This is the GAA JOE Team of the weekend.
1 Dean Mason (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
Naas started like a steam train in the Leinster hurling semi-final and the only reason they weren’t further ahead was Dean Mason. The Ballyhale keeper made some very sharp saves in the early stages of the game.
2 Cormac Coffey (Kerins O’Rahillys)
Coffey came home for Dubai for this Munster semi-final and he made sure the journey was worthwhile, kicking a point and showing well as the Strand Road men made it back to the Munster final for the first time since 2009. They’re yet to win the competition.
3 Fintan Burke (St Thomas)
The drive-for-five may well have crumpled in a heap there and then, in the 51st minute of the game, only for Burke to make a brilliant goal-saving interception on Anthony Burns.
4 Brian Sheehy (Kilmacud Crokes)
The dual star will face a trickier assignment next weekend, when he may have to choose between hurling and football, but he hurled with great conviction on Sunday. And strode out of defence with purpose on a number of occasions.
5 Kevin Whelan (Naas)
The final scoreline (3-22 to 1-16) did Naas a dis-service on a day when they lifted Kildare hurling to another level. In the early stages, it looked like they had it in them to go all the way but then Ballyhale did what they do. But Whelan was brilliant, scoring 0-2 from wing back, and he couldn’t be faulted.
6 Daryl Branagan (Kilcoo)
Branagan was, again, quite simply sensational for Kilcoo as they out-classed Enniskillen. One of the five brothers, he’s a true rolls royce of a player.
7 Darragh Corcoran (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
Strong and accurate, Corcoran is your typical Kilkenny half back. And he was on form against Naas, hitting three from play.
8 Sean Kenny (Tooreen)
Tooreen had another great win in the Connacht intermediate championship, their third in five years, and Kenny was the star man. He was a dynamo in midfield and he was deadly on the frees as they got the better of Galway champs Killimor.
9 Emmet Rigter (Newcastlewest)
A rangy player with a big engine, there was no end to Rigter in his club’s win over Clonmel Commercials. And his extra-time goal was the moment the game changed.
Huge score in Semple Stadium! Goal for Emmet Rigter!!!@CommercialsGAA 1-10 @NCWGAA 1-14@MunsterGAA | @AIB_GAA | #StreamSport
📺Stream Pass here👇https://t.co/W9qDMhWcQW pic.twitter.com/tiHlDNe9Bj
— StreamSport.ie (@StreamsportI) November 27, 2022
10 Adrian Mullen (Ballyhale Shamrocks)
Mullen is having a tremendous year, for club and county, and he was Ballyhale’s main man in their win over Naas. Scored, created, hassled and harried. He did it all.
11 Mark Caulfield (St Thomas)
It’s a brilliant story really. Started off the year as a junior hurler, as St Thomas’ club man and Tuam Herald journalist David Connors says, and ended it as the man-of-the-match in the county senior hurling final.
Team boss Kenneth Burke was lining out alongside Caulfield for the Juniors and would have seen more than anyone the form he was in. Started him against Clarinbridge, when Thomas’ were depleted, and they haven’t looked back since.
— David Connors (@peterswellman) November 27, 2022
12 Cian Sheehan (Newcastlewest)
It may have been a surprise to some that Sheehan earned an All-Star nomination this year but he showed exactly why on Sunday. A bundle of energy, Clonmel couldn’t cope with his speed of thought or foot on his way to three great points from play.
13 Jack Sheridan (Naas)
Sheridan was on it in the early stages as Naas got a run on Ballyhale. He was deadly with the frees and also struck some fine efforts from play.
14 Tommy Walsh (Kerins O’Rahillys)
Still going strong. He’s 34 now but he proved on Sunday that he still has it, scoring 1-2 in Kerins O’Rahillys’ win over Éire Óg Ennis.
15 Danny Tallon (Glen)
In a tight game, Tallon’s 1-4 was decisive. He was sharp and he was clinical and he was a deserving man-of-the-match.
Danny Tallon scores for Glen in front of the Omagh eye 👀 pic.twitter.com/nqxXCasozE
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) November 27, 2022
