THE tighter nature of this year's All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship has been illustrated by the spread of nominations across 10 counties for PwC Hurling Allstars.
Limerick, who completed a treble of All-Ireland title triumphs – and won a fourth consecutive Munster crown - still lead the way, but this time with 'only' 12 names on the list, having had 15 nominees last year, resulting in a record dozen Allstars, following on from 14 nominees and nine Allstars in 2020.
This year the Treatymen are followed first by Galway on nine, then both Clare and Kilkenny on eight each.
The Cats won the Leinster crown and pushed the Treatymen all the way in the All-Ireland Final after thumping Clare at the semi-final stage, so may feel a tad aggrieved about their allocation.
However, the Bannermen were brilliant in their province, winning three matches and drawing with Limerick before only losing out to the mighty men in green after extra time in the Munster final.
Similarly, Galway were dominant in the Leinster round robin, with four wins and a draw, before losing the decider against Kilkenny and then beating Cork before Limerick edged them out in the All-Ireland semi-final.
Cork receive three nominations, while five other counties get one each: Dublin, Tipperary, Waterford, Westmeath, and Wexford, going to forwards Donal Burke, Noel McGrath, Dessie Hutchinson, Killian Doyle, and defender Damien Reck respectively.
There's likely to be a new Hurler of the Year as the holder of that accolade, Limerick's Cian Lynch, was out injured, while his colleague and 2020 winner Gearoid Hegarty is not one of the three players put forward for the GPA membership to vote on.
Instead, two other Treatymen, defenders Diarmaid Byrnes and Barry Nash are in the running, along with Kilkenny forward superstar TJ Reid – who was the Cats' last winner of that ultimate award in 2015.
Two more Cats are in the Young Hurler of the Year category, namely back Mikey Butler and attacker Eoin Cody, both of whom have also earned Allstar nominations, as has the other contender, Cork defender Ciaran Joyce.
Cody could make history by becoming the first three-time winner of this award, having already matched Tipperary star Eoin Kelly by lifting the trophy twice.
Overall, Limerick should break into the 80s in terms of total Allstars, currently sitting on 76, while Galway will move closer to a century of such accolades as the Allstars scheme enters its 52nd season.
Kilkenny are still way clear at the top of the roll of honour, with 189 Allstars, although goalkeeper Eoin Murphy – who is again nominated – was their only winner last year.
Doyle if selected would become only Westmeath's second ever hurling Allstar, after David Kilcoyne was named at right corner-forward in 1986.
2022 PwC Hurling Allstar nominations:
GOALKEEPERS
Nickie Quaid (Limerick), Eoin Murphy (Kilkenny), Éanna Murphy (Galway)
DEFENDERS
Seán Finn, Barry Nash, Mike Casey, Diarmaid Byrnes, Declan Hannon (all Limerick); Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Paddy Deegan, Richie Reid (all Kilkenny); Paul Flanagan, John Conlon, Diarmuid Ryan, David McInerney (all Clare); Dáithí Burke, Padraic Mannion, Fintan Burke (all Galway); Ciarán Joyce (Cork); Damien Reck (Wexford);
MIDFIELDERS
David Fitzgerald, Ryan Taylor (both Clare), William O'Donoghue (Limerick), Adrian Mullen (Kilkenny), Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork), Tom Monaghan (Galway);
FORWARDS
Gearóid Hegarty, Kyle Hayes, Tom Morrissey, Aaron Gillane, Seamus Flanagan (all Limerick); Conor Whelan, Joseph Cooney, Cathal Mannion (all Galway); TJ Reid, Eoin Cody (both Kilkenny); Tony Kelly, Shane O'Donnell (both Clare); Dessie Hutchinson (Waterford); Robbie O'Flynn (Cork); Donal Burke (Dublin); Noel McGrath (Tipperary); Killian Doyle (Westmeath).
HURLER OF THE YEAR
Diarmaid Byrnes, Barry Nash (both Limerick), TJ Reid (Kilkenny)
YOUNG HURLER OF THE YEAR
Mikey Butler, Eoin Cody (both Kilkenny), Ciarán Joyce (Cork)