How many will hold their places until the end of the year?

The All-Star awards often hinge on semi-finals and finals, understandably, because that’s the business end of the season. Some people say that too much leverage is given to those closing games but that’s where heroes are made.

It’s where the big prizes and medals are won.

A lot of hurling has been played already, however, and that’s why we’re providing our pre-semi-final selection. Perhaps unsurprisingly, all of the players chosen come from the teams who will contest those semi-finals.

Tipperary’s Jake Morris and Cork’s Patrick Horgan can count themselves unlucky to miss out, as can Dublin trio Eoghan O’Donnell, Danny Sutcliffe and Donal Burke. Clare’s David Fitzgerald ran our midfield pairing close while Diarmuid Ryan, Kyle Hayes and Eoin Cody have scope to shove their way in over the closing two games.

All-Star hurling team (so far)

1 Nickie Quaid (Limerick)

2 Mikey Butler (Kilkenny)

3 Huw Lawlor (Kilkenny)

4 Barry Nash (Limerick)

5 Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick)

6 Daithí Burke (Galway)

7 Joseph Cooney (Galway)

8 Darragh O’Donovan (Limerick)

9 Cathal Mannion (Galway)

10 Tom Morrissey (Limerick)

11 Tony Kelly (Clare)

12 Shane O’Donnell (Clare)

13 Conor Whelan (Galway)

14 Aaron Gillane (Limerick)

15 Mark Rodgers (Clare)

Related links:

• Can you name every All-Ireland hurling winner since 1990?
• Why Pat Gilroy made Bernard Brogan play wing back as a “sacrificial lamb”
• Alan Brogan reveals the two things that he regrets in his football career