If I recall correctly, you were the fella saying that Fitzgibbon was a “stickman” which was what people were calling you out for?
Nobody ever denied that he wasn’t good at finding space & scoring points; in fact, I think everybody said that. Again, yesterday, I think he played 0 stickpasses. Ran, handpassed & shot.
Maybe you are using stickman as a synonym for “good hurler” rather than it’s actual meaning.
Although Barrett was definitely their best player in the first half yesterday, he’s some hurler. Again, not a “stickman” but has evolved into a top, top player.
It’s very early days yet tbf, a lot of hurling to be done.
Shane O’Donnell must be right up there though, he’s been head & shoulders Clare’s best player in every game. Connolly & Barrett for Cork. Donnelly for Kilkenny has been excellent, Hegarty for Limerick. I don’t think anyone has been so much better than anyone else that anyone is playing catch-up yet.
You can still get Fitzgibbon at 16/1 (joint 6th-favourite) with the bookies.
Shane O’ Donnell has been excellent against Cork and Waterford as well. Albeit with the caveat that he wasn’t fully fit for the opening game against Limerick. David Fitzgerald another who’d be a live contender at present even if he does drift in and out of games. A strange one so far for Limerick in the sense that different individuals have stood up each day. Flanagan had barely featured before a barnstorming hat-trick the last day. I’m sure a few will emerge from the pack.
I’d nearly be inclined to give Patrick Horgan the nod from a Cork perspective thus far. Although there’d be a bit of sentimentality in there. Poor the first day against Waterford but remarkable since.
That’s probably a slight exaggeration but I do agree that he looks to be very important in the role he’s been asked to do as the main ballwinner and picking up scores too.
Is there any non-Lehane replacement if he were to get injured? Fitzgibbon maybe?
SOD was very very good against Limerick too tbf to him.
David Fitzgerald couldn’t be in the conversation on current form, I don’t think. Getting a few scores alright but you’re also hearing Clare fans say he needs to be dropped. Peter Duggan has been a good bit better than him on the opposite wing.
I like the odd bet but I’d never have the patience to bet on something where I’d have to wait more than a few hours to win.
O’Donnell is a good call, but as I said I think Limerick are very very hit favourites and they’ll get the HOTY no matter what in that situation.
Fitzgibbon has been outstanding, to say otherwise is ridiculous but that’s what we’re dealing with
I can count at least 2 superb stick passes he made yesterday off the top of my head. One beautiful disguised one for Hayes I think it was in the second half into the corner.
His wristiness in his scores were superb. Only a “stickman” could score the two he got off his left when the game was still a contest.
I don’t really want to get into the debate of what a stickman is, as it derailed the conversation the last time, but I would generally have said it’s someone with very quick wrists, left & right, who can get a quick, clean strike away short, mid & long in tight spaces. And it would generally be the main facet of their play.
Like, Seamus Flanagan has, at times, shown great wrists and pops scores over from ridiculous angles. He has that in his locker and has a nice strike but I wouldn’t call him a “stickman”. And similarly, it’s definitely not the way Fitzgibbon plays the game.
Again, that does not mean that he isn’t a good player and it’s not an insult.
I know that there are more draws in GAA than there probably should be because of a potential tendency for refs to play for a draw (blow up slightly early if the teams are level, maybe give a softish free to the team a point down) but from a team point-of-view, there’s no way to settle for a draw like you can in soccer. Just too easy for scores to be got & conceded, relatively, and in hurling, it’s quite hard to maintain possession if under pressure.
I’m not saying a draw won’t happen but I think Cork are probably safe enough.
He’s a real darling at the moment in fairness, and he might be able to do it even as a semi finalist, which is the maximum that I’d envisage for Clare.
Limerick will win, it’ll almost certainly be one of them though as they haven’t really started yet it’s tough to pick who.
Fitz, Rob Downey, Shane Barrett and Harnedy have been standouts for Cork, I don’t watch other teams as closely. Connolly was superb yesterday but he’ll need to repeat that in Croke Park
He lofted two fairly poor ones off his left side toward the right corner as well in the first half. Of the Cork halves and midfield, I’d say Harnedy is the nicest hurler, but so is Jason Forde and where does it get him…
