Galway's Johnny Coen reckons that the team's trip to Boston two years ago bonded them closer together.

The Tribesmen travelled Stateside in the weeks after Anthony Cunningham stepped down as manager, which came a month after they'd lost the All-Ireland SHC final to Kilkenny, with their departing boss branding the players "misguided".

Now, two years on, Galway are preparing to head Stateside as All-Ireland champions and Coen reckons that the trip for the in inaugural Fenway Hurling Classic after Cunningham's ousting helped to bond the panel together.

"When we went over we came back stronger, for sure," the Loughrea midfielder told the Irish Independent.

"You come together as a team, we are together four times a week but this is a different setting. You are going over, you are enjoying yourself and playing the game that you love and it brings everyone together.

"It was (tough having no manager) yeah, but we had a good kit-man in Tex Callaghan and as I said to you it wasn't a championship match or anything like that. It was a good chance to express yourself more through getting goals or more hand-passes or being a bit more creative with your play."

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