Top 20 Forwards of All Time?

[Owen Brannigan]

Breheny in the Indo has thrown out this list in trying to put Colm Cooper in the context of the best forwards.........




1 MIKEY SHEEHY (Kerry)
2 PETER CANAVAN (Tyrone)
3 PAT SPILLANE (Kerry)
4 MATT CONNOR (Offaly)
5 COLM COOPER (Kerry)
6 SEAN O'NEILL (Down)
7 MAURICE FITZGERALD (Kerry)
8 LARRY TOMPKINS (Kildare & Cork)
9 JIMMY KEAVENEY (Dublin)
10 COLM O'ROURKE (Meath)
11 PADRAIC JOYCE (Galway)
12 Eoin 'BOMBER' LISTON (Kerry)
13 BERNARD BROGAN (Dublin)
14 JOHN EGAN (Kerry)
15 BARNEY ROCK (Dublin)
16 MICHAEL MURPHY (Donegal)
17 TREVOR GILES (Meath)
18 MARTIN McHUGH (Donegal)
19. MICKEY KEARINS (Sligo)
20 GREG BLANEY (Down)

[Jinxy]

I would remove the following:
Keaveney
Liston
Rock
Murphy
McHugh
Kearins

[thewobbler]

Oisin McConville should be in that list, and very near the top of it too.

[In hiding]

I would put Stevie Mc Donnell ahead of Oisin Mc Conville

[thewobbler]

I would put Stevie Mc Donnell ahead of Oisin Mc Conville

Each to their own. Stevie was outstanding and (like most of that shortlist above) had a very eye catching style. Oisin was mr efficient, who outscored just about them all.

[Il Bomber Destro]

Would definitely have McConville, Linden, Paddy Bradley and McDonnell in there.

[BennyHarp]

Any list without Frank McGuigan isn't worth taking seriously but I wish I'd seen more of Matt Connor.
https://youtu.be/snlHd8e7uKs
The type of player you'd travel miles to watch in a club game. I remember hearing that he traveled up to a benefit night for Frank in Tyrone shortly after Franks injury and him still in a wheelchair himself. Great player and great man.

[From the Bunker]

Notable misses

Mickey Linden
Michael Donnelan
Tony McManus
Graham Geraghty
Stevie McDonnell
Conor McManus
Frank McGuigan

[Jinxy]

Stephen O'Neill?

[shark]

Ones who we'd all be including if they'd had more success:
- Mattie Forde
- Des Dolan
- Declan Browne
- Kevin O'Brien

Others who are probably not top 20 but are as good as many mentioned above, in my opinion:
- Dinny Allen
- Bernard Flynn
- Ciaran McDonald

[The Stallion]

McDonnell should definitely be in that list. Two footed, strong, could win his own ball, and score from any angle.

O'Neill is another notable absentee.

Mcdonald and Brisn McGuigan weren't the heaviest of scorers. But they were great forwards in a different way.

[Wildweasel74]

if Barney Rock , Blaney and Egan are better than (Murphy) sorry just checked, Murphy there.and Mcmanus there sthing wrong, don't see either of the terrible twins there either, Matt Connor No.1 to me and always has been

[Zulu]

Some dodgy ones there alright but Michael Murphy can't have many complaints, granted he is playing in an era (and role) that doesn't allow him to flourish as a forward but I can't recall many great attaching performances from him in recent years, though I'm sure there may have been one or two.

Stephen O'Neill would be the biggest omission for me, easily better than most on the list. Connolly the most deserving of the current players and way ahead of the two Dubs on it for a start. Ciaran McDonald was certainly more talented than many on the list but Matt Connor is number one and it isn't even a discussion as far as I'm concerned. As great as the three ahead of him were Matt was a different level entirely.

[Jinxy]

Bernard Brogan in his prime>>>>>>>>Diarmuid Connolly in his prime.
Scoring machine.

[The Stallion]

Murphy wouldn't be in the too 100 for me.  Massively overrated player.