That’s heads up hurling for you.
GAA Performance Analyst Barry Cleary compiled a list of hurling’s top assist makers in the 2018 Senior Hurling Championship and it’s hardly surprising that TJ Reid tops the pile.
So often, Kilkenny’s most dogged forward emerges from a scrum of hurlers with ten lads dragging out of him and with ball in hand.
The farmer and fitness instructor is well able to throw his weight around and when he puts those wide hips to good use and crouches down in a shemozzle, you know it’s only going to end in one way.
And that’s TJ navigating his way through a sea of bodies with his shoulders dipped and the sliotar safe as a house. He tries to make an angle for a score but there’s still about ten lads around him so he looks forward, across and all around.
Weighs up his options for a second and then picks the perfect pass, and executes it.
Like that time against Limerick in the when he dispossessed Darragh O’Donovan, dropped his hurl, saw five lads congregate around him, picked up his hurl, won the ball and handpassed to Richie Leahy in acres to tap over.
That’s the value of a TJ Reid, that’s TJ at his very best.
TJ performed selfless acts like that one on more than four occasions in each of Kilkenny’s seven championship games this year. That’s some going and it must be a joy for Kilkenny midfielders and forwards to play alongside him.
Just below him was Dublin’s raging bull Liam Rushe who became an expert in gathering possession and feeding onrushing teammates.
The unselfish McGrath brothers were neck and neck for Tipperary while John Conlon’s ball-winning led to many scores for Clare.
Assists – The top assists per game numbers for 2018 SHC. TJ showing how incredible his form was. @PaudieFoley had a breakout season at wing back. Nicky Quaid was the only keeper in the top 20 – down to the work of @odonnellsod & @kinnerker? pic.twitter.com/Wrbg07Yky5
— Barry Cleary (@sheikhbarabas) August 22, 2018
What’s fairly surprising is that Nickie Quaid is the only one goalkeeper in the top 20 of the list. Limerick’s tactic of dropping their half forward line deep out the field saw a number of scores arrive with just two pucks from Treaty hurleys.
Given the increasing emphasis that has been placed on keeper’s drilling puckouts to moving targets in the modern game, we expected men like Nash and Murphy to be further up on the list but it doesn’t always work that way with players often looking for a pass or indeed, getting carried away before hitting wide balls after the high of winning a puckout.
The top Goalkeepers for assists and where they ranked overall #gaa pic.twitter.com/b1qil6SkUe
— Barry Cleary (@sheikhbarabas) August 22, 2018
So maybe Nickie Quaid provides the most receptive puck-outs after all?
