Donal O'Grady and Derek McGrath took up position on the Sunday Game this evening to assess the weekend's hurling. With the Leinster hurling final replay between Galway and Kilkenny offering the most compelling tie of the lot, it was fascinating to assess the different approach both analysts took to the action at hand.
Agreeing on many points, O'Grady and McGrath were firm in their opposition to what necessarily constituted effective play; spectacular, or not.
The quality of hurling analysis on RTÉ compared to football is night and day. That skit of McGrath and O’Grady debating Walsh/Buckley comes from a deep knowledge of the game’s specifics, which comes from coaching these teams. The football analysts just don’t have that
— Cahair O'Kane (@CahairOKane1) July 8, 2018
The youngster is showing no fear of the more experienced pundit on his debut. "I disagree" says Derek McGrath on Donal O'Grady suggesting Padraig Walsh should be moved from full back #sundaygame
— Oisin Langan (@oisinlangan) July 8, 2018
Derek McGrath is excellent on #thesundaygame
— Fiach Ó Béarra (@fiach92) July 8, 2018
On the issue of Kilkenny's back-line, O'Grady and McGrath were at odds regarding Brian Cody's deployment of Padraig Walsh at full-back.
Tasked with keeping tabs on Galway's significantly taller Johnny Glynn, O'Grady was of the opinion that people were a little too quick to praise Walsh for his performances in last weekend's drawn final:
I think the praise of Padraig Walsh for fielding two or three balls in the first-half was a bit over the top, and maybe Galway felt like we're going to go after Padraig Walsh today with Johnny Glynn at the edge, and play good ball into him.
Disheartened with some of the 'spectacular' catches that had so enamoured viewers to Walsh's contribution, O'Grady took an altogether different stance: "He fielded two or three high balls as such ... [but] it's all about winning matches."
Citing another spectacular catch from Kilkenny's Paul Murphy in today's replayed final, O'Grady, self-admittedly 'old-school', was left questioning; 'why go for a spectacular catch when you can just bat it away?'
Unafraid to offer his own thoughts on what had occurred, McGrath believed Cody had little or no choice but to play Walsh where he did:
I disagree now. I think he is the best full-back currently in Kilkenny, the best man for the full-back position, and, I think he settled on Johnny Glynn [eventually].
Although both men were quick to reiterate their praise for Walsh generally, it made for a fascinating debate.
If you missed it tonight, be sure to watch back The Sunday Game.
