He was practically anonymous in 2018 in the semi final.
In fact he missed a gilt edged chance late on in normal time that would have devastating consequences for John Meyler and Cork hurling. Limerick - led by the marauding Dow - had eaten into the six point deficit and got it back to a point with the clock against them. Had all the momentum.
Cork desperately, desperately needed a leader to step up to swing the pendulum the other way. Anyone. They just needed a clutch player to deliver.
The chance came to Hoggy. Got the ball about 35 or 40 yards out, pretty central. It was a gimme for a supposedly top player like Hoggy. Instead he missed it, hitting the post. Pressure will do that to players. Instead of putting Cork two points up Limerick went down the other end and kicked for home.
When The Dow was presented with a similarly pressurised situation, with the penalty, in extra time there was no faffing around. Bang.
The ball went one way, Nash went the other and the net danced (Cc Vincent Hogan). That’s the difference between the very good players and the top ones.
You’d love to see Hoggy win one, the perks of geography just has done for him sadly.
Make ye’re mind up for fuck sake, for years we were laughed at because we said those types of players were great players, we were reminded that they’d won fuck all, now we’ve a guy retiring at 27 who literally has nothing left to win and we can’t judge him on his success?
We’ve literally driven lads demented since 2018, it is fascinating, absolutely fascinating, to watch.
In truth this place started to die the day Limerick won the All Ireland. It’s a slow painful death since. We broke TFK that day, beyond repair. It was the price to pay and it’s the burden we now must carry.
I’ve said it many times, winning that All Ireland was the worst thing that ever happened Limerick GAA. TFK depended on Limerick, and it couldn’t help suffer in the fall out.