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All Stars

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Replying To sligo joe:  "I know that the awards are for individual performance but I think Galway and Derry having served up one of the worst semis for years and then Galway playing very much a supporting act to Kerry in the final, both teams, especially Galway surely must be chuffed to get such recognition."
It's not that I don't disagree with your comment, SligoJoe, nor that I can even suspect any sense of bias. But what I would like you to do is to name the 15 players that made your AS team for 2022, Joe.

Once you do that, we may be able to continue this conversation!

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2081 - 28/10/2022 12:43:08    2445776

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Replying To MayoDan:  "When exactly was Keegan found out defending?

Even against Kerry he marked Paudi Clifford out of the game and Paudi was one of the main reasons Kerry won the semi final and final.

Keegan was never going to get an all star, but that's only because Mayo didn't go far enough in the championship."
Not having a go. I think he is inspirational player. I just think playing full back line probably doesn't allow him to show his full range of skills. That's not to say from a team perspective it doesn't make sense.

Comer skinned him for Galway goal is an example. To be fair with the ball Comer got in that space it would have been hard for any corner back one in one.

Mayonman (Galway) - Posts: 1885 - 28/10/2022 12:55:58    2445779

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Tommy it is totally irrelevant if Tadgh Morley is not one of the best defenders in the country.All that matters is that he was in the top six this year and he certainly was.Morley deserved his All star.You probably think i have my Kerry hat on but I try call it as i see it.You say he was nt marking but a sweeper.he did both.Cillian Mc Daid did very little marking either but he too fully deserved his All star.Kilkenny also for me was totally deserving.On nearly every team picked by reporters and fans Kilkenny was nearly on them all.After the nominations it was nearly agreed by all that the certainties on the team were Foley and Morley at the back.McDaid midfield and David Clifford Ciaran Kilkenny and Shane Walsh upfront.of course some players were unlucky but imo every player selected had a genuine claim for their position."
Morley played in a system which made him look good, I think alot of the Kerry lads could have played the sweeper position and done as well or even better than him. He was given the sweeper role as hes strong and has pace but more so, I think, caue he isnt good enough one on one defending. He was weak link in the Kerry defence other years.
Kerry needed to do something with there defending as they have been wide open for a few years, and the most improved aspect has been there workrate, there half forwards and midfield ( 3 midfielders with starting a midfielder in the half forward line) was the main reason for there defence improving, plus Foley has improved greatly at full back.
Ever since Spillane did his bit on Morley, then other people went along with it and built him up from there.

No one said anything about McDaid who is a mid fielder and had a fine championship, even after not starting there first game.

I wouldnt say KilKenny totally deserved his, I thought he was lucky and if he hadnt got one I dont think there would have been much arguing over it. he is great plyer and Dublin relied on him too much this year, and he had a good half against Kerry, I just dont think that was enough for an All Star

tommy132 (Mayo) - Posts: 619 - 28/10/2022 13:17:36    2445787

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Think there will be as much controversy tomorrow after the hurling is announced..I think limerick will get 8,cats 3,gal 2 and Clare 2..it will once again be about who wont have received an award..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2344 - 28/10/2022 13:31:21    2445789

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Replying To Mayonman:  "Not having a go. I think he is inspirational player. I just think playing full back line probably doesn't allow him to show his full range of skills. That's not to say from a team perspective it doesn't make sense.

Comer skinned him for Galway goal is an example. To be fair with the ball Comer got in that space it would have been hard for any corner back one in one."
Whether playing in the full back line is Keegan's best position is a separate argument.

I think you need to rewatch that goal. Comer got the ball and tried to take Keegan on but turned back because he couldn't! Comer then played a hand pass over in front of the goal. Mayo should have cut the pass out but didn't.

Comer only got one point from play that day off Keegan. Keegan also scored a point himself. In fairness Comer did good work around the middle third winning ball and starting attacks, but you can't say he skinned Keegan!

MayoDan (Mayo) - Posts: 434 - 28/10/2022 13:46:30    2445795

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "It's not that I don't disagree with your comment, SligoJoe, nor that I can even suspect any sense of bias. But what I would like you to do is to name the 15 players that made your AS team for 2022, Joe.

Once you do that, we may be able to continue this conversation!"
Well first of all of course I'm biassed, even the top guys that programme Artificial Intelligence have to make corrections for their own biases and I can assure you when it comes to sporting opinions biases are much more polarised. In my post I acknowledged that the awards are for individuals and as such I have no issues with any individual award. My only point is I believe Derry and Galway fans should be at least happy with 2 and 5 respectively. In fairness Derry could have been beaten out the gate by Galway. In the other semi there were occasions(not many) when I thought "feck we're gonna win this". However in the final I never got a sense that Galway were going to buck the odds.

sligo joe (Dublin) - Posts: 783 - 28/10/2022 14:47:31    2445800

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Replying To MayoDan:  "Whether playing in the full back line is Keegan's best position is a separate argument.

