John Fenton and ground hurling

[JBM on the 21]

I just got done watching highlights of the 1984 Munster Hurling Final on youtube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXrWon3kZdI

Fenton had some pair of wrists on him - He pulled on a ball close to the half way line (at 4:30)  that barly went wide for a point.
Watching this for the first time, I understand better the goal he scored against Limerick three years later in 1987 
When it came to ground hurling, the man was a legend - he pulled on every thing - the build up to Tony O'Sullivan's equalising goal, he pulled on a ball when most hurlers would have picked it up
It is a skill you rarely see anymore - were there any exponents of ground hurling that you can think  of that would match Fenton?
It is something that seems to be dying out of the game.

[didlyi]

Yes a terrible pity to see it fall off but with the possession game that exists today it is suicidal almost to pull on the ground. Im sure that if players had the wrists of John Fenton they wouldnt mind having a go from way out the field but then he was better than most with the ground stroke.

[Bord na Mona man]

Adrian Fenlon of Wexford was probably the last hardcore ground hurler.
Any loose ball around midfield, he'd pull on it sending it half the length of the pitch. It was as if he had a Cobra driver.

[Minder]

Was bad goalkeeping by Tommy Quaid (RIP) for his goal.

[johnneycool]

Yes a terrible pity to see it fall off but with the possession game that exists today it is suicidal almost to pull on the ground. Im sure that if players had the wrists of John Fenton they wouldnt mind having a go from way out the field but then he was better than most with the ground stroke.

I don't buy this possession game thing we're supposed to have today and the fact that ground hurling has no place in the modern game. It also implies that ground strokes have no degree of accuracy and that's as much to do with coaching as anything else.

Kilkenny don't use the a possession type game (in the same manner as gaelic footballers and the Cork team of three odd years ago) as they've forwards well capable of winning aerial ball in particular. Cork didn't have this luxury and devised a running game to make up for this defiency, the Cork team of three weeks ago didn't do much running with the ball but instead let the ball into the big target man and fed off him. It gives them far more goal opportunities than their running/possession game ever did where they'd relay race like pass the ball until about 40 yards out, then normally take their point. Sean O'g, Tom Kenny and the twins are powerful runners but now its only really Naughton who can outrun a man. Dirty ball winners will always be a must in hurling.
Most forwards like a low quick ball into them and there's no better ball than a good ground stroke from the middle of the park.
A lot of the modern coaching is hung up on fancy drills and ground hurling as a skill isn't encouraged enough so a lot of modern hurlers don't have the ability or confidence to use ground hurling, i.e. Aisake missed two sitters from poor ground strokes but if he'd attempted to lift the ball he'd have been smothered out of getting a shot away.

It' as big a pain for me listening to lads going on all the time to youngsters about lifting a ball when a good ground stroke would get the ball to where they want it to go only quicker as others giving off about the one handed lift. Both skills need coached in the execution of and when and where to use them.