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It's not 'amazing'. Athletes recover from cruciate injuries on a regular basis these days.
Pope_Benedict (Galway) - Posts: 3868 - 22/01/2024 18:13:11 2521602 Link 1 |
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Good player yes one of the greatest midfielders to have played the game? .Think the exc might be getting to you.
Tiger1 (Wexford) - Posts: 280 - 22/01/2024 20:13:45 2521632 Link 1 |
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Over the last 30 years I'd 100% have Michael Fennelly and David Burke as 8 and 9. Won everything and level consistency is incredible, 13 years after winning motm in a fitzgibbon final and 10 months after a cruciate to get motm at midfield in a club all Ireland final in only 2nd full game back. Throw in the 4 all stars, motm in a senior all Ireland and few more medals with Galway and Thomas's, I think he has a fairly strong case. He's peak from 2015-19 he was untouchable as top midfielder in the country. 2nd greatest galway hurler of all time and that includes Joe Cooney, John Connolly and host more. Think because he's such an unassuming type of lad he didn't get the credit but winning every honour in the game and winning motm in nearly every major final all the way along...I cat see too many to match him for that and his longevity. Some scoring record in all Ireland finals too. Also along with Noel McGrath and Cathal Mannion the nicest strike on a ball in the modern game, closest in style to striking to John Fenton, makes the perfect C strike when hitting the ball. Amazing player, don't know how or why anyone underrated him. Even his Last county game v Limerick in 2022 semi final he was outstanding. A real leader. Just have to listen to Henry Shefflin talk about him too.
Throughthemidfieldhewasstormin (Wexford) - Posts: 276 - 22/01/2024 23:06:54 2521649 Link 3 |
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Its very hard to compare different eras of players, I would saw Burke is the best midfielder to play for Galway and one of the top leaders (along with Conor Hayes) but Cooney was gifted as was Connolly. Cooney was an out and out forward while Connolly could play anywhere from center back (all ireland club final '79) to full forward (all Ireland '80). As a leader , yes probably the best, as a midfielder for Galway definitely the best, but have to go with Canning, Cooney , Connolly in that order
BostonGuy (Galway) - Posts: 133 - 23/01/2024 02:38:00 2521656 Link 1 |
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its still approx 9 months with rehab. Ice Hockey players blow them all the time. Burkes recovery was pretty darn good and shows excellence from the surgery all the way through rehab. It takes some level of determination to get back and Burke showed that in spades especially considering his age, would have been easier for him to just say Im done and pack it in
BostonGuy (Galway) - Posts: 133 - 23/01/2024 02:43:21 2521657 Link 1 |
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Lot more than speed, Limerick is a well run machine on a number of fronts skillful, big, play to the line of a foul, dirty (if needed) , mentally strong, battle hardened, brilliant strategy and formations, ruthless management who can make tough decisions, constant hunger, excellent sport science, add in a bottomless pit of money and they are probably the greatest team of any generation.
BostonGuy (Galway) - Posts: 133 - 23/01/2024 02:53:34 2521660 Link 1 |
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Yes you're right but it would usually be younger lads than David. He has a lot of mileage on him. I wasn't the only one at that time that wondered if he'd ever play again. I couldn't be happier for him.
Trump2020 (Galway) - Posts: 2257 - 23/01/2024 06:31:40 2521663 Link 0 |
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They may recover but how many of them are able to recover so quickly to compete at the highest level and be the difference between winning and losing an AIF?
baire (Galway) - Posts: 1849 - 23/01/2024 07:50:52 2521670 Link 1 |
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Not amazing that he played again, but certainly the performance level was. After a short run-out at the end of the county final, to play the full game and extra-time at such a high level against Ballygunner and then deliver a man-of-the-match performance in the final was exceptional.
