Easy question, JBM

onlyhurling (Galway) - Posts: 800 - 19/11/2015 15:18:36    1808496

JBM followed by DJ

Awwwwnow (Cavan) - Posts: 1050 - 19/11/2015 15:42:19    1808507

Richie Hogan and Tony Kelly are the one's that come straight to mind

Ban (Westmeath) - Posts: 1415 - 19/11/2015 16:30:40    1808528

Lads DJ Carey by far was the most skilful. by a long long way.

sportsFanatic (Carlow) - Posts: 35 - 19/11/2015 16:48:00    1808533

Probably Colin Jackson.Mighty man for the hurdles.

SLLY (Dublin) - Posts: 463 - 19/11/2015 17:36:16    1808549

John Troy. 100%

icehonesty (Wexford) - Posts: 2553 - 19/11/2015 19:28:05    1808575

very pleasantly surprised to see John Troy featuring as number one for a lot poeople. Would be mine too, a joy to watch.

facethepuckout (Roscommon) - Posts: 214 - 19/11/2015 19:29:52    1808578

DJ was the text book hurler, he executed every skill as you would demonstrate to young kids, ie 2 hands on the hurl ,proper stance, wristy swing etc. Tony Kelly is the best we ever had. Also liked Paul Flynn.

ZUL10 (Clare) - Posts: 693 - 19/11/2015 19:33:34    1808581

definitley john troy.he was a joy to behold..he could do things i didnt think possible.no one as good...i thought eoin kelly of tipp was also exceptional..tony kelly and ritchie hogan of the current generation are also v skilful but troy was the daddy!!

kavvie (Clare) - Posts: 505 - 19/11/2015 21:31:29    1808604

preddan
County: Kildare
Posts: 193

1808235
uibhfhaili1986
County: Offaly
Posts: 715

1808215 John Troy was a genius a master craftman and I believe he was the most skilful player I've seen., his stickwok was exquisite.

He was skilful....but extremely lazy and didn't have a great attitude. He wouldn't last the pace today simple as that!

I wonder how many of these great players are we missing out on seeing today because they were carrying that extra bit of condition?
Paul Flynn was one of the best of Iv seen but would he make it today with Waterford, he was prone to carry a bit of weight too?

Tony Kelly, Richie Hogan and Bubbles O'Dwyer I think, are the most skillful of the modern era.
Eoin Kelly has said hes never seen anybody with the skill of Bubbles!

Joe_Bloggs (Tipperary) - Posts: 186 - 20/11/2015 08:57:05    1808618

Eddie keher

johnwhite12 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 306 - 20/11/2015 09:56:04    1808628

DJ for me followed closely by Ritchie Hogan, Joe Canning, Nicky English, Eoin kelly (Tipp), TJ Reid, Joe Cooney, JBM,Paul Flynn, Eamonn Cregan ,John Troy and many more.

Condorman (Dublin) - Posts: 983 - 20/11/2015 11:32:32    1808659

DJ was the most skilful hurler I've ever seen he had it all unbelievable first touch, power in the strike and the best hand passer the game has ever seen. the goal he scored when the ball rebounded off the crossbar was one of the greatest pieces of individual skill I have ever seen. Also his point from the sideline in one of the finals when he hit it straight off the hurl. John Troy, Tony O'Sullivan and John Fenton up there too with great individual skills but DJ was the full package. Modern day players with very high skill levels include Richie Hogan (good bloodlines), Tony Kelly Seamie Callanan and Joe Canning

Brendanj (Westmeath) - Posts: 67 - 20/11/2015 11:54:49    1808665

Although I think DJ was more skillful, troy for me was the best to watch, he had an incredible hurling brain and vision which nobody has ever come close to matching. You actually never knew what would happen when the ball came to him. Once he took the ball off Brian Corcoranas he was clearing it and it was over the cork bar before even Corcoran and the cameras (both thought Corcoran had cleared downfield) realised what had happened

flack (Dublin) - Posts: 1054 - 20/11/2015 12:00:44    1808667

DJ probably the most naturally gifted. Joe Canning has superb first touch also, instant control.

aidangalway (Galway) - Posts: 648 - 20/11/2015 12:07:02    1808671

John Troy, Joe Cooney, Joe Canning, DJ, Tony O Sullivan Tom Cashman, Nicky English and a man I felt was terribly under rated Pat Fox were/are all blessed with great skill. There are many, many more. That is the beauty of this great game. Kevin Martin was a defender who I felt was massively under rated. . My father was over seventy years going to hurling matches in Croke Park. He went to his first All Ireland in 1942 and attended his last final in 2012. He sadly passed away earlier this year. He loved hurling and the men who played it. He also felt that the modern generation were the best he had ever seen. However when it came to skill the one player he rated above all others was the late Jimmy Doyle. When Jimmy Doyle came up in conversation Da's eyes would nearly glaze over and he would find himself back in the sixties watching Jimmy Doyle. Then he would say, "he made it look so easy" . Da always said the modern generations were the best he had seen but Jimmy Doyle always had a special place in his heart.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 20/11/2015 14:09:15    1808713

Good post greengrass.Sorry to hear bout your Dad.My Dad also say Jimmy Doyle was the most skillful hurler he ever saw.From the few old video clips of him,he had a very stylish left hand swing.In an era of tough,steely,physical hurling ,Jimmy needed other attributes than strength to compensate for his slight frame.He certainly made up for that.Magic wrists.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 20/11/2015 14:25:02    1808714

In the modern game

i think bubbles has a skill level not seen in many hurlers , what he can do is just surreal at times
Joe canning 2 has amazing skill levels .. i seen him a lot in his fitzgibbon days and he was head and shoulder above the other 29 on the field most days

Loved watching DJ as well ... will never forget the point against clare along the wing , a thing of pure beauty .
Martin Story and Jamies O connor were two other from the 90's that were a joy to watch

hard to know from the days gone by ... Eddie Kerr was one stand out . never seem much footage of Christy Ring Nicky Rackard Lory Meaher or Micky Maccky but all have left their story on the game

HurlerOnTheFenc (Mayo) - Posts: 282 - 20/11/2015 14:29:00    1808715

Probably have to say DJ Carey.Other notably skilful players JBM, Ritchie Hogan, Eanna Ryan, Joe Cooney, Pat Fox, Joe Canning, Joe Hennessy, Billy Fitzpatrick, Eoin Kelly, Ciaran Carey, Eamonn Cregan,John Fenton, etc etc. its a long list.
My late father who was an avid hurling follower since the 40s always said Jimmy Doyle was as skilful a hurler as he ever saw and ranked Josie Gallagher, Jimmy Duggan, Joe Sammon & John Connolly as the best Galway produced.

Barnowl94 (Galway) - Posts: 3150 - 20/11/2015 16:13:18    1808733

Times like these you can only imagine what it must have been like to see a Ring a Doyle etc I do put a lot of faith in a generation older than my own and when you see an 80 year olds eyes light up when certain names are mentioned it has to stand for something .

Damothedub (Dublin) - Posts: 5193 - 20/11/2015 17:09:19    1808747