1.
Robbie Stapleton (Thurles CBS & Thurles Sarsfields) Robbie number two is a very potent scorer and has been a key contributor to Thurles’ huge scoring tallies so far in this year’s competition. He bagged 2-8 from play in the opening two rounds of the group stages and has that eye for goal that has made him a huge asset to a score and is well able to find the target. In the quarter-final where the scoring from play and the match in general was incredibly tight, with Thurles playing catch up for large spells, Stapleton came up with some big scores. Another big consideration for Cashel Community School.
2.
Tommy Maher (Thurles CBS & Thurles Sarsfields) A lot of the plaudits for Thurles’ impressive displays in this year’s competition have been laid at the feet of their scoring forwards, but Tommy Maher is the engine of this team and supplies those pacey inside forwards with top quality ball. He has a very steady eye for the placed balls and he will need to be in top form again as the margins may be very small in this game. All this said, we might not be talking about the very first all-Tipperary final in Harty history only for Maher’s brilliantly struck 21-yard free against St Colmans Fermoy in the quarter-final which turned the tables late on for Thurles and helped them to progress.
3.
Adam Daly (Cashel Community School & Knockavilla Kickhams) What an addition the All-Ireland minor winner from last year has been to the Cashel team. He moved from Rockwell College for this school year and he has been one of the big differences between victory and defeat in several games throughout the competition. Daly really does step up to the mark in the big games - which we saw in the All-Ireland final for Tipperary last July - and he did so again in the biggest game of the school’s history, bagging 0-4 from play and scoring the winner deep in injury time. He has energy to burn and really takes the scoring burden off the Cashel forwards, with his long range shooting a joy to behold, and should Cashel go on to win this eagerly awaited final, he will no doubt have been a big reason for it. Thurles will have their hands full with this man.
4.
Ben Currivan (Cashel Community School & Golden Kilfeacle) Comparatively speaking, Cashel have made their way to this year’s final through their mean defensive efforts unlike their opponents, but they have had to rely on Golden/Kilfeacle sharpshooter Ben Currivan for scores. He really announced his quality to the general public when he scored no less than 4-0 from play against St Flannans in round one of the group stage, and he really showed his versatility in the semi-final. Despite not scoring as heavily as he had been in other games, he turned provider more than once, with his energy and vision a massive asset to the Cashel team.