TJ Reid is 8/11 to be the Hurler of the Year. Seamie Callanan is the second favourite at 2/1.
There’s little doubt as to who’s the more adored of the two though. While nationwide acclaim meets the Kilkenny man’s every groundbreaking performance, Seamie Callanan’s record breaking goalscoring feats are more of a slow burner.
TJ is regularly breathed among the greatest hurlers of all time while the the Drom and Inch killer has to work a little bit harder for his dues.
Different kinds of players and all that, but when you consider that Callanan has scored a goal in every game this year, to make himself the third highest hurling championship goalscorer of all-time, he certainly can’t be too far off those comparisons.
Who is the Hurler of the Year so far? pic.twitter.com/oEhe0VN33T
— GAA JOE (@GAA__JOE) August 8, 2019
His wizard-like connection for Tipp’s first goal against Wexford last weekend was something so jaw-dropping in its execution that Wexford keeper Mark Fanning couldn’t possibly have seen it coming.
Colm Parkinson for one, feels it went a little bit underappreciated and nods that were it Reid who struck such a skilful bullet, more would have been made of it.
Opening a wider point that TJ is more appreciated than Tipperary’s main man. Offaly’s Brian Carroll was in agreement that Callanan may not get the credit he deserves.
“Seamie has been so unlucky that he didn’t get Hurler of the Year himself. The Tipp vote was split between himself and Seamie and Paudie Maher,” said Carroll.
“If TJ had scored the goal Seamie scored against Wexford, there would have been more made out of it,” said Wooly. Sometimes for some reason Seamie doesn’t get that, I don’t know why that is. Genuinely, if TJ had scored that goal, on a hopping ball, running away from the goal, would more have been made out of it? I think there would.”
“Maybe it’s because he’s in a forward line with match winners all over it…”
Brian Carroll feels Callanan has to make it into the ‘Hurling Superstar’ sphere before he gets to earn Reid-like credit.
“Seamie is not seen as a superstar of the game. We probably have a couple of them in Joe Canning, TJ, Tony Kelly – Patrick Horgan probably isn’t far off it. We’re talking about the players people have up on massive pedestals and Seamie has this record just as good as any of them – in terms of goalscoring, he’s obviously up there.”
Another 0-13 in an All-Ireland final and he couldn’t be too far off.
You can watch this episode of The GAA Hour Hurling Show live here.
