Not since JJ Delaney have Kilkenny had a natural full back.
Padraig Walsh has been exceptional there for the last few years, clawing ball over the best full forwards in hurling but every Kilkenny Cat will tell you that his flamboyant talents would be put to better use further out the field.
Padraig Walsh bursts out from full back position to give Kilkenny that much needed inspiration pic.twitter.com/G9u3t0kWfG
— The GAA (@officialgaa) January 27, 2018
Before Walsh, Joey Holden had a spell there but he looks far more at home in the corner. The search for a natural number three goes on but in O’Loughlin Gaels club man Huw Lawlor, both Tommy Walsh and his club mate Paddy Deegan reckon Kilkenny have struck gold.
The hurling League begins for Brian Cody’s men on Sunday afternoon when they host Cork in Nowlan Park and with Walsh expected to miss out with a minor knee injury, it looks like Lawlor, who’s been minding the house for UCD in the Electric Ireland Fitzgibbon Cup over the last few weeks, will get his chance.
“Huw Lawlor played in Sydney, he’s from the O’Loughlin’s club in Kilkenny and he’s performing very steadily and that’s what you want, someone who’s steady there and who minds your goalkeeper,” said Tommy Walsh to us recently.
Paddy Deegan, who made himself a fixture on the Kilkenny team with a string of exceptional performances at corner back last year, enjoyed Walsh’s company in the last line, but he knows more than most that, if Walsh was to miss out, Lawlor is more than capable of stepping up.
“Padraig is an exceptional hurler, he’s a good man to play with. I suppose he’s the same as Tommy in that he just loves hurling and he won’t ever question anything but I think he was very good there last year I didn’t see a problem with Padraig at full back but obviously I think he could be missing the start of the league, and there is a clubmate of mine, Huw Lawlor who could get a chance, he was full back there against Wexford last week.”
The pair have won county senior and under-21 championships alongside one another in recent years, and Deegan reminds us that Lawlor has been a solid club player for the last while.
“He has massive potential, he’s a great attitude and he is grounded like the rest of the young lads, he is physically strong. He’s about 6″4/6″5. He’s been exceptional for O’Loughlin Gaels the last few years so. He was FB with us there. He would have been around the half back line as well but went back there this year and performed really well.”
It’s an exciting possibility for Kilkenny fans, the chance to see Padraig Walsh back in the half back line and his brother Tommy agrees that five is his best position.
“All of us were much better facing the ball, we like getting out on the ball so I’d say wing back would probably be his best position,” he concluded.
The FootballJOE quiz: Were you paying attention? – episode 10
