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Supreme All Stars

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Replying To Greengrass:  "I'd agree with you Mick. I've seen every All Ireland final that every player on those lists hurling and football ever played in. Pat Spillane was a magnificent player. You've outlined a lot of his strengths in your post. He is an absolute certainty for that team. There are others most especially Matt Connor who deserve their place on the football team. A case could be made for every player named. Personally I would have reservations about Larry Tompkins. Others who didn't make it are the likes of Páidí Ó Sé, Maurice Fitzgerald, Pádraic Joyce, Stephen O Brien, Ciarán Kilkenny, Anton O Toole and most especially Kieran McGeeney. McGeeney is the best centre back I have ever seen. He is also the greatest on field leader I have ever seen. However that is the purpose of these teams Mick. In very difficult times they stimulate debate. Debate is all about opinions. There can be no doubt however but that Pat Spillane is a nailed on certainty for that team."
Well said Greengrass. On McGeeney a great player nó doubt but could be a little loose at times. As a leader though he was tremendous. Glen Ryan another titan of a CB.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 15/02/2021 13:02:20    2331438

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Replying To Sssthe:  "Keegan was a better overall player than mcarthy in every aspect of the game but all ireland titles. He has more all stars, scored more points, has a player of the year award, and was a better defender who prevented the best forwards in the game from ever scoring more than 1 or 2 points when he was at his best.

The finals meanwhile cannot be blamed on keegan who up to this year had always outscored whoever he was marking from play in the final.

If you swap them round and put mcarthy on mayo and keegan on Dublin. Then mayo wouldn't of made the finals in 2016 or 2017 and Dublin would still have 8 titles in 10 years.


Kilkenny by the time he retires will probably have 6 or 7 all stars. He has being arguably the most influential player on the greatest team in history. I'm not saying that spillane isnt one of the greatest forwards ever. I'm saying that kilkenny is simply a better forward. Though looking at it again larry Tompkins probably deserves it less than either of them."
Fair enough Sssthe but I have a different view. Kilkenny great footballer but as a forward does nt score enough to get in supreme all stars although in todays game I think he s worth his weight in gold. For me James Mccarthy better than Keegan. I just think Keegan fouls too much and James a better all rounder. I like Lee but tbh honest for me even in Mayo I'd prefer Paddy Durcan to Lee and Colm Boyle but we all have different opinions.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 15/02/2021 13:15:38    2331442

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Replying To Sssthe:  "Keegan was a better overall player than mcarthy in every aspect of the game but all ireland titles. He has more all stars, scored more points, has a player of the year award, and was a better defender who prevented the best forwards in the game from ever scoring more than 1 or 2 points when he was at his best.

The finals meanwhile cannot be blamed on keegan who up to this year had always outscored whoever he was marking from play in the final.

If you swap them round and put mcarthy on mayo and keegan on Dublin. Then mayo wouldn't of made the finals in 2016 or 2017 and Dublin would still have 8 titles in 10 years.


Kilkenny by the time he retires will probably have 6 or 7 all stars. He has being arguably the most influential player on the greatest team in history. I'm not saying that spillane isnt one of the greatest forwards ever. I'm saying that kilkenny is simply a better forward. Though looking at it again larry Tompkins probably deserves it less than either of them."
Ah but couldn't hit the eyes of a football with a gps from 10 yards could he? ;) although I'm not sure if McCarthy can either mind you.

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 15/02/2021 13:37:25    2331446

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I only saw the highlights reel for Matt Connor and Mikey Sheehy but they both looked class. Very hard to make an argument when only seeing their best bits.

Tompkins was a fine footballer but this team is the best of the best and I can think of a few potentially better. Maurice Fitz, Ja Fallon, Michael Donnellan, Joyce?

Obviously I have maroon tinted glasses. Michael Donnellan at his best is a certainty however I can see the argument that he doesn't have a big enough body of work. Ja Fallon is probably overlooked because before 98 he was on a poor Galway team. For many years in the 90's he carried them on his back even as a young lad breaking through and 98 was his crowning glory. He was special.

