Both had a very similar career arc. Both burst onto the scene as 20 years olds before having five years of struggling for form/fitness and lost their place in their respective sides before being reborn and putting together a three or four year spell where they were the fulcrum of their side. Both won three All stars and Hurler of the year at their peak but were very different hurlers.
There are a few ways this can be approached, who was more important to their team, who was the better all round hurler, who was more entertaining to watch, who would you rather go for a pint with etc etc?
I liked both and both at their peak were phenomenal albeit their peaks were probably about four or five years. Lar will get my vote and will probably get it on recency bias especially as the 2014 replay was on yesterday which might sway a few but Dan deserves a bit of love too, for a big bull of a man he could hurl and used to terrorise an excellent Cork half backline like no other at the time. His ability to get goals between 2004 and 2007 was unbelievable.
Lar was just the on-field embodiment of Eamon O’Shea’s style of hurling, all clever movement and slick touches. A very classy hurler while Dan was more of a throw back. Too right characters. Lar just about shades it for me.
Dan is far more like able but all round Lar was far better hurler imo. Chip were going well in Nowlan Park in 2013 until he went off and with it the wheels which showed his importance. He also played really well in 09 final