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Hurling All-Stars

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Replying To Shocs07:  "Ah here. Name one Cork player good enough to make that team??"
On the whole you could argue the likes of Horgan and Jack O'Connor had better championships than Hegarty who had a brilliant final but quiet by his standards up to that.

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 09/12/2021 13:08:00    2392189

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Replying To mickcunningham:  "no all star for cork renders the awards meaningless"
Why? These are individual awards, and not team awards. Jack O'Connor to me was the only Cork player within spitting distance of an award after the Cork players' fiasco of an AIF. Prior to the final you'd 4-6 Cork lads in with a reasonable shout. The final put the kybosh on that.

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 1910 - 09/12/2021 13:08:51    2392191

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Replying To Oldtourman:  "Over the past four years, when fit, O'Donovan has been very effective and I have long felt that he is a very under estimated player. When a young Limerick team had their backs to the wall in '18 against Cork and Kilkenny especially he really was all over the place, popping up deep in defence and driving the team the team forward, when the heat was really on. When other lads' heads were dropping ten minutes from the end and the team six points down in the Semi Final, he was the man who was driving them on both by word and deed."
I tend to agree with you but just didn't think he done enough this year and forde did take him for 7 points in 40 mins I believe. He's almost always very solid and very important player on that team but just wouldn't have given him one this year. However as I said, the main issue I'd have with the team is the keeper position. The rest aren't far from the mark in my opinion

tiobraid (Tipperary) - Posts: 4119 - 09/12/2021 13:43:44    2392197

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Replying To bennybunny:  "No grievance that Cork didn't get an All Star award. We got hammered in the final and Limerick deserve 12 -maybe even more.

I think we will be back winning All Stars soon enough but it is AI medals that the players are after. There is a bit of underage success started with more to come.

When Kingston/Sullivan/O Grady are gone (hopefully only one more year left with them) and replaced with Ben O'connor, then we'll get those All Ireland medals. All stars will come then. For now, Limerick deserve all the awards and praise they get. Super team."
Thanks Benny, very generous comment. You are right about current Cork management and Ben O'Connor would be an excellent choice to replace them. Anyway, never fear Cork will be back in the short term winning more All Irelands and All Stars again.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4321 - 09/12/2021 14:23:35    2392201

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "Why? These are individual awards, and not team awards. Jack O'Connor to me was the only Cork player within spitting distance of an award after the Cork players' fiasco of an AIF. Prior to the final you'd 4-6 Cork lads in with a reasonable shout. The final put the kybosh on that."
Just a point. The entire Limerick team that lined on All Ireland Final Day plus Graham Mulcahy have been All Stars at some stage or other.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4321 - 09/12/2021 14:25:44    2392203

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Replying To wexico15:  "On the whole you could argue the likes of Horgan and Jack O'Connor had better championships than Hegarty who had a brilliant final but quiet by his standards up to that."
Well for O'Connor anyway. However, Horgan did far less from play than Hegarty. In any given game, Hegarty also gets through a power of defending as well forward play, and that can go unseen at times by some observers.

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 1910 - 09/12/2021 14:55:24    2392207

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Another to add to that is Richie english...think only 2 cork players might have been considered after final jack o Connor and Seamus harnedy..Jamie Barron at midfield,Jason forde and possibly Stephen Bennett..I'll admit I didnt expect Declan to get Centre back but I'm finding it difficult to name another before him..people might laugh but kieren Bennett had a very good year but an all star,probably not..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2217 - 09/12/2021 15:15:57    2392208

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Replying To Shocs07:  "Ah here. Name one Cork player good enough to make that team??"
I made no case for any Cork player but now that you mention it Pat Horgan and Jack O'Connor must feel hard done by along with TJ Reid and Eoin Cody.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 09/12/2021 15:25:45    2392210

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Replying To Oldtourman:  "Just a point. The entire Limerick team that lined on All Ireland Final Day plus Graham Mulcahy have been All Stars at some stage or other."
Plus Richie English in 2018!

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 1910 - 09/12/2021 15:35:04    2392212

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "Well for O'Connor anyway. However, Horgan did far less from play than Hegarty. In any given game, Hegarty also gets through a power of defending as well forward play, and that can go unseen at times by some observers."
Its all just opinion really and why an all star selection will never please everybody.

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 09/12/2021 15:45:34    2392214

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Replying To wexico15:  "Its all just opinion really and why an all star selection will never please everybody."
I agree wholeheartedly, but this one was a complete "farce". When the Dublin Footballers were in their prime they never came anywhere near this and they were some team.

AwbegRover (Cork) - Posts: 136 - 09/12/2021 16:35:28    2392225

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Replying To AwbegRover:  "I agree wholeheartedly, but this one was a complete "farce". When the Dublin Footballers were in their prime they never came anywhere near this and they were some team."
When Dublin were in their prime they were pushed all the way in their finals esp against mayo that's why they never dominated the all stars like this limerick team have this yeat. Cork never laid a glove on this team last August. Beaten by 16 and could have been a good bit more. I'm glad their doing away with the token gesture all stars we saw in the past. Whoever it is collecting them in the future good luck to them. People saying this demeans the all stars i would say the opposite. How many years was the calculator out to even up the number and how many players missed out because of this. That was the farce.

daveboy (Limerick) - Posts: 1128 - 09/12/2021 17:19:43    2392228

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Limerick can thank JP for all their all shtars, the poor craytures they're not getting a fair deal at all!
The GAA has long forgotten the grass roots, it has given in to greed, money, commercialism and the lure of multi-billionaires. The bedrock of the GAA was the parish, the club, but there's no money or kudos in that for the top brass. Gareth Brooks and JP McManus are the Stars of the modern era. One Limerick club has won a miserly All-Ireland in over 50 years of that competition, what does that tell us about the organic development of club hurling in the county? Compare its clubs achievements to the county's, esp in recent years, and it shows clearly that money & resources bring success. This has been the case in other counties too in both football and hurling. Does the GAA still claim to be an amateur organisation?

