Best 15 hurlers you saw in the flesh

Mad about baa baas

Seems to be a lot of tension here lately so for a bit of fun

Best 15 hurlers you saw in the flesh just a few rules..

No one from your own county

No more than 2 from any one county

Players in position they played in as much as possible

It's trickier than you think!

My own effort

D fitzhenry

Seanie flood /B lohan/ ollie canning

Sean og / Ken mgrath/b whelehan

Cian lynch/Brendan maher

Ben o Conner./Joe canning/ Joe dooley

Tony Kelly/ eoin Kelly/ John mullane

Interesting to see others views

Mad about baa baas

Could have picked several different variations but the 2 to a county makes it tricky

lawrencesummers

Joe canning.

End of story, best hurler to ever play the game.

callaway92

DJ Carey

eggy81

Brian whelehan.

billyhead

Brendan Cummins

J Tyrell B Corcoran O Canning

Sean Og K McGrath L Rushe

O Baker

TJ Reid J Canning C Keaney

T Kelly E Kelly

Have to think about those final 2 slots. It's very difficult when you can only select 2 .

keeponhurling

But sure everybody has seen different hurlers in the flesh….

whatever about a best 15, Joe Canning was just a different level altogether

evolvingtipperary101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120258625#Comment_120258625

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259566#Comment_120259566

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259591#Comment_120259591

Nothing to do with original post.

callaway92

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259776#Comment_120259776

Ok thanks

Finty Lemon

Brendan Cummins

Jackie Tyrell

Brian Lohan

JJ Delaney

Kyle Hayes

Ken McGrath

Tommy Walsh

Michael Fennelly

Cian Lynch

Ben O Connor

TJ Reid

H Shefflin

Joe Canning

Seamus Callanan

Bernie Madoff

lim4ev

with not much thought I'd have to put in a bigger effort to follow all the rules

ger cunningham

Eddie o Connor

lohan

brian Murphy

whelehan

Keady

t walsh

brick walsh

Brendan maher

john leahy

sheflin

eoin larkin

eoin Kelly

canning

mullane

Mad about baa baas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259716#Comment_120259716

That's the point...I was curious to see do lads look back with rose tinted glasses like me or have recency bias..limiting to 2 per team makes you think and give some credit to lads from counties you don't necessarily have a great gra for..as I say just a bit of fun for a change from all the heated debate and bitterness

lawrencesummers

Aisling thompson

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259823#Comment_120259823

It's only 2 from the same county.

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259917#Comment_120259917

More than 2 from KK @ Tipp. That's why it's so tricky.

lim4ev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260322#Comment_120260322

I know, I'll have to put in a bigger effort which I'll try do over the next few days

BK5

1. Damien Fitzhenry
2. Brian Corcoran
3. Brian Lohan
4. Ollie Canning
5. Brian Whelehan
6. Paraic Maher
7. JJ Delaney
8. Tommy Walsh
9. Ken Mc Grath
10. Joe Canning
11. Henry Sheflin
12. TJ Reid
13. Eoin Kelly
14. Gearoid Hegarty
15. Patrick Horgan

One from Wexford, Clare, Offaly, Limerick and Waterford. Two from Cork, Galway and Tipp, but couldn't help it but have 4 from Kilkenny.

evolvingtipperary101

This is a good thread idea.

BEST TEAM -  Two from every county

Damien Fitzhenry

   Brian Corcoran    JJ Delaney       Ollie canning

    Ken McGrath Seanie McMahon Kyle Hayes

                Austin Gleeson     Lee Chin

        Ben o Connor TJ Reid  Hegarty

 

       Shane Brick Joe Canning Tony Kelly

Without the rule of two- The real best team I’ve ever seen

B Cummins

JJ Delaney   Brian Corcoran   Cathal Barrett

Tomny Walsh Padraic Maher Brendan Maher                  

 Michael Fennelly Noel McGrath

 

DJ Carey  TJ Reid   Henry Shefflin  

Eoin Kelly Seamie Callanan Lar Corbett    

Honorable mentions

Marty Kavanagh

Ken McGrath

Paul Flynn

Mark Foley (maybe it’s just me but people forget how good this guy was – not the greatest delivery at times – but for hooking and blocking, could he be surpassed? Maybe only Brian Corcoran better for hooking and blocking.)