Joyce I think is very hard to leave out but then Gooch and Canavan have to be nailed on starters. I would probably put Joyce in #11 instead of Tomkins. On balance Joyce for Tompkins is my only change to the forwards. Crazy to think of the talent being left out.

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1835 - 15/02/2021 14:08:59    2331453

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Replying To Mayonman:  "I only saw the highlights reel for Matt Connor and Mikey Sheehy but they both looked class. Very hard to make an argument when only seeing their best bits.

Tompkins was a fine footballer but this team is the best of the best and I can think of a few potentially better. Maurice Fitz, Ja Fallon, Michael Donnellan, Joyce?

Obviously I have maroon tinted glasses. Michael Donnellan at his best is a certainty however I can see the argument that he doesn't have a big enough body of work. Ja Fallon is probably overlooked because before 98 he was on a poor Galway team. For many years in the 90's he carried them on his back even as a young lad breaking through and 98 was his crowning glory. He was special.

Joyce I think is very hard to leave out but then Gooch and Canavan have to be nailed on starters. I would probably put Joyce in #11 instead of Tomkins. On balance Joyce for Tompkins is my only change to the forwards. Crazy to think of the talent being left out."
Oh sure it's such a hard task to try pick the best team and we all have different opinions. I was always a fan of Galway football going back to Gay McManus and Val Daly and true Fallon Ml Donnellan and Joyce all great players too.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 15/02/2021 14:40:00    2331458

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matt connor is tghe best forward i have seen in my lifetime my top 5 would be 1 matt connor 2 peter canavan 3 maurice fitzgerald 4 kieran mcdonald 5 mike sheehy

mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1806 - 15/02/2021 14:53:19    2331459

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Replying To mickcunningham:  "matt connor is tghe best forward i have seen in my lifetime my top 5 would be 1 matt connor 2 peter canavan 3 maurice fitzgerald 4 kieran mcdonald 5 mike sheehy"
Matt was pure and utter class. A joy to watch. Silken skills pace. So accurate. A career cut short at 24 years of age. Can you imagine if he had been able to play till 32 or 33 years of age. I'd say he d have broken some records. Matt was the full package.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 15/02/2021 15:08:11    2331462

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Replying To mickcunningham:  "matt connor is tghe best forward i have seen in my lifetime my top 5 would be 1 matt connor 2 peter canavan 3 maurice fitzgerald 4 kieran mcdonald 5 mike sheehy"
You wouldn't have Pat Spillane in there Mick?

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 15/02/2021 16:48:37    2331468

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Not everyone will agree with any team that's picked but for me Pat Spillane is a certainty.I don't like Spilane as a pundit and I don't like the way he carries on either.He was my least favourite player on the Kerry team but I could never deny his brilliance.People that never saw him play don't realise how influential and important he was to a team.He could defend like a Trojan and go on a fifty yard solo run at top speed and scores points from massive distances.For a a half forward that defended a lot he was a prolific scorer.He only came on at half time in the 82 final vOffaly as he was nt fit due to knee problems and missed 83 also.Many believe that if Spillane was nt injured Kerry might have won in 82 and 83 and Kerry might have done 9 in a row.Now that might be stretching it but Kerry were not beaten with a fit Spillane from77 to 87.Spillane gave a man of the match display in 1975 all Ireland final and 16 years later he still scored 2 points from play in an all Ireland semi v Down.He was a stylist but he was a terrific worker and had non stop energy.Pat has many flaws but football was nt one of them.As Mick O dwyer said years ago when asked would he worry about injuries to top players he replied "we will manage once its not Spillane.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 15/02/2021 20:04:41    2331486

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Replying To Greengrass:  "You wouldn't have Pat Spillane in there Mick?"
He was brilliant but that's my top 5 that I have seen

mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1806 - 15/02/2021 20:18:51    2331487