There has been an unbroken history of club hurling in Cork, same as my own county. Cork has produced some wonderfully skilful hurlers over the years, they still do, but to deny the present Cork team any recognition of their players' contribution to this year's championship, not just the All Ireland Final is mean and unsporting imo.

baire (Galway) - Posts: 1801 - 09/12/2021 18:38:33    2392237

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Replying To Oldtourman:  "For me the whole has been undermined long ago. When they failed to give John Galvin an All Star in'10 that finished me with the whole charade- he was the best midfielder in Ireland that year by a country mile and when the players picked their team they recognised that. and I could not care less if our lads never got an All Star- all that matters is winning All Irelands or at least provincial titles. Anyway, anything over five awards for any one team is a joke. At least the Railways Cups long ago tried to give recognition to stalwart players from small counties, but The All Stars Selection Committee go out of their way to ignore them"
I agree fully, Oldtourman. The original selectors in 1971 gave four awards to each of the four finalists - Tipp, KK, Offaly and Galway - and spread the net to the extent that seven counties were represented in hurling and nine in football. Thus, players like Damien Martin, John Connolly, Mick Bermingham and Andy McCallon, whose counties weren't prominent at the time, got awards. Nowadays, it's not at all unusual to have 12 players from the All-Ireland finalists but this year the 12 players all came from the one team! It's by no means the worst selection they have come up with but, like you, I no longer take them seriously. Over the years some excellent players have failed to get an award and you're spot on as regards John Galvin. Any player that could more than hold his own against the great Dara O Se should never have been ignored.

midlands (Westmeath) - Posts: 542 - 09/12/2021 20:00:57    2392244

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Replying To daveboy:  "When Dublin were in their prime they were pushed all the way in their finals esp against mayo that's why they never dominated the all stars like this limerick team have this yeat. Cork never laid a glove on this team last August. Beaten by 16 and could have been a good bit more. I'm glad their doing away with the token gesture all stars we saw in the past. Whoever it is collecting them in the future good luck to them. People saying this demeans the all stars i would say the opposite. How many years was the calculator out to even up the number and how many players missed out because of this. That was the farce."
"When Dublin were in their prime they were pushed all the way in their finals esp against mayo that's why they never dominated the all stars like this limerick team have this yeat. Cork never laid a glove on this team last August."

The Kilkenny '4 in row' team' (2006 to 2009) well beat every team in 2007, 2008 and 2009.
In 2007 they thrashed every team they played, the lowest margin of winning was by 10 points, yet they got only 6 All Stars.
The following years they got 9 in 2008 and 6 in 2009.

Cockney_Cat (UK) - Posts: 2466 - 09/12/2021 20:19:47    2392245

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All Stars have never interested me and even more so in the last few years, these are supposed to be individual awards its not disresting any of the great teams in last few years. But the all-stars are way past their sell by date maybe something worth chatting about ten years ago, but now its well, meaningless.

arock (Dublin) - Posts: 4896 - 09/12/2021 20:34:46    2392246

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Is this about Cork not getting one or Limerick getting too many?

Comparisons with previous All Star selections are purely subjective. It's all opinion.

What is objective though though is Limerick's performance this year. From the second half of the Munster Final onwards, it was flawless. It was almost perfection. They simply blew their three opponents out of the water. Without mercy.

We were saying (in my club) before the AI that there was no weakness in their team that we could exploit. They could easily find ours. And so it transpired, our full back line was left exposed and crucified. There was nothing we could do. Though I feel, we need a more clued in sideline to prepare going forward.

Let them have their glory. If Cork players feel aggrieved, then the pitch is the place to show it. If Limerick are getting more all stars than they deserve (in people opinion) then let it go to their heads. Let them think they are the greatest side ever. It's only more ammunition for other teams. I bet John Kiely wishes his team only got no All Stars!!

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 09/12/2021 20:50:50    2392247

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Looking at the graphic of the team pretty telling the middle 8 players are all in green jerseys.

bostonredsox (Wexford) - Posts: 4368 - 09/12/2021 20:56:54    2392248

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Replying To AwbegRover:  "I agree wholeheartedly, but this one was a complete "farce". When the Dublin Footballers were in their prime they never came anywhere near this and they were some team."
How is it a complete farce, state your case where all the mistakes are made, what players that were selected should be be out and who should be in?

Fitzy01 (Limerick) - Posts: 387 - 09/12/2021 21:52:35    2392256

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Do players themselves make much of these awards if they are on losing championship teams?

Limerick are streets ahead of everyone so it would be really pushing the envelope out to suggest where any of those named would be replaced by someone else.

There has always been an element of tokenism. When Kilkenny were at their best, there were players, imho, who were given an All Star in place of some of Cody's men. One year in particular stands out but i doubt the chap who didn't get it and who has a few really lost sleep over it!

Same as with Stephen Cluxton in football. There were years where the mentality obviously was "Oh, yeah he's almost flawless, but we'd better pick another lad"!!

If panels have changed that way of thinking then that's surely more honest?

BarneyGrant (Dublin) - Posts: 2557 - 10/12/2021 08:51:37    2392258

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