Defenders on top again as half-backs bag June awards

IT’S not often that you see two half-backs winning the Vodafone GAA Player of the Month Awards, but it’s a fair indication of the level of influence Cork hurler Tom Kenny and Laois footballer Tom Kelly had over their team’s performances in the month of June.

Kenny collected the hurling award on the back of two outstanding championship performances for Cork, in both their Munster semi-final victory over Clare and then the Munster final dismissal of Waterford in Thurles. This is the right half-back’s first season of senior championship hurling, although he has lined-out for the Cork senior footballers since 1999. They way he has performed however, you would think he’s been there for an eternity.

“I suppose I have adapted to things pretty well but it definitely is a step up in standard,” Kenny said after accepting his award from GAA President Sean Kelly. “In the Clare game I was caught for breath a few times but that’s only natural. But the key thing is that it’s easy to settle in when you have good players alongside you. I mean, I have Ronan Curran on my left, Wayne Sherlock behind me, so that makes it easier when you have fellas like that around you.”