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Not everyone will agree with any team that's picked but for me Pat Spillane is a certainty.I don't like Spilane as a pundit and I don't like the way he carries on either.He was my least favourite player on the Kerry team but I could never deny his brilliance.People that never saw him play don't realise how influential and important he was to a team.He could defend like a Trojan and go on a fifty yard solo run at top speed and scores points from massive distances.For a a half forward that defended a lot he was a prolific scorer.He only came on at half time in the 82 final vOffaly as he was nt fit due to knee problems and missed 83 also.Many believe that if Spillane was nt injured Kerry might have won in 82 and 83 and Kerry might have done 9 in a row.Now that might be stretching it but Kerry were not beaten with a fit Spillane from77 to 87.Spillane gave a man of the match display in 1975 all Ireland final and 16 years later he still scored 2 points from play in an all Ireland semi v Down.He was a stylist but he was a terrific worker and had non stop energy.Pat has many flaws but football was nt one of them.As Mick O dwyer said years ago when asked would he worry about injuries to top players he replied "we will manage once its not Spillane."
If you look at that forward line Mick you have to ask yourself who do you drop and who do you bring in. Once again I find myself in agreement with you. I would classify Matt Connor as the best forward I have ever seen. My reasons for doing so are his staggering scoring achievements and the fact that he had played his last game at the age of just 24. He was a scoring machine. He was terrorising defences when still in his teens. He was two footed, highly skilled, a great target man, highly intelligent in his distribution and a lethal finisher. He was also blessed with a great temperament. You couldn't leave him off that team. Not everyone could be played in their regular position but I find the idea of playing him on the wing to be a step too far. He was an inside forward. For what it is worth this is the forward line I would pick. I've attended 53 All Ireland Senior football finals going back to 1972. In a team of this nature it's impossible to put all the players in their natural positions. Maurice Fitzgerald, Pádraic Joyce, Pat Spillane, Mikey Sheehy, Peter Canavan and Matt Connor. John Egan isn't included there. It came down to a choice between Mikey Sheehy at right corner or John Egan at left corner. After a lot of thought I went for Mikey Sheehy. There are none of this Dublin team included either. Of those who have left the scene Diarmuid Connolly was the most gifted. He was very close but I felt the three half forwards had better temperaments than he had. Bernard Brogan would also be very close but pound for pound no one beats Matt Connor for me. Players like Ciarán Kilkenny and Con O Callaghan have yet to write their full story. In the future I have no doubt they will be mentioned in the same breath as the men we are speaking about now. He

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 15/02/2021 21:49:37    2331499

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Replying To Greengrass:  "If you look at that forward line Mick you have to ask yourself who do you drop and who do you bring in. Once again I find myself in agreement with you. I would classify Matt Connor as the best forward I have ever seen. My reasons for doing so are his staggering scoring achievements and the fact that he had played his last game at the age of just 24. He was a scoring machine. He was terrorising defences when still in his teens. He was two footed, highly skilled, a great target man, highly intelligent in his distribution and a lethal finisher. He was also blessed with a great temperament. You couldn't leave him off that team. Not everyone could be played in their regular position but I find the idea of playing him on the wing to be a step too far. He was an inside forward. For what it is worth this is the forward line I would pick. I've attended 53 All Ireland Senior football finals going back to 1972. In a team of this nature it's impossible to put all the players in their natural positions. Maurice Fitzgerald, Pádraic Joyce, Pat Spillane, Mikey Sheehy, Peter Canavan and Matt Connor. John Egan isn't included there. It came down to a choice between Mikey Sheehy at right corner or John Egan at left corner. After a lot of thought I went for Mikey Sheehy. There are none of this Dublin team included either. Of those who have left the scene Diarmuid Connolly was the most gifted. He was very close but I felt the three half forwards had better temperaments than he had. Bernard Brogan would also be very close but pound for pound no one beats Matt Connor for me. Players like Ciarán Kilkenny and Con O Callaghan have yet to write their full story. In the future I have no doubt they will be mentioned in the same breath as the men we are speaking about now. He"
Well Greengrass I would have similar views and while I think the forward line that was picked is fantastic other forwards very unlucky to lose out.Like yourself for me Matt Connor a certainty no doubt.I would have 3 certainties in Matt Connor Peter Canavan and Spillane.the other 3 spots I would find very hard to choose,However I do like your 3 of Sheehy Maurice Fitz and Padraic Joyce.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 15/02/2021 22:10:17    2331500

