Still time to break into team of the year

THIS writer isn’t a huge fan of teams of the year and such (hold your nose — ed.) but when duty calls you do your bit.

Brendan Cummins has been solid this season when Tipp have needed him and spectacular more than once. One goal (versus Clare) is all he has left in all season.

Part of the reason for that record has been the equally impressive Paul Curran, who has been as safe as houses in front of him.

To flank him we’ve gone for Paul Murphy, an energetic addition to the Kilkenny defence this year, and Peter Kelly of Dublin in the other corner. (Yes, we know Kelly was shifted to full-back against Galway in the Leinster championship, but positions are fairly fluid in the modern game, and he spent much of the semi-final tracking Lar Corbett in the corner).

In the half-back line we’ve gone for perennial favourite Tommy Walsh on one wing and soon-to-be-a-perennial favourite Padraic Maher on the other, for fairly obvious reasons. Between them we’ve put Brick Walsh — as opposed to his temporary and unhappy posting to full-back against Tipp in the Munster final.

Midfield has to accommodate the brawny Michael Fennelly, who has been very good for the Cats this summer, while Tipperary’s Shane McGrath has timed his return to form perfectly with Sunday’s showdown looming.

We put Henry Shefflin on the 40, based upon his workaholic display against Waterford in the Munster final, with Dublin’s equally energetic Liam Rushe on one side.

Noel McGrath, who was outstanding in the All-Ireland semi-final in a more central role, was picked for that game at right half-forward, so we’ll go for him in that slot.

Up front, a nice collection. Lar Corbett’s goal tally makes him a must-select, while Ryan O’Dwyer’s hat-trick against Limerick in Thurles gets him in at the edge of the square. Waterford’s John Mullane, so often the bearer of his county’s hopes, completes the full-forward line.

Close calls? Damien Hayes was a near thing, while Dublin’s Paul Ryan just about lost out to Mullane’s dramatic late winner against Limerick. Conal Keaney was a nailed-on pick for the team of the year until he had that crash too.

In midfield, Donal O’Grady’s early championship form for Limerick made him a contender in the middle of the field, while further back Brian Hogan challenged Brick Walsh for the number six jersey: Joey Boland was in the mix as well in the half-back line.

Anyone likely to come through on Sunday to upset that? Jackie Tyrrell and JJ Delaney of Kilkenny are big-game players, while Brendan Maher of Tipperary has the class to make a season-defining contribution if he is selected to start for the champions.