Where did the it all go wrong?
It’s not about being one of Ireland’s best 15 players in the year. Then we could have had Rory Beggan and Steven Cluxton on the same team.
It’s not even about making it on an Ireland 15 if it was named in the morning. Then Michael Murphy or Lee Keegan would have made the cut.
It is about being the best player over the course of the year for the position you played in, between 1-15. Unfortunately, with the likes of Colm Cavanagh being shoehorned in at full back even though he never played there at all this year, it’s clear somewhere along the way, this meaning and the purpose of the All-Stars has been lost in translation.
The lads thrashed it out on Thursday’s GAA Hour Show, and Colm Parkinson, firstly had a few things to get off his chest.
“I’ve got some serious issues with this team. It’s angered me,” he began.
His main gripe is a positional one involving Brian Howard.
“The big one is Brian Howard being picked at midfield. Brian Howard didn’t spend a minute at midfield, he played wing forward and he was outstanding. He’s a shoo-in for an All-Star, the best wing forward all round. Now he’s picked in midfield, that’s wrong, wrong, wrong.”
The reason it’s wrong is the knock-on effect it has, ensuring that others harshly miss out. Ryan Wylie, for example, was inadvertently screwed over because of it.
“Colm Cavanagh’s at full back (on the All-Star team.) I would have Colm Cavanagh in midfield as an All-Star. He’s a midfielder that drops back. He marks no-one, he has no defensive role and he’s taking an All-Star off Ryan Wylie (full back) who has kept the best forwards in the game completely quiet.”
That’s not right and it’s not what the All-Stars stand for. If you’re the best full back in the country, well then you should be on the All-Star team at full back. This isn’t the case this year.
Wooly’s All-Star selection is as follows and the one Dublin fall-guy is Paul Mannion.
“I don’t have on Mannion on my team. For me, it’s him vs Ian Burke for number 13. I don’t have Mannion at wing forward, even though the Dublin forward line might inter-change around. He ain’t getting an All-Star off Brian Howard – so it’s Mannion vs Ian Burke.
“I was at the game in Omagh (Super 8s) and he was struggling and I remember thinking, he’s struggling to hit last year’s heights. He then scores four in the semi and 1-1 in the final. For me, the impact, Ian Burke had for his team, puts him ahead of Mannion.”
https://twitter.com/Woolberto/status/1057948099593846785
Shane Walsh should have been in there too, in Wooly’s opinion.
“Don’t get me started about Shane Walsh. I’m annoyed about that as well…What more does a man need to do to get an All-Star? He was outstanding in most of the games, including Super 8s and an All-Ireland semi-final,” he added.
Wooly, Conan and Conor thrash out the All-Stars pros, cons and debates and there’s much more to listen to from this Thursday’s GAA Hour Show here.