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "I don't know if you remember Pat Spillane playing but Pat would probably be the first name on the list. A man that could run all day defend and score long range points at his ease. In the all time top scoring list he is the only one in it that did nt take frees and he was a half forward. Spillane also missed 3 of his prime years due to a serious knee injury but came back to win motm awards in the 84 and 86 all irela D finals again. Even though he missed 3 years he still won 9 all stars. Spillane a certainty. On Lee Keegan yes a very good player but give me James Mccarthy everyday of the week."
I remember Pat well, I can't say I've seen a better half-forward.

realdub (Dublin) - Posts: 8596 - 15/02/2021 22:54:07    2331505

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Replying To mickcunningham:  "He was brilliant but that's my top 5 that I have seen"
Fair play Mick. It's all in the eye and the mind of the beholder. You've compiled a serious top five.

Greengrass (Louth) - Posts: 6031 - 15/02/2021 23:11:05    2331509

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Replying To realdub:  "I remember Pat well, I can't say I've seen a better half-forward."
Spot on realdub. Can't say the same for him as pundit though lol

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 16/02/2021 14:10:38    2331551

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I've read a lot of rubbish on here over the years but to the posters saying Fenton is over-rated and is not a big game player??? Has to be the biggest load of rubbish I've seen to date.

I know ill be accused of bias here probably, but if you think that of Fenton well then you are either bitter or you haven't a clue about football.

He is a complete footballer! Great fielder, great foot passer, great tackler, great engine, brilliant off both feet and is one of the most prolific scorers there has ever been for a midfielder

There is a reason why Dublin haven't lost a championship game since he came along!!!

ConnollyDub (Dublin) - Posts: 2007 - 16/02/2021 14:20:00    2331555

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just an observation a young lad of the 1980s who in my opinion was underrated was offaly midfielder padraig dunne . he held his own against jacko and seanie walshe in the 82 final . ably assisted by tomas connor , but he would not make a team of supreme all stars

mickcunningham (Westmeath) - Posts: 1806 - 16/02/2021 14:44:07    2331558

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I realize we're all a bit guilty of county bias and I'm not saying he should necessarily be included in the all time 15, but I'm surprised Karl Lacey's name hasn't been mentioned at all. He won All Stars in 06 and 09 as a traditional tight-marking corner back and then another two from a play making center half back role in 11 and 12.

He won 3 Sigersons, an NFL, 3 Ulsters and an All-Ireland, a little unlucky not to win two.

Would people consider Keith Higgins to be that much better than Karl?

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9154 - 16/02/2021 14:58:19    2331559

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Replying To ConnollyDub:  "I've read a lot of rubbish on here over the years but to the posters saying Fenton is over-rated and is not a big game player??? Has to be the biggest load of rubbish I've seen to date.

I know ill be accused of bias here probably, but if you think that of Fenton well then you are either bitter or you haven't a clue about football.

He is a complete footballer! Great fielder, great foot passer, great tackler, great engine, brilliant off both feet and is one of the most prolific scorers there has ever been for a midfielder

There is a reason why Dublin haven't lost a championship game since he came along!!!"
Everyone has different views on players and alot of it is cos they are comparing to other great players. I do think most people in gaa and on this site agree that Fenton is a fantastic player. He has everything one would want in a midfielder. He has height and great fielding ability. He is strong fast and can tackle and score. I only saw Micko Connell play in his last game when I was a very young boy but in my lifetime Fenton and Jacko Shea are the two best midfielders I have seen.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 16/02/2021 15:36:59    2331567

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Replying To mickcunningham:  "just an observation a young lad of the 1980s who in my opinion was underrated was offaly midfielder padraig dunne . he held his own against jacko and seanie walshe in the 82 final . ably assisted by tomas connor , but he would not make a team of supreme all stars"
I remember him Mick. Yes you are correct. He was a class midfielder but when Offaly slipped after 82 I did nt see much of him as not many games televised live that time. But for certain Pádraig Dunne was a very talented midfielder.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3678 - 16/02/2021 15:39:51    2331568

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