Ciaran Carey

Nickie Quaide

Declan Hannon

William O'Donoghue

Kyle Hayes (More than likely make my all time team in a few years)

Joe Canning

Nicky English (only saw the end and was too young but the skills on show were sublime)

Michael Cleary

Tommy Dunne

Seanie McMahon

Declan Ryan

Eoin Larkin

Brian Lohan

Tony Kelly

Davy Fitz (I know I know but jesus he was good)

Colin Lynch

Joe Deane

Ben O’Connor

Sean Og

Curran

Gardner

John Mullane

Mad about baa baas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260884#Comment_120260884

Don't mean to be a pain but you have 2 tipp men in your best team..can't have anyone from your own county

evolvingtipperary101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120260947#Comment_120260947

fixed

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120259635#Comment_120259635

To finish this I'll stick Mullane in the other corner forward position and Lee Chin in the midfield.

Bass Reeves

This was hard

Noel Skehan

Sylvia Linnane

Brian Lohan

Martin Hanamy

Brian Whealan

Tony Keady

Kyle Hayes

John Fenton

Ollie Baker

Martin Storey

Jimmy Barry Murphy

Dan Shannhan

Henry Shefflin

Joe Mckenna

John Mullane

Subs( match day 26)

Davy Fitz Dj Carey, Tommy Walsh, Nichlos English Seanie McMahon, Pat Fleury, Pat Hartigan, John Callinan Ben O Connor, Geroid Hegerty, Sean Og O'Haplin

Not too bad and no Tipp hurler on starting 15.

windy shepard henderson

Ken Hogan (tipperary)

brian whelahan (offaly)

brian lohan (clare )

jj Delaney (kilkenny)

conal bonnor tipperary

seanie mcmahon clare

ritchie power kilkenny

tony kelly clare

colin fennelly kilkenny

henery sheflin kilkenny

eddie brennan kilkenny

ciaran carey limerick

nicky english tipperary

pat fox tipperary

joe dean cork

castletownman

Damien Fitzhenry

Sean Finn

Brian Lohan

Ollie Canning

Brian Whelehan

Ken McGrath

Paudie Maher

Lee Chin

Johnny Pilkington

Gearoid Hegarty

Joe Canning

Henry Shefflin

John Mullane

Seamus Callanan

DJ Carey

lim4ev

OK my revised team playing by the rules

fitzhenry

brian Murphy

lohan

Frank lohan

t walsh

Ken mc grath

t keady

pilkington

Adrian fenlon

Ben o Connor

sheflin

leahy

eoin Kelly

canning

mullane

it's actually very hard

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120264335#Comment_120264335

Ya it is not easy. You cannot really name the best you have seen and must leave out a serious amount of good players. You can only pick two of DJ Carey, Shefflin, TJ Reid, JjDelaney, Noel Skehan, Eddie Keher, Tommy Walsh etc,

Then you are set hing for CB's etc as generally the great CB were on the great teams but you have to leave out some serious players to put them in

PeggyShippen

Tricky task but enjoyable.

Davy Fitz

Fan larkin -diarmuid o Sullivan - Brian corcoran

Liam Doyle - Ken McGrath- Kyle Hayes.

Shefflin - Tom Kenny

John Leahy -Martin Storey- hegarty

Mullane _eoin Kelly- Tony kelly

Mad about baa baas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120264450#Comment_120264450

Can't have anyone from your own county

evolvingtipperary101

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120266500#Comment_120266500

And 4 from Peggy's two counties no less!!

castletownman

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120263851#Comment_120263851

The 'none from your own county' provision completely by-passed me. So may bring in Anthony Nash for Fitzhenry, and Tony Kelly for Lee Chin (who I probably could have included originally)

Exiled1

Damin Fitzhenry

Brian Lohan Pat Hartigan John Horgan

Brian Whelehan Tony Keady Mick Roche

Ken McGrath Lee Chin

Eddie Keher TJ Reid Paul Flynn

Jimmy Doyle Joe Canning Eamonn Cregan

Honorable mentions ....Noel Skehan, Joe Cooney, JJ Delaney, Nicky English, Ciaran Carey, Tony Doran, Henry Shefflin, DJ Carey and many more.

