RTE GAA pundits Colm O’Rourke and Joe Brolly clashed over the topic of Michael Murphy and if the Donegal forward was the most influential player of this decade.
Murphy has been a lynchpin for the 2012 All-Ireland champions for the majority of this decade with Brolly asserting that he has been the best player of this decade, a statement O’Rourke likened to Nigel Farage or Boris Johnson on drugs.
O’Rourke listed off numerous examples to explain why he thought Murphy was not worthy of that tag but Brolly simply didn’t have time for his argument.
.@joebrolly1993 refuses to give a prediction. Much to Colm O'Rourke's irritation. They also disagree on Michael Murphy #RTEGAA https://t.co/DsuMN9AvSi pic.twitter.com/amnHS9yZmq
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) June 8, 2019
O’Rourke: Joe and myself differ. Joe has put himself up as the best player of the last decade. I thought he was beginning to sound like Nigel Farage or Boris Johnson on drugs when you say things like that because if you keep saying something often enough, it doesn’t necessarily mean that it’s the truth…
Brolly: But it is the truth
O’Rourke: No because if you look..
Brolly: He brought his club from junior to senior in two seasons. All-Ireland U21 final. In two years they were the All-Ireland senior champions and he was the player of the game. The most influential Ulster player of his generation.
O’Rourke: He’s not the most influential footballer of his generation because what is increasingly happening over the last five years is that he has drifted out to midfield and ended up giving and taking short hand passes. Greatness in any player must be dictated. Ulster final against Monaghan he hasn’t been good. He was marked out of it by Aidan O’Mahony in an All-Ireland final.
He was poor in the whole second-half of this game last year in the Super 8 when Padraig Hampsey was on him. He was not mapped against Dublin last year. He had a brilliant game against Roscommon in the Super 8 and he had a brilliant second-half in the league final but greatness must be dictated by the impact in very big championship matches in Croke Park.
