The next great Hurler of our generation?

Culchie

This will hopefully be a good thread. (No nominations from Cavan either )


DJ Carey has been the finest hurler for the last 15 years, especially 1990-2000, but old man time waits for no man.


Who's going to be the player we will be raving about for the next 10 years, and more importantly will be remembered as the greatest hurler of their generation by history?

Big Nelly

Cavan hurling team is terrible....haha! and Im a Cavan man but if Reilly could hold a hurley would put him in goals(just to wind everyone up here)

Anyway! answer to this is one word Shefflin

BuckRogers

Tommy Walsh

Mighty_Mouse

shefflin or kelly

AthAnRi

Damien Hayes or Joe Canning

Viscosity

Eoin Kelly/Tommy Walsh/Damien Hayes/ Andrew O'Shaughnessy???

I get the feeling it will be a while before we see someone like DJ again. They are tons of brilliant hurlers around Ken McGrath, Joe Deane, Shefflin but DJ is a bit special. I'm a Wexford man and DJ ruined our summer for 5/6 years straight. I nearly admire him more for what he did with a comparatively poor KK team in the early 90s that with a great team for the last 6/7 years.

Danno

Few lovely Laois hurlers about to burst onto the scene...

Conor Dunne and Zane Keenan.

GreenHell

John Gardiner.

Lemlin

Cavan hurling team is terrible....haha! and Im a Cavan man but if Reilly could hold a hurley would put him in goals(just to wind everyone up here)

Cavan finished last in the Nicky Rackard cup, making us officially the worst hurling team in Ireland!

brettmirl

Has to be Tommy Walsh in my opinion.

turlough man

Definetly ger farragher. scored 2-09 yesterday recoverin 4 an injury. joe canning aswell (as long as he dusnt get injured or overplayed by club and county)

Culchie

Whilst I'm obviously more knowledgable of football, it is I suppose the litmus test that no-one would disagree about DJ being the player of our generation, but no real agreement on the next one .... probably too soon.

Great thing about sport is that there will be another DJ, I don't think he is presently playing inter-county yet though.

Of the current crop I have to side with the Tommy Walsh fans... I love watching Kevin Broderick as well, but wouldn't try to argue his case as being the next DJ by any means.

The backs nearly always miss out when we judge 'the best', what warriors the Lohans were for Clare as well.

GreenHell

John Gardiner is a back.

Culchie

I know, but only you mentioned him, which sorta backs up what I'm saying..... Backs don't often get a look in when talking about All-Time greats.

Waylander

I think it has to be Henry Shefflin. Surprised that there is not general agreement on this already.

GreenHell

Gardiner is a better free taker

Shefflin could be the best hurler of this generation but it all depends on how this kilkenny team rebuilds.

AthAnRi

Culchie wrote:

Whilst I'm obviously more knowledgable of football, it is I suppose the litmus test that no-one would disagree about DJ being the player of our generation, but no real agreement on the next one .... probably too soon.

Great thing about sport is that there will be another DJ, I don't think he is presently playing inter-county yet though.

Of the current crop I have to side with the Tommy Walsh fans... I love watching Kevin Broderick as well, but wouldn't try to argue his case as being the next DJ by any means.

The backs nearly always miss out when we judge 'the best', what warriors the Lohans were for Clare as well.

Broderick is a maverick with the ball. He is never found fumbling around trying to pick it up.Plus he is well able to take his score. Never takes too much out of it and if he gets half a sniff at goal then he will take it too.
He is more like the modern days Joe Cooney though. Unfortunately for him he has been plagued by back and hamstring injuries. Hopefully he will have his part to play in the All Ireland final. He deserves at least one senior all ireland medal.

AthAnRi

Waylander wrote:

I think it has to be Henry Shefflin. Surprised that there is not general agreement on this already.

In fairness though Shefflin is a completly different style of hurler than DJ. He relies on strenght more than his speed. while he is an immensly talented hurler I always feel that he has worked hard on this where as DJ is more of a natural talen. Not saying that DJ didn't train hard it's just that there are certain things he can do the Shefflin can't.

I think hurleres like Eoin Kelly, Kevin Broderick and Tommy Walsh are closer to DJs style while players like Eugene Cloonan, Brian Corcoran and Tommy Dunne have a similar style to Shefflin.

Waylander

I agree Ath An Rí, but to my mind you dont get a DJ every generation. They are few and far between. I do think Sheff has been the best hurlers in the country consistenetly for the last three or four years though.

River Allow

Tommy Walsh, John Gardiner, Henry Shefflin, Pat Mulcahy.

KnowItAll

DJ Carey is definetly not the best hurler around at the moment. I judge players on how they preform in big games.

