“He’s first action was the Connacht semi-final but he’s worked hard for the team,” said Joyce at Galway’s All-Ireland Final press afternoon last week.
“People expect Shane Walsh to kick the eight, nine points that he kicked in the final two years ago every day.
“He’s worked hard. He was very good in the Connacht Final when he came off the bench. He was really good against Derry. He was excellent against Dublin for us as well.
“The last day [against Donegal], he left with three, four points on the board and assisted a couple of score…he’s doing fine. He’ll be raring to go on Sunday week.”
The Galway boss also rejected the suggestion that Walsh’s All-Ireland heroics two years ago have burdened him with a weight of expectation almost impossible to match.
“We try to bring a work rate to the team that no matter how you’re playing, you are still contributing to the team.
“We know every day, you go out, you’re not going to shoot the lights out but once he’s doing his job for the team, which in my eyes he is doing, that’s enough.”
Speaking following the semi-final win, Walsh played down any sense of Galway having any advantage over Armagh by dint of their final appearance two years ago and also preferred to focus on the team element rather than getting drawn into any discussion about his current form.