1 Nickie Quaid
Club: Effin. Age: 32. Occupation: Teacher. Debut: 2010 v Cork
A model of consistency and one of the best and most rounded goalkeepers in the modern game. Excellent hand, brilliant shot-stopper and dependable distribution – he scores high in all the key metrics in the game.
2 Seán Finn
Club: Bruff. Age: 25. Occupation: Risk Assurance. Debut: 2017 v Clare
Best corner back in hurling. He is quick, decisive and very cool and calm, both on the ball and around the square. I expect him to pick up Jack O’Connor should he end up in the full-forward line.
3 Dan Morrissey
Club: Ahane. Age: 28. Occupation: Accountant. Debut: 2015 v Clare
Versatile defender who goes about his business quietly and efficiently. Probably under-rated but a key cog in a teak tough defence. Will need all his experience against Patrick Horgan.
4 Barry Nash
Club: South Liberties. Age: 24. Occupation: Aviation Insurance. Debut: 2016 v Tipperary
The best distributor in the defence but has added more to his game this year. Defensively very adapt for a natural forward and has brought some steel to the party too.
5 Diarmuid Byrnes
Club: Patrickswell . Age: 27. Occupation: Bank Official. Debut: 2016 v Tipperary
A colossus in defence. Dominant in the air and on the ground and an excellent long-range shooter. Usually a no-go area for opposition puck outs but Séamus Harnedy will ask some questions.
6 Declan Hannon
Club: Adare. Age: 28. Occupation: Recruitment. Debut: 2011 v Wexford
Has had a really good year. Keeps it very simple and anchors the defence very smartly. Experience has taught when to go and when to stay and mind the house.
7 Kyle Hayes
Club: Kildimo Pallaskenry. Age: 23. Occupation: Student. Debut: 2017 v Clare
A phenomenon since he went back into defence. Solid going back towards his own goal but electric going forward. His physical attributes make for a mismatch no matter who Cork put on him.
8 William O’Donoghue
Club: Na Piarsaigh. Age: 27. Occupation: Distributor. Debut: 2018 v Cork
The battering ram of the team. The enforcer who does the dirty work, hits rucks, gets his hand on dirty ball and protects the heart of the Limerick defence in his hoovering role. In All Star form.
9 Darragh O’Donovan
Club: Doon. Age: 26. Occupation: Retail manager. Debut: 2016 v Westmeath
The stickman of the midfield. Very good on the ball, highly energetic all over the field with a great engine. An important cog in the Limerick middle third with a good eye for a score.
10 Gearóid Hegarty
Club: St Patrick’s. Age: 27. Occupation: Teacher. Debut: 2016 v Tipperary
Rules the skies with his tall frame under puck-outs. Very good carrying the ball through traffic. Takes a lot of attention to curtail and great to shoot a point from distance. Key player.
11 Cian Lynch
Club: Patrickswell.Age: 25. Occupation: Recruitment. Debut: 2015 v Clare
The conductor of the orchestra. I’m running out of superlatives for this guy. Links everything Limerick do, born for the big days, super temperament. A joy to watch. Treasure him while we have him
12 Tom Morrissey
Club: Ahane. Age: 25. Occupation: Tax official. Debut: 2016 v Tipperary
Strong in the air, abrasive, deadly accurate. The perfect mix for a modern half-forward. Part of the best line on any team in the country. Gets through spades of work and scores plenty.
13 Peter Casey
Club: Na Piarsaigh. Age: 24. Occupation: Sales executive. Debut: 2017 v Clare
The most efficient Limerick player. Pretty much never gives the ball away. Extremely accurate shooter and comes out the field quite a bit too so he can be tricky to pick up.
14 Séamus Flanagan
Club: Feohanagh Castlemahon. Age: 24. Occupation: Student. Debut: 2018 v Tipperary
Strong, steely and great route runner. Has really added something to his game by becoming a magic shooter over his shoulder. A handful for any defender as he is physical as well as pacy.
15 Aaron Gillane
Club: Patrickswell. Age: 25. Occupation: Owner AG Sports. Debut: 2017 v Clare
The kick in the backside for the Munster final has awoken the beast. I see him as the best inside-forward in the game. A first touch from the gods and a total assassin in his shooting.
Bench
Interestingly, if you take Aaron Gillane's 0-4 contribution against Tipperary away, Limerick only have 0-3 scored from the bench this year. They have turned to Conor Boylan, David Reidy and Graeme Mulcahy to offer freshness and scores off the bench in the final quarter of games. In fairness, they mostly haven't needed them by then.
The Limerick bench may not be as strong as other years. That said, they have cover in Richie English at the back. Cathal O'Neill could be a maverick to appear in the final having not appeared all year. In a game that's going to be very athletic, I expect to see the bench being called in earlier here. Limerick will need at least four subs to get over the line. Cork may well have the advantage here because their subs are arguably going to be more tried and tested than Limerick's.