People get confused easily. Skill wise he's one of if not thee best hurler at the moment but there are so many things he lacks. He can easily be marked out of a game because he lacks aggression among other things.

The best hurlers around this year has been the likes of Eoin Kelly, Seamus Prendergast, much of the Cork and Galway teams and many more.

I could name many but to say who will be the best is just a matter of opinion because there are so many good players playing at about the same level.

Waylander

I don't think anyone here maintained he is the best hurler around NOW, we are saying he was from 1990 to 2000. The question this thread is asking is who is his successor.

GreenHell

I think we all know at this stage its John Gardiner!

Sorry waylander I don't buy into the DJ myth. Would we really think he was the be all and end all if RTE didn't buy into him? He scored goals and was dangerous around the box but other than that he didn't really impress me in other areas of play to get the title greatest hurler of our generation.

I think to be the greatest hurler of a generation you need to be all round great at everything such as Shefflin and Corcoran in his hayday. I know I've got a serious Cork bias going here but outside of forward play DJ was average.

Waylander

Said like a true Corkman Greenhell I think if we are talking about natural hurling talent and ability he is the man. He is the only player of the current generation who is consistently compared to Christy Ring, the All time greatest. I have not seen enough footage of Christy Ring, and I would imagine the game has evolved too much anyway to make a fair comparison between the two, but I cannot think of anyone else I would rank above DJ.

GreenHell

Brian Corcoran

BuckRogers

Waylander wrote:

Said like a true Corkman Greenhell I think if we are talking about natural hurling talent and ability he is the man. He is the only player of the current generation who is consistently compared to Christy Ring, the All time greatest. I have not seen enough footage of Christy Ring, and I would imagine the game has evolved too much anyway to make a fair comparison between the two, but I cannot think of anyone else I would rank above DJ.

I dont think that DJ or Henry can be accused of being dirty players,
I know the game was different back then but Ring is well known to have been fearsome in the hunt and man and ball were treated equally.

Waylander

I did not say anything about dirty. I meant in relation to fitness and the demands the modern game makes on someone.

awhir

sean og da pear

GreenHell

We all know who Sean Og is but who is this da Pear guy, sounds like a nickname

cruiserweight

Personally I think Brian Whelehan was a better player than DJ (Obviously the play different positions, except in 1998)!

But if we are talking about great hurlers to be mentioned along with the names Rackard and Ring then I am not sure!

I think it could be Eoin Kelly of Tipp(and I really don't like Tipp), but he needs more support to play in bigger games to be remembered as a great player!

Big Ears

Eoin Kelly , John Gardiner , Tommy Walsh , Henry Shefflin .

Id also like to point out that great goalkeepers don't get enoguh credit when it comes to talking about great players .

Fitzhenry and Cummins have been two of the best players in the country for god knows how many years and I feel they deserve more credit for it .

AthAnRi

Waylander wrote:

I agree Ath An Rí, but to my mind you dont get a DJ every generation. They are few and far between. I do think Sheff has been the best hurlers in the country consistenetly for the last three or four years though.

For sure. Shefflin is top notch.

AthAnRi

Big Ears wrote:

Eoin Kelly , John Gardiner , Tommy Walsh , Henry Shefflin .

Id also like to point out that great goalkeepers don't get enoguh credit when it comes to talking about great players .

Fitzhenry and Cummins have been two of the best players in the country for god knows how many years and I feel they deserve more credit for it .

Two super keepers, along with that little prick form Clare.

Surely Ollie Canning deserves a mention too. Considering he has has managed to keep the following players either scoreless or allowed them to inflict minimal damage on a game. He also like tommy walsh has played at vearious positions on the pitch with great success.

Charlie Carter Eoin Kelly twice, even managed to out score kelly from play in one match 2 years ago and the legend himself DJ Carey. Pretty impressive if you ask me. Plus he looks set to bag a second All Star if not a third.

I've never known too many corner backs to have such an influence on the game as Canning.

Cutie18Ireland

Henry Shefflin or Tommy Walsh.

Viscosity

Tommy Walsh/Sheff/Gardiner are all savage hurlers but

I can't really see any other player with the package of pace and skill that he had. If you look at the younger players with the same kind of attributes like Hayes or Kelly, DJ was undoubtedly better at that age. Some of the goals he scored were phenomenal. Remember Galway 97 and Clare 97.

MsLenihan

Tommy Walsh, there'll never be another hurler like him!! its very seldom you'll see the same lad wearin no.4 and no.12 in the space of two games!!

Pride Fighter

David O'Callaghan.

dreamer_ire

For me Ken McGrath has to appear in that list..... fine hurler and under-rated

juvenal

Shefflin, Canning, or Eoin Kelly/Tommy Walsh as an outside bet.

homerjay2005

its joe canning, end of story. untold potential in the lad. i hope he fulfills this promise.

offtopic, as regards football, tommy walsh, no. woulg gooch still be classed as young enuf to fit into this bracket i wonder.

