Cats entitled to grumble
How many All-Star selectors are there from Kilkenny?
Because, I’m certain of this — if they had one or two, Eoin Larkin would have been on that team. He had a very good league, he was prominent again as the championship reached its conclusion. I feel he was very unlucky.
Another man who had a great year for Kilkenny was Kieran Joyce, especially if the selectors were focusing on the championship. A suggestion — why don’t we have a rating system after every game by the journalists who were at that game? Then everything is transparent. I mean Shane Dooley from Offaly, Rory Hanniffy likewise, Graeme Mulcahy from Limerick and Stephen O’Keeffe from Waterford, not even mentioned.
How many Waterford selectors are with the All-Stars?
There should be some kind of balance at least, a limit put on the number from any individual county, and all the traditionally strong counties represented.
I’m not saying those guys named don’t deserve their awards, I’m just wondering how much objectivity there was in the picking of this particular team?
Just going quickly through the team, I feel Anthony Nash is lucky — Stephen O’Keeffe would have been my man here.
In the full-back line, I agree those are the three best but Jackie Tyrrell surely pushed them close, as did Mickey Cahill from Tipperary. I would also have had Domhnall O’Donovan of Clare and Johnny Coen — who at least got a nomination — in the running.
In the half-back line, again along expected lines. I know Brendan Bugler played in the second division but he was outstanding every game.
Midfield, the two named had a great year but I’m not sure Kevin Moran did an awful lot of hurling in midfield — most of his best hurling was done at wing-back and I’d have had him there before David Collins, who played much of the year at corner-back.
Iarla Tannian though, this was a breakthrough year for him. Pa Cronin must have been close here, as was Stephen Molumphy.
In the forwards, four of those named I’d have had straight away — TJ Reid, Henry, John Mullane and Joe Canning. Damien Hayes though I think is lucky, likewise David Burke. That’s where I look at guys like Shane Dooley — what does he have to do to be noticed? I’d have had Eoin Larkin in here. Richie Hogan, he too had a very good year, on a par at least with Damien Hayes and David Burke, while Cyril Donnellan can also consider himself unlucky.
Overall, while it’s not the team I would pick myself, and while I do agree with most of it, I think these awards are too important to be left to the system that’s there now. Rate the players on a game by game basis. Rate the league also — perhaps even have league All-Stars.
On the hurler-of-the-year, Henry Shefflin had a great championship season, but Paul Murphy had a better year. Johnny Coen as young hurler of the year: agreed.
