I would probably have Morrissey ahead of Hegarty when it comes to the half forwards truth be told. I thought Hegarty standard, aside from his final contribution, dipped a good bit from last year to this year. Morrissey is a very consistent and economical half forward, invariably turns clean possession into a score.
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A far better player overall but Tom has been brilliantly consistent and put in top performances in semi and finals over the last two years.
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Perhaps. Mentioning TJ is not a partisan comment. I still think there is a good case for him as one of the country’s six best forwards. He was outstanding in the recent County Final.
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True enough. And his age profile is for him.
I’m curious as to how people outside of Limerick seem to underrate Declan Hannon. De Burca didn’t play in 21 but you pick him ahead of Hannon. Hannon has been outstanding for Limerick since being moved to centre back, including being outstanding in 2017 before the rest of the team began to click. He was probably the most important player in limerick’s system when it started to click in 2018. One match due to illness aside he has been exceptionally consistent. He doesn’t raid forward as much as TDB did two years ago, but regularly scores. Rarely if ever makes a mistake, and I can’t think of any examples of teams exposing him through any fault of his. His distribution is probably the best of any player in the game currently. At this stage Hayes and Byrnes are doing the more showy stuff either side of him so maybe he’s not as prominent or eye catching but everything he does is still top class. Wouldn’t trade him for anyone. Lynch is the best player in Ireland but I’d say we could sustain the loss of lynch more easily than the loss of Hannon.
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Its Cody. He was a starter that actually delivered in a game. He should have been motm in Leinster semi.
Barrett only started the semi IIRC, it bypassed him a bit but he did well off the bench.
McCarthy is abrasive but my abiding memory of him is the Jake Morris penalty. He’s a good yoke and will become more important going forward.
Not too many more under 21s played championship this past year @peddlerscross
Keyes - Laois
Corcoran - KK
Brennan - Galway
Dunphy - Dublin
Coughlan - Lk
Connolly - Cork
Kiely - Waterford
Rodgers - Clare
I might be wrong on a few of the above.
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Has to be Cody.
I’d agree with you re: TJ. You’ve seen him closer at club level but at county level, he’s been dominant the past few years in a KK attack that has sometimes struggled. I would have loved to have seen how TJ 2016-2021 in the KK team of 2003-2009.
Actually I wouldn’t, they’d have been even more dominant.
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HOTY - Cian Lynch
YHOTY - Eoin Cody
FOTY - Kieran McGeary
YFOTY - Oisín Mullin
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TJ did struggle to get in the team 2008 to 2011. Then he blossomed, in his mid twenties. Same trajectory with Michael Fennelly. Cillian Bickley was the opposite.
Yes, the gametime factor has to be the default pivot.
You would wonder if the award needs to be raised to U22 or U23.
De Burca gave 4 master classes at centre back in 2020. Really outstanding performances where he was all singing and all dancing executing every skill you would want to see in a centre back. I have long been a huge fan of TDB since he broke on the scene and think he is the best centre back in hurling since the days of Sean McMahon and Brian Corcoran.
Hannon a fine composed hurler and very consistent in his role and I mean no slight on him by not picking him but it is a fairly reductive role. He sits in front of the big D and holds the middle. Also while it isn’t a knock on him as a hurler but the fact he has two outstanding physical wing backs either side of him is also a huge help and they are a very dominant unit. He is very good at what he does but I can’t recall him dominating anywhere close to the manner in which TDB does, or his two wing backs for that matter. Some of that may be teams avoiding the centre of Limerick’s defence due to Hannon’s presence there in fairness.
Also from what i recall both days Hannon went off injured v Cork in PUC in 2018 and Kilkenny in 2019 his absence wasn’t particularly felt with Dan Morrissey and Hayes picking up in the same role where Hannon left off.
Brendan Maher played the same role for Tipp under O’Shea and while it is important it isn’t one which gets the most out of a player in terms of them dominating a game and getting kudos. TDB’s role under McGrath was similar except they used him a huge amount as at attacking threat and was the go to man for short puck outs and as a link man when they won the ball in their defence which made him a far more prominent player.
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He did but , and tell me if I’m out of place, he wasn’t as focused back then on looking after himself conditioning wise. His Hurling carried him through a lot including college.
It’s a bit sad that the S+C game has meant young players dont break through as quick now.
We won’t see the likes on a Tony Kelly or Aussie Gleeson winning HOTY and YHOTY anytime again.
No, I think that point is a shrewd one.
A wise former Kilkenny hurler said to me around 2010 that TJ needed to become a rep, to bring him out of himself, which would have a positive knock on effect on his hurling. The same man was spot on.
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Alas, I think you are right.
Would it be better to switch YHOTY to U23?
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I agree with you. Hannon was critical to the game plan coming together in 17/18. He still is but those around him have grown in terms of their influence which is why Limerick have continued to raise the bar.
He is incredibly composed and consistent - which disrupts opposition game plans as much as making his own team click. He is on a unique wavelength with Kiely. He is the leader. I also love his hurling style and technique, a beautiful striker, with that confident backpedal of a number 6 in charge.
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Possibly so. Kyle Hayes would be the obvious winner over the past two years but a case could be made for others.
Yes. The debate would be far more interesting.
If still U21, Shane Barrett will probably win in 2022.
De Burca is a phenomenal hurler, more swashbuckling in style that Hannon. Personally I prefer Hannon’s style at no 6 and a player like De Burca doing his thing from wing back.
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He is. Although I really rate Cathal O Neill. I think he has a higher bar and a better team with Lk to showcase his talents.