Tipp barely beat Kilkenny when shefflin was on the field. They were scared of him.
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Some bizarre analysis of canning here, hes been a regular puck out target for years and has single handedly turned games for galway throughout his career. Anything but just a finisher if given good ball. A better passer than scorer almost he wasnât greedy enough for the first few years
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He was for a while but from 2017 onwards heâs been basically just a finisher
Eddie Brennanâs best ever game for Kilkenny was probably the 2005 semi against Galway mind you
Hes been playing injured since the wexford game in 2018 so hasnât had much mobility in that time, the key points he got against tipp at the end in 2017 looked loose enough so i think thats led to a belief he was just a finisher.
Shefflin was probably the most accurate forward Iâve ever seen.
Canât really remember him missing many frees, penalties or hitting too many wides from open play over the duration of his career. Just so economical.
When the likes of Mullane, Eoin Kelly, DJ got the ball there was an expectation that something exciting was on - with Shefflin it was just more callous and it was 90% certain the white flag was going to be raised.
He was the hurling equivalent of Alan Shearer. Heâd always finish when the chance arose. Rare enough heâd miss anything more than a half chance. When youâd be on the receiving end, as nearly every county was at one time or another, it was very demoralising.
For me Joe Canning and the King are far decisive in championship moments than Callanan and Tj Reid. I measure true greatness by how you perform under intense pressure in the big games. How many times did Tom Brady play shit for 3/4s but turned it around in the vital 1/4. Thatâs the measure of real greatness.
A shame TJ couldnât get a starting place to showcase his talents, for most of the first 7 seasons of his inter-county career, when Kilkenny did have that great crop of players, that Henry was leading.
This is it really. Shefflin was the man youâd want above all others.
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Callanan has never done it when the chips were down. Canning came good in 17 v Tipp.
Yeah, but you thought BoJack horseman was brilliant.
I would rate Joeâs last 20 minutes against Tipperary in that 2017 semi final (de facto All Ireland Final) as the greatest individual performance Iâve seen with a game in the melting pot and on the line.
He got 3 points from play and missed a sitter for a goal in that period against a Tipp team who had stumbled through the whole championship mate
Point to games that Shefflin has performed above all else when the chips were down?
That 2012 final display is the most overrated of all time.
With Shefflin there are very few chips down situations.
He stepped up in 2009 and buried the penalty when the chips were down.
In 2012 he turned things around when the chips were down. You can knock it all you want but if you were there to see it youâd understand
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There were very few âchips downâ moments for Shefflin during his intercounty career because Kilkenny were hammering teams most of the time.
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Shefflin was a great improvisor, could make a score from any angle and space and was smart enough to know all you have to do is get it past the goalie, you donât need to wind up and blast
Shefflin made winning consistently look easy. Thatâs a measure of greatness in any field if you ask me.
He was also a leader. You really noticed a difference in Kilkenny when he wasnât present, particularly before Richie Hogan and TJ came into their own.
Love it mate, lovvve it
2004 AI semi final. Basically beat Waterford by himself.