David Burke is a leader of men, he is a leader of this Galway team.
The St Thomas’ man has been one of this Galway sides most consistent performers over the last five years.
Burke has one of the most solid skill sets in hurling. His first touch is killer, his striking is lethal, his vision is 20/20 and he has the work-ethic and hound-like attitude to boot.
If Galway supporters were asked to bank on a man to deliver the goods on Sunday against Tipperary, nine out of them would’ve went for their reliant midfielder.
That’s because a disappointing performance from Burke in a Galway jersey is a collector’s item.
Burke came out the better of his duel with Brendan Maher in 2015 and 2016 when the sides met at the same stage, and the Borrisoleigh man will be the first to admit that.
On Sunday, Maher was one of Tipperary’s best performers as he hurled Burke to the periphery out of the game.
Burke had one of those days that every player dreads, and it was as clear as this in the first ten minutes of the game.
With two minutes and 24 seconds on the clock came Burke’s first involvement in the game (bar the throw-in) and he gave away needless free for a push on the back of Bonner Maher, with Adrian Tuohy covering him. It spoke of a player that was perhaps too eager, and the last thing a man wants his first involvement to to be is to give away a score.
Burke’s second involvement in the game came in the tenth minute, when a ball broke his way after an Aidan Harte sideline. Maher sent Burke flying with a jostle and won the ball clearing it up the field for Tipperary.
The 27-year-old finally got the ball in his hand in the eleventh minute, when he was given a handy pass , Burke gave a bad hand pass that was running away from Niall Burke and Tipperary won a free out of it.
When you don’t touch a ball for ten minutes, you can get jittery, especially in hurling when your first touch is everything. When you give away silly frees and possession to boot, your nerves are shot.
That appeared to be the case for Burke who uncharacteristically fumbled more balls as the game wore on, drove wides and even hit the post. It wasn’t his day.
“It was strange to see him all over the place like that. I thought he was going to be taken off. He looked unbelievably nervous, he wasn’t able to get the ball up off the ground and then missing some easy chances for scores and it just seems he was all over the place,” said Colm Parkinson on The GAA Hour Hurling Show.
Paddy Stapleton felt that those early involvements were the reason for Burke’s nerves as the game developed.
“When you’re under pressure the first ten minutes, you can drop a few balls and it could stay with you throughout the match. The pressure they were under from Brendan Maher and Dan McCormack was unreal as well,” said the Borrisoleigh man.
If we know anything about David Burke at this stage, it’s that he rarely, if ever, puts two bad games back to back. Waterford or Cork better be wary.
You can listen to the lad’s chat about Burke’s struggles and much, much more from The GAA Hour Hurling Show here from 22″30′.
