Shane McGrath believes that the All-Ireland club hurling final between O'Loughlin Gaels and St Thomas' could be decided by the duel between Paddy Deegan and Conor Cooney.
While both sides may have been considered outsiders at the start of the campaign, they've both cut a trail through their county and provincial campaigns and are looking for one final big performance at Croke Park this Sunday.
O'Loughlin Gaels have overcome the challenge of big guns like Ballyhale and Na Fianna, while St Thomas' proved their mental strength when they shook off four successive All-Ireland semi-final defeats to beat Ballygunner on penalties this time around.
Two-time All-Star McGrath admits that this is not the final line-up he would have predicted at the start of the campaign, but is adamant both sides deserve to be where they are.
Speaking on 2fm’s Game On, McGrath said: "They’ve both beaten the teams we thought would be in the final at the start of the year. Anyone who said they weren’t thinking Ballygunner or Ballyhale were going to be in this final, it would have been hard to conceive.
"We’ve seen the intensity that Thomas’ brought in the game against Ballygunner and O’Loughlin’s overcame Ballyhale in the Kilkenny county final and have had a tough route since.
"They’ve both been tested and have come through big tests in the semi-final, so it’s very hard to separate them.
"Defensively, looking at O’Loughlin’s, they currently have half the Kilkenny inter-county backs in Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler and Paddy Deegan.
"When you’re trying to set up as a forward looking at the three of those, you’re trying to say 'right, we might not get much change out of the three of them, what are we going to get out of the other three defenders?’ What people need to realise on the Thomas’ and O’Loughlin’s side, the majority of these lads have played inter-county, be it at under-21 or senior level.
"There’s a wealth of talent on both sides, it’s very hard to separate them. "
McGrath believes that both teams are evenly matched all across the pitch but feels that the battle between O'Loughlin’s Deegan and St Thomas’ Cooney could decide things and he feels that Cooney might just give his side the edge.
"There's going to be a good few match-ups around the field," the former Tipperary star said. "Mikey Butler might take James Regan, Huw Lawlor might pick up Éanna Burke, Mark Bergin might end up marking Shane Cooney at some stage.
"But I think the match-up that could determine a lot of it, is Paddy Deegan and Conor Cooney.
"Conor Cooney is averaging 10, 11 points a game for the club, he’s playing a real leader’s role. But if he pushes back the field to get the ball and you invite Paddy Deegan up the field, he could pop off four of five points like he did against Na Fianna.
"What Thomas’ brought in the semi-final, I don’t think we realised tactically how well Kenny Burke had them set them up, with the intensity they brought. If they can bring the intensity again, obviously they have the hurlers, I think Thomas’ can edge it again."
