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“I’d nearly just tip my cap to him, yeah.”
The Sunday Game’s All-Ireland final day punditry panel of Henry Shefflin, Donal Og Cusack and Anthony Daly mentioned four players when giving their Hurler of the Year choices:
- Noel McGrath (Tipperary)
- TJ Reid (Kilkenny)
- Seamus Callanan (Tipperary)
- Patrick Horgan (Cork)
Following Tipperary’s 14-point demolition of Kilkenny in the hurling final, at Croke Park, Joanne Cantwell asked the hurling legends for their Hurler of the Year.
There was a split decision winner [2-1] but Tipperary fans will be happy to hear one of their men took the accolade.
Henry Shefflin
“I guess it’s from three candidates and that’s Noel McGrath, Seamus Callanan and TJ Reid. And Seamus Callanan was very unfortunate in 2015 not to win it.
“He scored a goal in every game, he’s clinical, he’s the captain… I would just give it to him, just slightly ahead of Noel McGrath.”
Anthony Daly
“Yeah, I’d just about go along with Henry. He may be just ahead of Noel McGrath, who has an outstanding chance of being [named] man of the match tonight. He was man of the match in the semi-final too and he was massive.
“But Seamus Callanan is captain and every single day he has delivered. I’d nearly just tip my cap to him, yeah.”
Donal Og Cusack
Donal Og Cusack gave much warranted praise to fellow Corkman Patrick Horgan before noting that performances in the final ‘colour so much’.
“TJ Reid, obviously. I’ve become a huge fan of him over these last couple of years. And I’m not so sure… is there a better player in the championship that can match him? I don’t know.
“But because the final colours it so much, I’m going to slightly go against the two boys. I’m going to go with Noel McGrath. I just think his performance today – and I know we can be a bit blinded by today – every aspect of it, the intelligence, vision and wrist-work. I go back to the first half when the game was in the melting pot and so many balls… the snigging, knocking the ball away, he was the one that was able to control the ball when it was 15 on 15.”
The panel give their Hurler of the Year picks, with @Donalogc ultimately differing from @daloanto and @shefflinhenry pic.twitter.com/sudxTsx9DQ
— The Sunday Game (@TheSundayGame) August 18, 2019
The Sunday Game’s end of championship review show will pick their team of the year and Hurler of the Year on Sunday evening, with Callanan the favourite to get the nod too, and several of his Tipp teammates to make the Best XV.
