A war of words between Ger Loughnane and Ollie Canning has now started to see other figures from the world of Galway hurling get involved, as Noel Lane has hit out at the two-time All-Ireland winning manager.
After another loss against Kilkenny in the Leinster final where they held the lead at half-time but were eventually pegged back, Loughnane hit out at Galway's players, stating that they were "gutless" and lacked the cutting edge to get over the line.
Speaking on Off the Ball, Canning said that Loughnane's comments were out of order and wide of the mark, given how hard Galway had worked against an extraordinary Kilkenny team.
It didn't stop there either, as Loughnane hit back again, questioning Galway's "mental fragility" under pressure, and brought up that Ollie had been absent in the 2007 All-Ireland quarter final against the Cats, which could have changed the tide of the game.
Now, Former Galway hurler and manager Lane has also waded into the controversy, stating that Loughnane's remarks are "too personal."
Speaking to The Irish Examiner, Lane said: "I don’t mind criticism or fair judgement and analysis but there’s a line.
"I’m not so sure it’s fair or appropriate to be making personal comments when you don’t know what the personal circumstances are with individuals."
Lane added that "people are entitled to their opinions but agendas should be left out of it," stating that as Galway stare down the difficult task of trying to finally overcome Kilkenny, "it’s something we can do without."
Meanwhile, Mattie Murphy has spoken to the same paper about the comments, lashing out at Loughnane and his poor record with province during his spell as manager.
Image: ©INPHO/Donall Farmer
"If you were to get upset every time Ger opened his mouth, you’d be upset the whole time," said Murphy. "He had the gig and didn’t do much with it. If you look back on his record here, he came in with huge promises and he went out with a whimper."
Murphy added that it wasn't for a lack of opportunities that Loughnane failed either, stating: "He had plenty of chances to do things with Galway and it wouldn’t be high in his CV list."
Via The Irish Examiner, Balls.ie
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