Obvious place to start after yesterday but just how good is Henry Shefflin?

As Jarlath Cloonan said this morning, you run out of superlatives for the man. Shefflin is the embodiment of Kilkenny and every hurling supporter should cherish him regardless of their county affiliation.

Greatness is about leadership, about seizing the moment, about shaping games. One of Shefflin's finest moments wasn't in victory at all but in defeat against Cork in 2004 - that shot that Donal Og saved. Kilkenny were sinking and Shefflin knew what had to be done. It didn't work for him on that occasion, but the principle remains.

Of his generation, yes. That's as far as you can go.

Afternoon

You grow up on tales of Ring, Doyle, Keher and Mackey but you see them through other people's words. There's no prism with Shefflin - we all see it for ourselves.

One of the best of the modern era obviously but yesterday's personal display wouldn't be in his top five, or maybe top ten. I was surprised he was in the running for MOM. The drawn game was what Enda was talking about in terms of leadership. It was a refusal to accept defeat. A single-handed saving of his team. He was like the the Bull McCabe pushing back the tide. Except Henry succeeded where the Bull failed.

@Brendan, Dublin Something we asked Galway selector Mattie Kenny about this morning, Brendan. He blew the whistle and called what was a free so I don't think he was wrong. Put any of us in that same situation and we'd probably have done the same. Hurling needs a proper advantage rule, though.

@Brendan it was probably a soft enough free, but as Tony Leen said yesterday on Twitter, Donnellan took a lot of steps. Advantage is a big hobby horse of mine and James McGrath could not have envisioned Donnellan flashing a shot of that nature to the roof of the net beyond a couple of Kilkenny defenders and David Herity. From a free, he had a definite point. Everyone heard the whistle blown. I was surprised by the subsequent reactions.

The whistle had gone long before the shot. What's the problem?

Of much more significance to me was Joe Canning hitting the butt of the post from a tight angle, with such force that the sliotar rebounded out beyond the 13m line. Kilkenny pointed from the clearance and within a few minutes, Donnellan was sent off and Kilkenny were cruising.

Yep. Had McGrath blow for a foul on Hayes a few moments earlier, Galway would have still had the point from a free. So Daragh is right - the Canning thing was a four-point swing.

@Enda McEvoy That handpass was a smidgen undercooked to Canning, otherwise . . .

What about Canning lads, rate him?

@John Fogarty Shows what you miss when you head for home after the game

@Terry Joe Canning is pure and utter class

@Enda McEvoy Mullane didn't play a second half at all this summer, Enda. Moran was there by right.

Ha ha! But I do think Nash will get an All Star.

@Daragh Ó Conchúir Year one of development, Enda. Some won't like the football connotations but you build from the back and concentrate on work-rate in year one. Getting Canning back there helping out would have been integral to that.

@Enda McEvoy Yes. I'm bringing a sword with me tomorrow!

@John Fogarty Amateur error there - we had two on the team (cough)

Cronin, wasn't it?