TJ is just about the most effective hurler in the country.
The kk bollox.
2 Likes
Probably nailed it there.
Must be the most annoying Limerick cliche on TFK.
1 Like
Lynch has to be there also, even though as Corkman it pains me to admit it as an influential player that is
When you take the frees out of it, TJ is not really a score getter. Heās more of a ball winner and link player. He has been quiet, even poorish on days when Kilkenny really needed him to deliver a Tour de France - All Ireland Finals 2016 & 19, Limerick quarter final in 2018.
Youād struggle to come up with instances in which TJ turned on the afterburners in a high stakes match, like Joe did in last 20 minutes of 2017 semi final against Tipperary, big scoring hauls or individual scores of brilliance like Joeās winning point in that 2017 semi final, the goal in the drawn 2012 All Ireland Final, the goal in the 2015 Leinster Final or the goal against Tipperary in the 2008 League Final (which I think was Joeās Senior debut for Galway).
2 Likes
Applecrumbled has just exploded.
1 Like
I know people say TJ can play all 6 forward positions but heās way more effective out the field. Even when he can be more easily crowded out there and doesnāt get many scores, his general play is so good that he always makes a contribution.
His all-round game is very close to the best. Iād have Callanan as the top scoring forward now.
Wouldnāt take Reid over Shefflin though, no way.
Agree on all that. Still think canning is the best of the three, and would be an even better scoring forward than callanan if he had a team as good as Tipp set up and entirely rotating around getting the ball to him in scoring positions like callanan has.
Hard to know. Shefflin played most of his career with some of the best half back lines the game has ever seen. TJ has stood out recently amongst kk teams which are average all over the field by kk standards.
He can play midfield too.
It was alluded to earlier, is TJ better than Henry. He is, hands down better. Itās just that the team he is leading isnāt as good as the one that Henry lead.
I accept that point but I think there may be a case that people are then slightly overrating Reid because of the weakness of his surroundings, and underrating Shefflin because of the strengths of his. Usually, itās the opposite; people point to medals rather than ability.
But I still reckon over the course of their careers, Shefflin was a better player, even taking into account the fact that he was part of a team that was way above the current KK team in ability.
You know your players better than I do, but a dominant half back line really has a huge benefit to a forward, especially if he/she knows they are dominant.
I watched kk a few times, and when the ball was headed towards Tommy Walsh, as it invariably seemed to do, shefflin was already moving into the space in front of his marker, as he knew it was likely Walsh would win it and, without looking up, deliver longish and crossfield into that space. Shefflin collected at his leisure.
Bit harsh there. A superb hurler, and a superb athlete. I feel Clare have been poorly managed these last few years. Reckon he was about to explode under Lohan. His performances since 2013 have been much criticised, and I would say harshly. I would also say heās up there with the top 3 club hurlers in the country.
Heād get in my first 15 with the pick of the country anyway. Easily can pop 3 points from play on a bad day for him. Top player
Itās very hard to compare players across different teams to be fair. When Reid wins a puck out, he has 3 or 4 lads around him. Callanan, Canning, Horgan base their games on being in space and being the player to thrive off a TJ Reid for exampleās hard work. Shefflin is probably somewhere between the two styles, he could win his own ball but he was never as bottled up as Reid because there were so many other good players there.
Its especially hard to compare Shefflin as he had players like Larkin, Power, Carey and Brennan around him. But for his longevity, was he in any given season much better than any of those players? I would say no
Donāt agree. Shufflin for me is the best all round forward to have played. Could do it all and was ruthlessly consistent at his best. Other might be better at individual aspects of forward play but he had it all
4 Likes
He wasnāt as flashy as a DJ or a Joe but he really did have it all. The points made are valid about the quality of the players he played with but when the chips were down, he often did drag them into games. His hurling brain was unparalleled.
Ball-winning, scoring ability, aerial ability, first touch, striking, pace, ability to take players on, awareness of space, unselfishness. Also had a bit of a nasty streak which you sometimes need. Unreal.
The Kilkenny forward line from 2002 to 2006 wasnāt anywhere near as star studded as it was a few years later and Shefflin was head and shoulders above every other forward in the game at that time. DJ was in his mid 30s, Brennan was not yet the player he became and there were the likes of McEvoy who was getting on, Hoyne, Comerford Coogan et al who were honest grafters but not huge score getters. Teams consistently set up to try and stop/limit him yet very few could
@Fagan_ODowd had a post on here a few years back which summed it up. Shefflin was just too good/efficient. There was no real buzz with him compared to a Paul Flynn, Eoin Kelly, DJ Carey. When those lads got a ball in their hand and half a yard anything could happen and the crowd would come alive. With Shefflin we all knew the dance, he would just get the ball and score, no flash, no razzmatazz just relentless consistency.
3 Likes
Agreed, he was the perfect embodiment of that Kilkenny team.
And while I love a bit of flair as much as the next person, I donāt he has an equal as a forward in my lifetime.
He also had communication skills and leadership qualities on top of that. Canning, Callanan, Reid are all leaders to a certain degree but none of them have the presence of Shefflin