the irish independent top 125 football and hurling stars

[INDIANA]

Gay O Driscoll in the top 125 says everything. Sorry Gay. I find it just a non-exercise really.

[SLIGONIAN]

Happy enough with Mickey Kearins at no17, Tompkins or canavan wouldnt be as good as him though, as the lads have already said no McD or OHara makes it a bit of joke. Maurice fitz at 33 would have him higher for sure. Wouldnt have geraghty even on this list.

Joyce is on the list I think at 54.

You know its a blooming shame theres not much footage of Kearins, my Dad recounts often, him scoring 15pts against Mayo in a championship that we drew, another scoring 10pts plus against Galway of the 60s, It wasnt just his high scoring, hed beat 3 or 4 players and score from impossible angles. It was the quality of his scores. I said this before but O Hara and Kearins dont have the luxury the Kerry lads have in that they dont just have to worry about there own game, they had to cover for others all the time.

[imtommygunn]

McGrane was very good and very effective but he was a long way off being as good as Dara O'se.

Joyce is in the 125 is he not?

[DuffleKing]

on what basiswould c mcdonald be making that list?

a good footballer with time and space but lacked work rate and the ability to deal with top drawer marking

[ballinaman]

on what basiswould c mcdonald be making that list?

a good footballer with time and space but lacked work rate and the ability to deal with top drawer marking

Top drawer marking?? How about dragging Mayo to the all ireland final in 04 by himself basically, do you not think he was marked during that championship? Gave Cronin a roasting for Cross against Nemo in the all ireland final. Too many matches to count where he made defenders look foolish down through the years.

[DuffleKing]

ah now, ou're citing club football as criteria for selection? defending wasn't exactly cronin's strong point. he excelled with loose marking, footballing centre backs picking him up.

[Cúig huaire]

No one is ever going to agree entirely with one of these lists, its all a matter of opinion. I would have Sean O`Neill at the top, just ahead of Canavan, but I am probably a bit biased.
Good to see the top 50 is free of the negative type of player that blighted the early part of this decade.

[ballinaman]

Well i just couldn't disagree with you more to be honest, club, county...same game i thought. He had defenders hanging out of him the majority of time for mayo yet he was able to find space, surely thats the mark of a great player, being able to find space which comes across as loose marking. The title of the list is "top 125 football and hurling stars" Hard to say McD wasn't a star. Anyways, you have an opinion and you are entitled to it.

[muppet]

ah now, ou're citing club football as criteria for selection? defending wasn't exactly cronin's strong point. he excelled with loose marking, footballing centre backs picking him up.

Like Eamon Fitzmaurice and Stephen O'Brien and who was on him versus Galway in 1998 for the goals, was it Tommy Mannion?

[the Deel Rover]

ah now, ou're citing club football as criteria for selection? defending wasn't exactly cronin's strong point. he excelled with loose marking, footballing centre backs picking him up.

Like Eamon Fitzmaurice and Stephen O'Brien and who was on him versus Galway in 1998 for the goals, was it Tommy Mannion?

can't imagine why any team would put a footballing centre back on him most of the games mc played his marker was never too far away . its gas when a you have a player who is capable of making time and space they are accused of lacking work rate and ability to deal with top drawer marking . one thing mc couldn't be accused of was lacking work rate   

[INDIANA]

The whole list of players is a joke. Even JBM is on the football list- he can only have played football for about 2 seasons. How in the name of christ does that constitute being in the top 125?
Maurice Fitz at 33?

[RedandGreenSniper]

Ah things like this are subjective. Always will be. I don't think that's a reason in itself not to run them. I'd prefer to read that in the paper today than a page on the GPA AGM. Nice easy reading and provokes debate. I certainly wouldn't be of the same mind as Brehony though.

[Donnellys Hollow]

Fitzgerald at 33? FFS!

Says it all about this list - a load of rubbish

[bigpaul]

McGrane was very good and very effective but he was a long way off being as good as Dara O'se.

Joyce is in the 125 is he not?

Did Kerry ever get the better of Armagh in the mid-field battles when both were in their prime?

[RedandGreenSniper]

McGrane was very good and very effective but he was a long way off being as good as Dara O'se.

Joyce is in the 125 is he not?

Did Kerry ever get the better of Armagh in the mid-field battles when both were in their prime?

Perhaps. But much of that has to do with O Se not having a strong partner. O Se always held his own, at worst, against McGrane. Also O Se has been playing at the top level for thirteen solid years. He was playing for three years before that, before Kerry made any breakthrough. That kind of staying power is phenemonal.