As the Limerick hurling team heads into what could be a historic season for them and the sport, Seamus Hickey looks at the panel and thinks there should be a Royal Rumble for starting places.
Another championship title victory next season would make Limerick the first team to win five consecutive Liam MacCarthy Cups.
This year's victory came despite them missing Seán Finn for much of the season. The defender ruptured his ACL during the Munster championship defeat to Clare in late April.
Hickey, who had a 12-year Limerick career, expects Finn to be a participant in that battle for places.
4 December 2023; Hurling analyst Séamus Hickey in attendance at the 2024 GAAGO match schedule launch at Croke Park in Dublin. Fans can avail of 38 exclusive matches in Ireland for €69 up until December 31st". Photo by Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
"The last time he did his cruciate, he came back like Sheamus from WWE," Hickey said at the launch of GAAGO's 2024 championship schedule.
"I have no idea what's going to happen now. If he puts another load of muscle on top of what he already has, he's going to be a brick wall. That's the nature of the dude he is.
"Sean Finn is superhuman. I'd be amazed if he's not hurling in January - and I mean training. For me, he's a realistic bet to feature at the end of the league, maybe at the end of February.
"If you're talking about leadership, standard setting... For me, he's an exceptional character. It's amazing how he takes care of himself away from the field.
"I'd hope to see him back and be in the [fullback line] mix with the likes of Mike Casey, Barry Nash, who has been an exceptional deployment in the corner.
"Dan Morrissey, Mr Utility, wherever he goes, he plays so well. He's one of the guys who is so underrated in what he's given to Limerick. I'm delighted he's got his All-Star. The two Morrissey brothers, a lot of the time, they fly under the radar of what they contribute.
"Then you're talking about picking three guys from that group of players. That's very tough. Then you've got Richie English coming back from his cruciate [injury] in the mix again."
8 July 2023; Injured Limerick players Sean Finn, left, and Declan Hannon before the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match between Limerick and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Hickey feels that in terms of their defensive personnel, Limerick are "formidable".
"I would say midfield and forwards are where they really need guys to step up," he adds.
"That's realistically where you'd deploy subs. You'd deploy subs into the full-forward line, half-forward line, midfield. That's where Limerick need guys to emerge.
"Realistically, for the last two years, to sustain the level that they've set, there has to be new blood every year, somebody different putting up their hand.
"Particularly 2023's league was refreshing for me. John Kiely gave so many different younger players chances, U20s guys, or guys just out of it.
"You had Mike Houlihan who had a super year in the league, didn't feature in the championship but got a really good chance. It reminded me of Billy Drennan with Kilkenny having a tremendous league.
"There's a heap of young guys coming at every position. To sustain where they're at, it can't be the same guys that carry it.
23 July 2023; Limerick players Diarmaid Byrnes, left, and Colin Coughlan celebrate after the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Kilkenny and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
"The backbone of that team is changing. When I see the likes of Declan at six and the different injuries he's had, and the reality is he's there nearly as many years as I was, you're looking for somebody to stand up that's capable of doing it. Colin Coughlan was there for a number of years. I'd love to see him step in and take a chance. He's got chances but it's such a hard team to break into.
"The reality is that the league, to me, should be a Royal Rumble in the Limerick dressing room of fellas looking for spots. They are hard earned. I would argue that in the Munster Championship [this year], the impact off the bench wasn't what it needed to be, and was what made Munster quite difficult."
Hickey is adamant that Limerick's chance to make history by winning a fifth consecutive title will not be discussed in the dressing room.
20 August 2018; Seamus Hickey with the Liam MacCarthy cup during the Limerick All-Ireland Hurling Winning team homecoming at the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick. Photo by Diarmuid Greene/Sportsfile
"At different times, you are going to have to interact with it," he said.
"I'm on the other side of it now where when you're talking to guys about these things, you get the textbook response. You get the rehearsed [line] from the PRO, 'This is what you say when you get this question'. That's a survival tactic because they are trying to deflect external noise.
"That's something they would have been very good at as a group, starting way back in 2017 when John came in. They are big on tuning out the external noise and you can see the benefits of that.
"The last two league campaigns and Munster championships have been fraught with adversity. If you do start listening to what's said around you, because there were a lot of people worrying and panicking about that Limerick team at the different stages of the last two years, you start bringing that in and it does affect how you prepare, and it goes affect how you perform.
"Some people point to the All-Ireland semi-final of 2019 as a time when maybe the mix wasn't right there, where everyone said, 'Let's coronate them now'. They were tripped up."
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