I think you need to rewatch that goal. Comer got the ball and tried to take Keegan on but turned back because he couldn't! Comer then played a hand pass over in front of the goal. Mayo should have cut the pass out but didn't.

Comer only got one point from play that day off Keegan. Keegan also scored a point himself. In fairness Comer did good work around the middle third winning ball and starting attacks, but you can't say he skinned Keegan!"
I would say Lee Keegan had as good a year as he ever had this season, kicked many inspirational points, completely nullified Paudie Clifford in q-final and was excellent in the national league too. For a corner back he couldn't do anymore but was never going to get an all star this year as Mayo knocked out early and he already has 5. Easier to give it to someone new. He has been simply immense the last 2 seasons and is still playing mighty stuff for his club Westport at present with a motm performance in the county semi final recently.

maximus02 (Longford) - Posts: 211 - 28/10/2022 14:48:24    2445801

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Down got less All Stars than Meath in 1991 (4). Meath were a great team but was this the only occasion when a team that won the All Ireland did not get the most All Stars?? I think Meath got 6 that year.

REDANDBLACK30 (Down) - Posts: 1673 - 28/10/2022 15:01:05    2445805

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Replying To MayoDan:  "Whether playing in the full back line is Keegan's best position is a separate argument.

I think you need to rewatch that goal. Comer got the ball and tried to take Keegan on but turned back because he couldn't! Comer then played a hand pass over in front of the goal. Mayo should have cut the pass out but didn't.

Comer only got one point from play that day off Keegan. Keegan also scored a point himself. In fairness Comer did good work around the middle third winning ball and starting attacks, but you can't say he skinned Keegan!"
Comer played a huge chunk of the Mayo match out in them middle and even came back to the half-back line regularly to give us a passing option.
He also hand a hand in a lot of our scores, particularly in the first half.
We wouldn't have won that match by leaving him inside. His physicality, ball winning and ball carrying ability game us a platform to build up a lead, which we just about hung onto in the end.
He was very good against Roscommon, kicked crucial scores against Armagh and was exceptional against Derry.
He had a much quieter final, but a lot of that was due to how he was used or rather not used. He spent a lot of the 1st half hugging the Cusack sideline, with Foley standing beside him.
I was scratching my head at it, but it was clearly a tactic to free up space in the middle, which it certainly did do for Shane Walsh and McDaid.
From what I counted, he had only 2 direct kick passes played to him across the entire match. He won both of them. He also won some ball when he dropped deeper later on. It's a real regret that we didn't utilise him as well as we should, but credit also goes to Kerry in how they set up.
Sometimes though, the most obvious tactic is the best one.

WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2158 - 28/10/2022 15:40:33    2445810

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Replying To foreveryoung:  "Fully agree with your analysis, Mick. You're always objective. If Morley was from another county not Kerry, and had the same good year, I know that you'd champion his case too, even against a Kerry man. Tadhg Morley 100% deserved an AS, from what I saw anyway happening on the football fields of Ireland this year.

That's what I really commend about certain posters on HS; being able to see beyond the county biases and blinkers. A yank has no such problems.

Okay, I'm inclined to throw a slight dig now and again at certain good posters on here (Viking, Tiobraid, KK Cat, Canuck, Barney G, yourself Mick, and 3-4 of those Limerick lads…probably forgetting a few good posters too), but that's actually kind of out of respect: a bit of craic. I kind of know those who can take it and give it back full load. I'd hate to ever take candy off a child though, so I leave some posters well enough alone.

However, where I can get nasty is with the me-feiners, those that can never see beyond their own county, negative people and posters who think that there is an agenda/conspiracy against their county/province.

"Let and let live" is my motto, but at the same time, don't entertain BS!

Tadgh Morley, 100% an AS.

Posters who say he isn't, 100% an ASS!"
Thanks Forever. I try to be objective anyway.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3840 - 28/10/2022 16:12:31    2445816

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Replying To LetsPlayBall:  "Footballer of the year probably a flip of a coin between Clifford and Walsh?
I think Walsh could edge it.
Opinions?"
Clifford and I will explain. Throughout the year Clifford had only one quiet game v Cork. He was super in every other game scoring 6-49 over the league and championship. Walsh scored 3-57.Also while both had brilliant all ireland final Walsh had a quiet quarter and semi while Clifford was very good in quarter and semi. In div 2 final Walsh quiet. Div 1 final Clifford outstanding. From play from both league and championship Walsh scored 2-18 while Clifford scored 6-31 from play.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3840 - 28/10/2022 16:27:50    2445818

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Agree on 14 of the 15 in both codes, would have went Joe Cooney for Shane O'Donnell and Tom O'Sullivan for Gavin White, Clare getting 3 in hurling is scandalous, they capitulated in Croke Park v Kilkenny and got out of jail v Wexford. I know they were impressive in Munster but arguably Tipp and Waterford downed tools against them, Waterford definitely did infact.

