All Stars 2009 At this time of the year when the action on the intercounty scene is more focussed on matters off the field with the Vodafone Allstars, GPA awards, the Texaco Sports Star award and many other Oscars being handed out. I have often wondered has the gloss gone from these schemes for players as there are so many now and so many different opinions from players to journalists, that rarely you see uniformity of opinion. Winning an Allstar award does not guarantee you a GPA award and vice a versa. The one award to get right now is the GPA Player of the Year award where you drive off in an Opel Car and any other award pales into insignificance with this one. I have said it in the past and I will say it again, to be chosen by your fellow players from all over the country adds a greater deal of credibility to this award than the Allstars, where it is confined to the media and press and not always do they get it right. No doubt about Hurler of the Year in Tommy Walsh but Young Hurler of the Year must have been a close thing between Noel McGrath and Paraic Maher of Tipp with Michael Rice of Kilkenny not too far away either. On the Tipperary side this year one man stood head and shoulders above everyone else for me and that was Lar Corbett. If Tipperary had won then my money was on this man for Hurler of the Year. He will have to wait until next year now though! An All-Ireland final to remember We had waited a long time for this, a game to remember not just for hurling fans but for the whole country to admire. Whether you are a GAA person or not, and I have met a lot since the game, each and everyone had nothing but praise for the tremendous entertainment both teams served up on All-Ireland Final Day. Two excellently prepared teams who went at each other hammer and thongs from the word go and produced a quality game that was in the melting pot up to the last few minutes. Why can't every game of hurling be one like this and rubber-stamp the thought that we have one of the best games in the world on our doorstep. Some observers felt that the referee let a lot of things go in the game that normally would be punished on other occasions, but for me he got everything right bar the penalty decision. Was it a penalty? In my book no and at most it was a free in - games are decided on small things and this decision certainly cost Tipperary the match because it threw a serious lifeline to the Cats. When it was scored it reignited the team and as they say, the gander was up and the rest is history. I am not taking from Kilkenny at all and to achieve four-in-a-row is some feat and has to be respected. They are a great team but as a Cork man I have to disagree with Cyril Farrell that they are the greatest team ever. To justify that tag in my book then they have to do five-in-a-row. Time will tell but as of now they are favourites again. Club Championship All the attention now is back to the grassroots which is our clubs and by now most club championships are either finished or at the final stage, with the outcome of provincial games and All-Ireland deciders to follow. In Cork anyone with the notion that the O'Connor twins were finished were well wide of the mark and that Cathal Naughton has nothing to offer Cork hurling must surely look at their performances over the last few weeks. Ben and Jerry might not play the lead roles as a midfielder and wing forward anymore but they certainly have a role to play as a centre forward and corner forward. Watching both play in the county final for Newtownshandrum, their enthusiasm and desire to win is as great as ever but more importantly their hurling brain has not faded either. I have to say that they have been the best hurlers in Cork for the last 20 years and the key is that they make the game look so easy. To see their reaction at the final whistle of the county final against Sarsfields, it was like as if they won their first medal ever and in the post match interviews they were quick to point out that it was their sweetest win because so many people had written them off. Newtownshandrum played a style of hurling that no one else can match or cope with, and they have it down to such a fine art that they will be contenders again for the All-Ireland Club final come St Patrick's Day. In Tipperary, it is Thurles Sarsfields who emerged and now meet the Cork boys in the Munster club. That decider was not the best of games but no one cares once you win. In Waterford - Ger Cunningham has worked the oracle with Ballygunner and at different stages in both matches, they looked dead and buried but showed plenty of fighting qualities to hold in there and get their just reward in the end. It is great to see Paul Flynn still performing at the highest level and still managing to score the odd goal or two. However, it is not a great sign for Waterford going forward that he is still the main man although to be fair a new of kid on the block is emerging from Lismore in Mr Shanahan Junior. He looks ready to take over the mantle from Dan and is a must to figure in Davy's plans going forward. Tweet

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