Richie Power believes Henry Shefflin is the greatest Kilkenny hurler of the modern era, with TJ Reid a close second.

The eight-time All-Ireland SHC winner played in the same forward line as both and feels Shefflin’s ability and incredible feat of being the only play to win 10 All-Ireland medals gives him a slight edge over his Ballyhale clubmate, who is preparing for a 17th season in the black and amber at the age of 37.

"Henry just caught the bull by the horns in these games. There were times—2012 pops into my head, the drawn game against Galway—without Henry that day, we wouldn’t have been in a replay. He single-handedly brought us back from defeat to get a replay," Power told RTÉ.

"TJ, his scoring record, his performances day in, day out, having a lot more games with the new structure that’s been put in place, is a credit to his endurance as well. Staying injury-free and not having had the serious injuries that Henry had throughout his career is also remarkable.

"But I still think, for me, probably Henry, and that’s not just because I hurled all my career with Henry. I just think it was a time when hurling was at a real pinnacle and was played the way it should be played.

"There were very few tactics—there were no sweeper systems, none of this—in place when we were hurling. And, for me, Henry narrowly shades it, but definitely not by a lot."

Tweet

Most Read Stories