Let the low ball in high.
Back in the day, the big full forward was a given in hurling. Every team had a big, burly target man on the edge of the square and he’d be the out ball whenever it was needed.
Hurling tactics have evolved over the years. Back in the day, the big full forward was the first man on every team sheet.
Nowadays, with short passing and building from the back a huge part of modern game plans, they’re fewer and further between, but don’t be fooled into thinking they don’t still exist, or that they’ve lost their effect.
There are many big full forwards cutting shapes in hurling nowadays, from Shane Dowling to Conor McDonald to Seamus Callanan to Peter Duggan.
There are none more effective than Dublin’s Liam Rushe and Offaly’s Joe Bergin – Kilkenny’s Padraig Walsh will tell you that much.
A wing back by nature, the Tullaroan man has been re purposed as a full back by necessity. An All-Star half back in 2016, Walsh was one of the best number 5s in the game.
But Kilkenny’s last line were after getting slaughtered by Tipperary’s front three in the 2016 All-Ireland final, and with nobody really asserting themselves as a solid number three since JJ Delaney’s retirement, Brian Cody looked to his most complete defender to plug the hole.
Many claimed that Cody was robbing Peter to pay Paul, but with Walsh minding the house like a pedigree guard dog ever since his retreat to the edge of the square, it looked like just another Brian Cody masterstroke.
Kilkenny have started their Leinster championship campaign well with wins against Dublin and Offaly over successive weekends.
The Cats were made to work hard in both games, none harder than Padraig Walsh.
Last weekend, Liam Rushe pinballed around the full forward line like a bullock let out to grass for the summer and Walsh was unable to contain him.
The St Patrick’s Palmerstown power station contested high balls like a gargantuan gorilla fighting for a banana and when he got the sliotar in his hand he raced down the throat of the black and amber back line.
Walsh never got to grips with him as he set up two goals for teammates and caused havoc all day long.
It looks like @LiamRushe went to the ‘Kevin McLoughlin School of taking steps, in the build-up to @PaulRyan50’s GOAL , but we’ll take it! #GaaNow #LSHC2018 #Allianz #Gaa ↓↓
— 𝘿𝙪𝙗𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙏𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙧 (@DubMatchTracker) May 13, 2018
Fast forward one week and Joe Bergin had Walsh’s measure in Nowlan Park. Another 6 ft plus, 14 stone bully, Bergin scored 1-3 from play in a fruitful outing against the Cats.
Padraig Walsh isn’t the biggest man himself, so maybe tossing a giant in on top of him is the best way to go about breaking the bronco. Nowadays size isn’t a seen as a perquisite for full backs, with short passing taking over, but that only further strengthens what a bit of it can do for a full forward.
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