Tommy Walsh is the best player to pick up a hurley.

An all-star in all areas of the field. Would have won one in goal too.

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120268003#Comment_120268003

Thanks for that Mrs Walsh.

randd1

While I started going to and seeing hurling in the 80's, and while there are plenty of great players from then to until now, I think over the past 20 years the speed of the game has moved on to the point that the players operating today may be more skilful but operate under much higher game pace and so stand out more in my lifetime.

The best I've seen in the flesh, in order,

(1) Joe Canning (2) Pauric Maher (3) Eoin Kelly (4) Tony Kelly (5) Ben O'Connor

Outside of Kilkenny players, Canning is the best for me, had it all, pure artist. Maher was a colossus in all forms, and I think the big clearances and heavy hits covered over that he had outrageous skill and vision. Eoin Kelly carried Tipp for years, and was a magician to watch. Ditto Tony Kelly, a joy watch in the flesh, his first touch is supreme and may be the best point taker I've ever seen. Ben O'Connor was for me the jewel in the crown of a great Cork team, but unlike the way the team faded quickly, he remained their best player for a long time afterwards, and you didn't know what he would when he got the ball.

But if we were allowed to pick from our own county, I'd have to change it to;

(1) TJ Reid (2) JJ Delaney (3) Henry Shefflin (4) Joe Canning (5) Tommy Walsh

For me, at their peak, Reid is the best player full stop, with Delaney just behind as the best defender to have played the game in terms of quality and skill. Shefflin was truly brilliant and ridiculously consistent, Canning edges out Walsh for skill but Walsh definitely top 5 for his all-round ability.

PeggyShippen

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120269436#Comment_120269436

The likes of Joe Canning was a pure artist allright and Kelly. But neither were able to deliver in finals like Hegarty can. He's on a level on his own for his ability to perform massively on the biggest day consistently. Like Joe's scoring record in finals from play is poor enough.

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120269670#Comment_120269670

Hegarty is different alright. When TJ Reid catches a high one (usually fouling in the process) he's often struggling to offload or gets closed down, with occasionally good scores. When Hegarty catches a high one he is devastating. Far more difficult to tie down than Reid or Canning.

MfMan

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120269670#Comment_120269670

Hegarty's scoring record from play in AI finals is more impressive than Canning's certainly, but doesn't take into account free-taking or sidelines (0-2 for Canning), or take into account clutch scores such as the late free he blasted to the net in 2018 or the free to send 2012 to a replay etc. The finals Canning played in were against better opposition (or maybe the teams were more evenly matched) than Limericks (and Hegarty didn't score in the 2018 final). Canning's record in Leinster finals is decent enough and he scored the last 5 points in Galway's 1-point victory over Tipp in the 2017 semi-final, including 3 superb ones from play, in what was Galway's tightest game that year.

My point being that scores from play in an AI final isn't the only metric, it's more scores at times when scoring is difficult and at a premium that is important also.

Mad about baa baas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120269976#Comment_120269976

You really can't help the Kilkenny hatred can you..probably the only reason you haven't named a team is you might have to admit we had 2 good hurlers

On tj vs hegarty..the ball that tj wins is completely different usually high long and coming down on 4/5 people..more often than not he cant get away due to being fouled himself and then converts the free ..hegarty gets himself into one on one and gets excellent supply ..

Hegarty is an excellent hurler but him and tj have different roles and comparing them is difficult..once you look past the stripes on the Jersey

Rosita

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120270922#Comment_120270922

Indeed. Everything IS about Kilkenny. Well spotted. I could mention Canning all day and "hatred" would not have to be mentioned.