TerribleFootwork (Wexford) - Posts: 1760 - 28/10/2022 20:15:59    2445825

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Am sure he's a lovely fella but Shane O' Donnell an Allstar ahead of Seamus Flanagan or Conor Whelan is a discredit to the awards this year. Flanagan and Whelan impacted games massively. Mikey Butler fortunate too to beat Seán Finn.

Claretandblue (Westmeath) - Posts: 1848 - 28/10/2022 21:11:42    2445827

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I had 13 of 15 hurlers picked last night..I had Sean Finn for Mikey Butler and Conor whelan for tony Kelly..I always felt o donnell would get one because I thought there was a big push from the press for him..there will always be some controversy when a 15 is named..I have a somewhat silly question,when was the last time that the two all ireland winners didn't have a player picked at midfield on the all stars??maybe it's obvious but I can't think of it..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2344 - 29/10/2022 11:37:18    2445842

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7 All-Stars and POTY: great times for Limerick hurling and Kerry football.

Sean Finn, very unlucky to miss out, but Mikey Butler was outstanding all in in the no. 2 jersey for KK! I had Butler shading it over Finn. Tom Sullivan, great year but was left very exposed in the final.

As I said before Rian O'Neill in for Conor Glass in the football. Will O'Donoghue in MF for Mullen who id move to wing forward instead of Shane O'Donnell.

foreveryoung (USA) - Posts: 2081 - 29/10/2022 11:39:46    2445843

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "Clifford and I will explain. Throughout the year Clifford had only one quiet game v Cork. He was super in every other game scoring 6-49 over the league and championship. Walsh scored 3-57.Also while both had brilliant all ireland final Walsh had a quiet quarter and semi while Clifford was very good in quarter and semi. In div 2 final Walsh quiet. Div 1 final Clifford outstanding. From play from both league and championship Walsh scored 2-18 while Clifford scored 6-31 from play."
I agree that Clifford deserved to be player of the year and also Shane Walsh's contribution from play over all the year was a bit below the very high standards he sets. I don't know if there's any truth in it but they reckon some players can slow down the game in their head, lets them make better decisions, find space easier. Clifford always seems a player like that, nearly more at ease the bigger the occasion.

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But Walsh is Galway's freetaker and he was immense from frees again. In McHale Park his frees were unreal, giving us faint hope when they start off well wide of the posts and he can draw them back inside the posts. Like a metronome, beautiful unerring frees but I even outside the frees Galway had our number that day. If Séanie O'Sé and Riain O'Neill rightly get credit for free taking then Shane Walsh needs to be recognised for them too. And credit too to Pádraig Joyce. When previous Galway teams, for me, relied too much on Walsh's pace, skills, free taking Galway ard a way better balanced team now. Also they're not as reliant on free kicks as we have been for years. I'll be biased though, he wasn't near player of the year, some reckon he was lucky to get an All Star and I disagree with them, but I prefer to watch Damien Comer. Leading the team, hard hitting physical all action footballer. But we're lucky to be in an era to have such a good All Star team, doesn't pick itself and we have plenty of good footballers to go and see. We nearly sound like soccer 'fans' here discussing the merits of Ronaldo and Messi. Pointless subjective argument. Just be happy and proud we have some great footballer and congratulations to the All Stars on 2022 even if you don't agree with every choice.

GreenandRed (Mayo) - Posts: 7598 - 29/10/2022 11:49:00    2445845

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question , is there the same interest among the public now about the all stars as there used to be? one time there would be a bit of discussion leading up to them about who might get them, last few years there is zero interest, before or after ,

Stmunnsriver (Wexford) - Posts: 2879 - 29/10/2022 12:31:05    2445850

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Replying To Stmunnsriver:  "question , is there the same interest among the public now about the all stars as there used to be? one time there would be a bit of discussion leading up to them about who might get them, last few years there is zero interest, before or after ,"
It's nice to see someone from a weaker county get one every now and again but all in all I've never been interested in them,handing out all stars and arguing over who should /shouldn't have gotten one has a touch of the going through the motions at this stage, borderline cliché.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1942 - 29/10/2022 14:04:46    2445862

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Replying To Stmunnsriver:  "question , is there the same interest among the public now about the all stars as there used to be? one time there would be a bit of discussion leading up to them about who might get them, last few years there is zero interest, before or after ,"
Oh there's plenty of interest and discussion. The event itself has never been bigger. They're coveted - make no mistake.

togoutlads (Galway) - Posts: 963 - 29/10/2022 14:33:51    2445866

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Replying To togoutlads:  "Oh there's plenty of interest and discussion. The event itself has never been bigger. They're coveted - make no mistake."
Ya still interesting to see who gets the nod. Don't know much about the football but the hurling all stars were pretty fair. Its strange how Kilkenny only got one more than Clare even though they walloped them. Saying that, all 3 Clare lads were well deserved with a case for Ryan Taylor's inclusion too. On paper serious All star team

Shocs07 (Limerick) - Posts: 374 - 29/10/2022 15:06:58    2445871

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