WanPintWin (Galway) - Posts: 2187 - 23/01/2024 08:46:06 2521676 Link 2 |
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The sport's psychology part is often overlooked. Very interested to see them in full flight this year as their psychologist has left Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3118 - 23/01/2024 09:34:32 2521682 Link 1 |
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Yes David may not be as "flashy" as Joe Canning, Henry Shefflin or DJ Carey but I have heard a lot of former players call him a "player's player". He just gets on with the game, can take his own scores, can see space or a possible opening very quickly and can deliver into that space on either side even while soloing with the ball. He also gets stuck in and does a lot of unseen "donkeywork". He is a leader on the pitch to the younger players and leads by example. He was one of the first player to commiserate with Mark Bergin after the game. I think his longevity in the game and "never give up" attitude also has to be admired. A great player and person all round.
tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 23/01/2024 09:35:41 2521683 Link 2 |
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It is fantastic to see. We'd similar with Liam og McGovern who did it twice. His game was also entirely based on speed so had to totally reinvent himself. Came back to be motm in Leinster final of 19 too, and hit kk for two Goals last year. If he was from anywhere other than Wexford he'd be adored Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3118 - 23/01/2024 09:37:33 2521685 Link 1 |
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He's one of the best we have had since the early 90s.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13737 - 23/01/2024 10:16:52 2521692 Link 1 |
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Ah yes but Kilkenny have all those things except speed and haven't won an AI since 2015. The bottomless pit of money thing is wearing thin at this stage. All the top Senior Hurling panels want for nothing and have fortunes spent on them.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13737 - 23/01/2024 10:19:07 2521693 Link 1 |
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To be fair to Limerick, you have to know where to spend it and they've done a remarkable job with all of their structures
Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3118 - 23/01/2024 11:04:24 2521698 Link 1 |
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For sure. The friends son who hurled underage for them said it was a brilliant set up.
Viking66 (Wexford) - Posts: 13737 - 23/01/2024 12:43:13 2521710 Link 1 |
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How did the Galway hurling thread suddenly become the Wexford hurling thread? I'm pretty sure Wexford have a thread of their own! tommy k (Galway) - Posts: 3470 - 23/01/2024 12:59:25 2521712 Link 1 |
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everyone is talking about money, psychology, strength .speed, power, skill. but the big difference between limerick and the chasing pack is paul kinnerk. he has made a very good limerick team one of the greatest if not the greatest team of all time. this man is a genius and he has spent the whole winter planning 2024 to stay ahead of the chasing pack . to me his greatest strength is he is able to size up the opposition so quickly . he sits bk nice and calm watching the first 20 mins and is able to change things around to get the better of the opposition he is cool and laid back and then you see the likes of davy fitz jumping around like a kangaroo., and to a lesser extent shefflin roaring at linesmen and refs. how can they evaluate the game and spot things when they are jumping and roaring.
munsterchamps (Limerick) - Posts: 1130 - 23/01/2024 13:15:46 2521714 Link 1 |
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The conversation is still about Galway for the most part. We're here because we're playing on Sunday. Won't see us again until the championship then. Sound for the hospitality all the same Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 3118 - 23/01/2024 13:58:58 2521723 Link 1 |
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Boston Guy, I agree with all you say above, except the bottomless money argument. For the first 120 years of the Association Cork had more hurlers than the next four Hurling Counties in Munster put together and at least five and possibly as many as seven times the Financial Resources of a county like LK. They had county Hurling Finals that never seemed to draw less than 20, 000 people but more often than not drew nearer to 30, 000. In the early seventies there was 31,000 at a Cork County Final and there over 36, 000 in 1976- and several more got in for nothing that day. they also had very substantial attendances at county football finals. If you got 5,000 at a Limerick Hurling Final you would be very lucky and about 2,000 would be about average for a Football Final.. Add to this the fact that they never built a substantial pitch until 1976, whereas Limerick built a new Stadium as far back as 1926 and catered for a 61,000 crowd in 1961. Add to this the fact that Cork Hurlers were guaranteed pretty good jobs in the City, whereas Hurlers were almost seen as second class citizens in relation to rugby players in Limerick. Essentially if money mattered that much, Cork should have at least twice the number of All Irelands they have. Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4465 - 23/01/2024 14:08:12 2521725 Link 1 |