ALL-IRELAND HURLING kingpins Limerick lead the way in the nominations for the 2017 Bord Gáis Energy U21 team and player of the year awards.
The Limerick quartet of Kyle Hayes, Aaron Gillane, Peter Casey and Sean Finn are all nominated for the leading player honour along with Kilkenny defender Conor Delaney.
- Aaron Gillane (Limerick - Patrickswell)1/5
The full county breakdown on the 45-player shortlist is as follows:
- 13 Limerick
- 7 Kilkenny and Galway
- 6 Waterford
- 4 Cork
- 3 Westmeath
- 2 Wexford and Derry
- 1 Tipperary
Seven players from the 2016 team of the year are in the running to be recognised again – Waterford players Conor Gleeson, Darragh Lyons, Shane Bennett and Patrick Curran, Galway’s Dan Nevin, Limerick’s Ronan Lynch and Westmeath’s Niall Mitchell.
The U21 team will be announced on Monday 2 October on Newstalk’s Off The Ball Facebook page with the judging panel consisting of Ger Cunningham, Mícheál Ó Domhnaill, Joe Canning and Ken McGrath.
Here’s the full list of nominations:
Full Shortlist for Bord Gáis Energy Team of the Year
Goalkeepers: Eoghan Mc Namara (Limerick), Darren Brennan (Kilkenny), Sean Maher (Westmeath).
Right corner-back: Sean O’Donoghue (Cork), Sean Finn (Limerick), Declan Cronin (Galway).
Full-back: Darragh Fanning (Limerick), Conor Delaney (Kilkenny), Conor Prunty (Waterford).
Left corner-back: Dan Joy (Limerick), Sean Loftus (Galway), Darragh Lyons (Waterford).
Right half-back: Darren Browne (Cork), Jack Grealish (Galway), Ronan Lynch (Limerick).
Centre-back: Conor Gleeson(Waterford), Kyle Hayes (Limerick), Ciaran Steele (Derry).
Left half-back: Jason Cleere (Kilkenny), Thomas Grimes (Limerick), Mark Coleman (Cork).
Midfield: Ger Browne (Tipperary), Colin Ryan (Limerick), Luke Scanlon (Kilkenny), Dan Nevin (Galway), Colm Roche (Waterford), Robbie Hanley (Limerick).
Right half-forward: Brian Concannon (Galway), Aaron Gillane (Limerick), Rory O’Connor (Wexford).
Centre-forward: Declan Dalton (Cork), Killian Doyle (Westmeath), John Donnelly (Kilkenny).
Left half-forward: Ritchie Leahy (Kilkenny), Cian Lynch (Limerick), Niall Mitchell (Westmeath).
Right corner-forward: Billy Ryan (Kilkenny), Patrick Curran (Waterford), Conor Whelan (Galway).
Full-forward: Shane Bennett (Waterford), Peter Casey (Limerick), Cormac O’Doherty (Derry).
Left corner-forward: Thomas Monaghan (Galway), Cathal Dunbar (Wexford), Barry Nash (Limerick).
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I’m sure Murphy is a very good coach with plenty of strong recommendations but is this an opportunity lost to bring someone new into the fold with different ideas who isn’t tied to the current management team?
@Ricky Wright: I think Irfu have taken a good approach to u20′s management in the last number of years. They seem to go for coaches who place a high degree of emphasis on skills and heads up rugby. Probably why the 20′s have been more exciting to watch over the last number of years than the senior team.
@Punts & Race Discussion: if we look at the sort of players which have come through and are coming through at Munster and Leinster in the forwards it makes a great reading for the type of players Ireland are looking to produce. I know am missing a few guys here but off top my head that reads well from last few years. All athletically gifted and skilled.
Doris
Deegan
Baird
Connors
Kelleher
Penny
Porter
Ryan
Sheehan
Wycherley x2
Coombes
Ahern
Hodnett
@Punts & Race Discussion: personally I think it was a mistake to have the u20 national team head coach as the academy coach for a province. That was changed in January with Kieran Campbell being appointed. Now the rumour is he’s heading to England which is fair enough. The u20 game is a shambles at the moment due to lack of games as a result of covid. Hopefully it’ll get going again soon
Great Appointment