Mad about baa baas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120271424#Comment_120271424

Ok..you are consistent if nothing else..that is the first negative comment you had about kilkenny..I'm raving

De nile isn't only a river in Egypt

..

evolvingtipperary101

This thread was started to stop tension and yet here we are. It's supposed to be a thread about picking a team with only two players from any county and none from your own...

Mad about baa baas

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120271582#Comment_120271582

You are 100pc correct..consider me tension free and back on track..

lim4ev

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120270922#Comment_120270922

I think gearoid would be thrilled to be mentioned in the same sentence as tj, he really has deserved to be talked up lately considering his performances. remember though tj is 35 gearoid is 28 so he has a few more yrs of doing it yr in yr out like tj has for god knows how long

Exiled1

Mick Burns RIP Eire Óg Nenagh and Tipp. Now there was a class wing back who could play on any all time great team and wouldn't look out of place.

cosatron

here my go.

1. fitzhenry, wexford
2. Frank Lohan, clare
3. JJ Delaney, kk
4. Noel Connors, waterford
5. D Byrnes lim
6. Seanie McMahon clare
7. John Gardiner cork
8. Colin Lynch, clare
9. Larry O'Gorman wexford
10. Dan Shanahan, waterford
11. Tj Ried, kk
12. Geraroid Hegarty lim
13. Joe Deane Cork
14. John Leahy tipp
15. Eoin Kelly tipp

Ragwort and Stones

I'm not going to name position wise. Just the best 15. Just to say John Mullane is highly rated by most but I found his striking off his left hand side a bit weak.

1. Brian Whelehan
2. Tommy Walsh
3. JJ Delaney
4. Brian Corcoran
5. Nicky English
6. John Fenton
7. Henry Shefflin
8. Brian Lohan
9. DJ Carey
10. Joe Canning
11. John Troy
12. Ken McGrath
13. TJ Reid
14. Joe Cooney
15. Tony Keady

A few honourable mentions.

1. Eddie Keher (1975 and I was young, otherwise be in the 15)
2. Tony Kelly
3. Gearoid Hegarty
4. Cian Lynch
5. Ciaran Carey
6. Martin Storey
7. Damien Fitzhenry
8. Eoin Murphy
9. John Taylor (Laois)
10. Joe Deane
11. John Leahy

cosatron

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278596#Comment_120278596

but have you seen all these in the flesh. as the title of the thread states, ive no offaly player in my team as for some reason, i never seen the good offaly team, all the rest i remember going home from galway games, thinking he had some game.

Ragwort and Stones

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278653#Comment_120278653

Well bar being in the showers with them!! Reminds me of the Joe Lynch joke, if he caught his missus in bed with Christy Ring he'd go downstairs and make tae for him!

It's going to inter county matches since 1975. There are a lot of people 80 year of age plus who have seen all the top hurlers from the late 40s up.

Bass Reeves

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120278653#Comment_120278653

I remember seeing the 1972 railway cup final and the replay. Mick O Connell kicked a massive long range free to draw the first game. Munster won the replay easily.

Admittedly some of the players I have seen only on TV playing. However I remember seeing John Fenton's wonder goal. When he hit a ball on the ground and scored from 50 yards out

https://youtu.be/K_zIVYkMGUc

Jimmy Barry Murphy goal where he doubled on an overhead ball to score a goal against Galway saw it live on TV and it was Fenton who delivered in the ball

https://youtu.be/v-SOlO6Waz0

The_Kew_Tour

Cork, Brian Corcoran and Ben O Connor

Tipp, Eoin Kelly and Seanus Callanan

Kilkenny Eddie Brennan and Tommy Walsh

Limerick Ciaran Carey and Mark Foley

Galway Joe Canning and Gerry Mcinernay

Clare Brian Lohan

Waterford Tony Browne

Antrim Sambo

Wexford Fitzhenry

Offaly Johonny Pilkington

Seriously don't know how John Troy is above the likes of Lynch, Hegarty or Kelly. 3 hurlers, one twice hurler of the year. Makes absolutely no sense