.
'It doesn't really make much sense in my eyes, knowing where you're going to be and who you're facing.
'But I think we did a good job of just staying focused on Mayo and on winning a Connacht Championship.
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'The double-header will only add to the occasion and hopefully as many Galway people as possible can get down to it.'
Galway led by eight points at the break last Sunday but Mayo staged a spirited comeback.
Owen Mulligan teases Lee Keegan over hilarious contrast in how their inter-county GAA careers ended
Kevin McStay's men thought they had taken the lead when Ryan O'Donoghue's two-point free effort sailed over — only for it to be reduced to one when Tribe stopper Connor Gleeson got a touch to it.
The hosts protested that the ball had already gone over the bar as Galway went on to win by two.
And Salthill-Knocknacarra man Finnerty admits the rule is bizarre, despite his team benefitting from it.
He said: 'It is weird and it's a strange rule because it obviously halves the reward which I think is probably a bit crazy.
'If you can get the ball over the bar from 50 or 45 yards, I don't see why you wouldn't get the reward of the two points.
'Obviously it worked in our favour at the weekend so we'll take it.'
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Key men Shane Walsh (back) and Damien Comer (hamstring) missed the win at MacHale Park.
The pair are in a race against time to face Dessie Farrrell's Dubs and Finnerty is uncertain if they will feature alongside him. He said: 'I'm actually not sure. I'd say it mightn't be too far away but I'm not sure they will make that Dublin game.'
The GAA confirmed the fixture details for the first round of group stage clashes yesterday.
In Group 2, Kerry will host Roscommon in Killarney at 2.30pm on Saturday, May 17 before Galway's mouth-watering Group 4 showdown with the Dubs at 5pm. Both games will be shown live on GAA+.
Clare will host Down at Cusack Park in Ennis in a crucial Group 3 game on Sunday, May 18 at 2pm.
Mayo entertain Cavan in Group 1 at 2.30pm at MacHale Park.
l ROB FINNERTY was speaking at the launch of Harvery Norman's new sponsorships of GAA Hawk-Eye and their roles as official stats sponsor for the Men's Senior Football and Hurling Championships and also the Camogie Association stats sponsor. With 18 stores across the island of Ireland and 290 stores worldwide, Harvey Norman is a leading retailer of furniture, bedding, electrical and computers.
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