While experience will be key, so too will the new generation which has been spearheaded by 19-year-old Jason Rabbitte – man of the match in the semi-final win over Cork – and Aaron Niland.
Donoghue, who guided Galway to their last title, returned to manage his native county last year after a spell with Dublin and Burke has been impressed with how he has sewn together youth and experience.
“They will definitely try to shut out Rabbitte and feel that if they do, they’ll have a good chance to beat us, so we hope Niland can step up with a couple of scores,” Burke said.
“He’s [Donoghue] thrown in young lads this year: Cillian Trayers at the back, Rory Burke who looks like he will be out and is a big loss, Cian Daniels who is a little bit older than the younger lads. Then you have lads there the last couple of years like Tom Mon [Monaghan], Darren Morrissey and Ronan Glennon who have come up trumps this year.”
Donoghue has also devised a game-plan which has blossomed as the championship has gone on.
While there were some up and down displays in the Leinster round robin, it all clicked in the final against Dublin and again in the All-Ireland semi-final against Cork.
“It requires huge energy and work-rate, but it creates space for the half-forwards to run into,” Burke noted.
“That’s down to the players buying into it and that’s evident with what ‘Whelo’ and Cathal [Mannion] and doing for the team.
“The last day, they tweaked it at half-time caught Cork out by putting Cathal back up the field and they probably weren’t prepared for that.
“It’s down to Donoghue as well and the little tweaks in games he is used to making, but it’s hard to get messages in because there is no ‘maor foirne’, but he has Whelo and Cathal he is able to get to help switch up the game.”
