Joe Canning has inspired Galway on their way to the All-Ireland decider. GAVIN CUMMISKEYtalks to JJ Delaney about the challenge of marking him

DIARMUID O’SULLIVAN seemed like the ideal full back. A bear in the square, intimidating and powerful, known simply as “The Rock”.

It is over four years since a 19-year-old Joe Canning plucked a ball over O’Sullivan’s head, holding off repeated full-frontal attempts to halt his progress, before shooting one-handed to the net.

As Canning blocked Donál Óg Cusack’s attempt at a quick restart, with a guttural roar, O’Sullivan took a knee on the end line, split open above his eye.

The imagery was shockingly powerful.

Over to JJ Delaney or maybe Jackie Tyrrell but probably Delaney. This meeting could well be the duel that divides a paper-thin All-Ireland final in two days’ time.

Let us, once again, return to July 8th and the lopsided Leinster final.

Canning, clearly in the physical form of his young life, finished up with 1-10, 1-3 from play. Delaney was nowhere to be seen, having cracked a finger against Dublin a fortnight earlier. Kilkenny tried everything to get him on the field but the hand was swollen and useless so Noel Hickey returned.

Tyrrell went onto Canning for the initial exchanges. The most fearsome man-marker in hurling today, having devoured Lar Corbett in the previous All-Ireland final.

Tyrrell is three inches taller than Delaney and both men are 30. JJ was until recent seasons considered one of the game’s great wing backs – Tyrrell being a corner back by trade – but has usurped Hickey as the guardian of Kilkenny’s square.

Their respective trademarks? Delaney wins ball he shouldn’t, Tyrrell’s shoulder has left many a starlet twisting in agony on the turf.

But Canning cannot be outleaped, outpounded or even outrun.

Anyway, to the Croke Park meeting last July. Two minutes gone and a Kilkenny puck-out is broken by a Galway hurl to Iarla Tannian, who fired it towards the Canal End. Canning jumped over Tyrrell, landed to a belt but still finished high to the net.

It got very ugly thereafter for the Kilkenny backs. But no JJ Delaney. In the All-Ireland semi-final against Tipperary he was flawless in aerial gatherings.

Galway rotate their forwards, but at some stage, very early on Sunday, a ball will drop from the skies on Canning. Delaney will go up with him. One will come down with possession and we’ll know a lot about the balance of power.

It being Canning’s first final and considering Delaney’s bound to go to him at some stage, we asked JJ as many questions about Joe as we could. Until he got fed up.

“Joe’s an unbelievable hurler. If there was a transfer market in hurling at the moment every team out there would be looking for Joe. Left or right, he’s quick, strong in the air. All the attributes to be a top hurler.

“Sure, he’s been a top hurler since he was 17, since he started hurling for Portumna. He’s definitely fulfilling his potential at the moment. He is one hurler out there you would pay to watch every day, he makes it look so easy.

“Then again, he is one man. All the lads know about the capabilities of other Galway hurlers. We can’t be focusing on one hurler.”

You have marked him a few times before? “I’ve came across him a few times alright. Ah sure, a final is a different thing. Takes a law onto itself.”

After a rocky start, Delaney settled into doing a tidy job on him in Tullamore a few years ago.

“That’s three or four years ago now and Sunday is going to be a completely different game.”

It’s like marking Henry Shefflin or Richie Power, big and skilful, so at least you have had the practice? “He is, yeah, big and quick. You can’t even see around him.” Basically, they are big lumps? “Yeah, they are. Shefflin uses that as well, he’s been fouling me for the last 10 years at training, so he has.”

Kilkenny don’t tend to double team opposing forwards, maybe they will make an exception for Canning?

“You’ll always need help against a lad like Joe Canning.”

If you keep him relatively quiet from play, Kilkenny have taken a massive step to retaining Liam McCarthy? “That’s easier said than done to be honest with you. If you want to go in and mark him I’ve no problem with it. I’ll write about you then if you like!”