Orizio

Its quite funny though, particurly someone mentioning Pat Mulcahy. :P

HalloweenJack

Tipp's Eoin Kelly and Cha Fitzpatrick get my vote but there's a load of talk about your man Canning for Galway. I haven't really seen enough of him and he's still got a while to develop.

CyberDave

Well Shefflin, Tommy Walsh and Ken McGrath spring to mind as possible greats. Shefflin is well on his way there already. Looking further into the future you would have to say Canning, Richie Hogan(Kilkenny) and Noel McGrath (Tipp). Hogan is very much in the DJ mode of Kilkenny hurler, he has a great bust of pace and is a great finisher. He hadn't his greatest game in the AI u21 semi against Galway last Sunday, missed something like 6 frees, but still finished with 2-5, all but one point from play.

Danno wrote: »

Few lovely Laois hurlers about to burst onto the scene... Conor Dunne and Zane Keenan.

Well, Zane Keenan won't play with the county team, so he won't be bursting anywhere any time soon. I think he is to happy being the big fish in a small pond to test himself against tougher opposition. Wille Hyland is a better than him. Not familiar with Dunne though.

taidghbaby

ah seriously lads.....john gardiner!!! :eek:

ronan curran is far better but still wouldnt be a great!!

shefflin is the only one! eoin kelly (tipp) maybe! joe canning has a chance!

Orizio

Don't know why Ronan Curran shouldn't be seen as a future great, he is one of the best center halfs in the country right now is noly in his mid-20's.

Gardiner shouldn't wear a Cork jersey against Kilkenny ever again as far as I am concerned.

VH

I dunno why people still go on about Tipp's Eoin Kelly - fine hurler and all as he is surely he has been passed out by Waterford's Eoin Kelly? The latter has the highest average score (13 pts a game - a tally he shared only with Joe Canning) and the highest total score (cant remember) in the 2008 championship. He didnt come from nowhere either - from what I remember he had a similarly excellent 2007 - and has been a bit of a shining star in general. Not as gentleman-like as Tipp's EK in that he has a temper - but by jaysus he's some hurler - and entertainer.

There are many great hurlers of this generation - Waterford's Eoin Kelly is one of them.

djScarey

I agree with Cyberdave, over the next 10 years (see thread start) it will be one of Canning, R. Hogan, N. McGrath. Maybe Naughton and Callinan as outside bets.

Orizio

Eoghan Hickey and Shane O'Neill are going to be two great corner backs over the next decade in my opinion.

The more I think about it, the more I think there are some fantastic young hurlers out there. Besides the obvious, Offaly alone have three or four exceptional young players, Seamus Callinan has been the standout center forward of the year, Pa Horgan and Cathal Naughton have had a good year for Cork. Plus I think Paudie Sul will be a fine hurler.

Hurling is in good hands.

hawkwing

Shefflin has hit 0-5 from play in 3 games this year so far, not a vintage tally since the likes of John O'Brien (not a fan) got 1-04 in the Munster Final.I think along with Tipp's Eoin Kelly their best days are gone.Canning if he keeps the weight down and can still walk in 3-4 yrs,Noel Mc Grath etc for the future.The last 10 yrs has to include Ken McGrath,Lynch,Lohan etc etc etc

aidan24326

Has to be Joe Canning. He's the most exciting prospect for a long time. Has everything really, effortless skill, strength, tremendous accuracy from play and frees, and who else in the history of the game could score so many sideline cuts from every angle and distance. Scored 3 of them last Saturday all from 50-60 yards, scored 4 in the Fitzgibbon final, any time Galway get a sideline cut now within 50 yards it's as good as a free.

At age 19 he already has 2 All-Ireland club titles, 2 All-Ireland minor, 1 All-Ireland under-21 and a Fitzgibbon medal aswell. Hopefully Galway can get their act together in the next few years and win an All-Ireland as it would be a pity if Canning was to never win one. He'll need alot more help than he got against Cork though.

CyberDave

aidan24326 wrote: »

At age 19 he already has 2 All-Ireland club titles, 2 All-Ireland minor, 1 All-Ireland under-21 and a Fitzgibbon medal aswell. Hopefully Galway can get their act together in the next few years and win an All-Ireland as it would be a pity if Canning was to never win one. He'll need alot more help than he got against Cork though.

He could even win another couple of club championships, Portumna are flying in the Galway SHC. He is still underage for U21 next year. But like you say, he may never win an All-Ireland with Galway if they don't deliver on their promise. If he plays say the next 11/12 years, maybe there is a chance that one of those years we will make a breakthrough but it won't be any time soon.