Advertisement League of Ireland Horse Racing TV Listings GAA Fixtures The Video Review Sport meets news, current affairs, society & pop culture Rugby Weekly Extra Dive into all the news and analysis 3 times a week The Football Family Weekly insights from the week’s big talking points Advertisement More Stories Brian Hayes, Jake Morris and Darragh Fitzgibbon. FreeKing of the Hill Who are the leading contenders to be 2025 Hurler of the Year? Cork and Tipperary stars are leading the race for the award. 5.01pm, 15 Jul 2025 Share options 1. Brian Hayes (Cork – St Finbarr’s) The in-form attacker admitted during the summer that he feared his season might be over in March. He looked in distress after jarring his knee in a league game against Galway, causing immediate concern that he may have suffered a cruciate injury. But a scan later ruled out any torn ligaments and he only had nerve damage to contend with during a three-week recovery. Hayes signed off Cork’s successful league campaign with 5-8 before adding 3-7 in the Munster championship to help his county land the first two trophies on offer this season. His scoring is certainly noteworthy, and he has brought that form into the All-Ireland semi-final where he posted 2-1 in a 7-26 to 2-21 mauling of Dublin. But Hayes’s workrate is equally important to Cork. During the closing moments of normal time in the Munster final, he dived on a loose ball to divert possession out to Patrick Horgan for a crucial equalising point. Although the game went to extra-time and penalties, that intervention from Hayes was crucial. Standing at a towering height of 6’4”, he is often a target for puckouts too and Tipperary will find him difficult to contain as he returns to Croke Park to avenge last year’s hurt. Jason Forde (Tipperary - Silvermines) A free-taker and one of their most experienced forwards, Jason Forde has been central to Tipperary’s revival. He scored 0-8 when the 2019 final, and scored two points off the bench in their 2016 All-Ireland final victory. Nine years on and he continues to be a reliable scoring outlet for Tipperary as they return for the Liam MacCarthy decider. Darragh McCarthy is their first-choice free-taker these days, but when his navigation was off against Kilkenny, Forde stepped in and his four points from four placed balls helped secure their place in the final. He was also one of Tipperary’s four goal-scorers in what was a thrilling semi-final, deservedly winning the RTÉ Man of the Match award. Tipperary lost the league final by 10 points but despite Cork’s comprehensive display, Forde still managed to score six points. When the sides met again in the Munster championship, there was another significant gap in the scoreline following the early red card for Darragh McCarthy. Forde’s 15 pooints, 12 of those from frees ensured Tipperary kept battling to the end. Advertisement Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork – Charleville) The midfield star was also in the running for this award last year after an awesome campaign. He eventually lost out to Clare’s Shane O’Donnell but still picked up his second All-Star to go with his award from the 2018 season. He scored 1-4 from centre-forward in the league final and remained in that position throughout much of the Munster series. He switched back to midfield for the Munster final, scoring 0-4 including a ’65 that ensured the contest would be settled by penalties. And although his effort was saved during the shootout, he still left the Gaelic Grounds that evening with the Man of the Match award. “He’s got strength, he has serious mobility,” Tom Kingston told The 42 earlier this year about his experience of managing Darragh Ftizgibbon during his time at UCC. “But on top of that he’s a fantastic hurler. A brilliant stick player. It flows for him, off either side. Sometimes you can try and try to coach that but some have the balance that it doesn’t matter. Darragh’s lucky that he has it and it makes him a top player.” 2. Alan Connolly (Cork – Blackrock) A double-act with Hayes, Alan Connolly is also putting a firm case forward for hurling’s MVP. The pair won the 2020 All-Ireland U20 title together under Pat Ryan and have continued to soar since breaking through to the senior ranks. Connolly has struggled with injuries in recent seasons and was sidelined with an Achilles issue earlier this year. But since his return for their league victory over Galway, Connolly has thundered into form. He bagged 1-2 in their league final over Tipperary and when the Munster final went to a penalty shootout, Connolly was among the Rebel volunteers who converted his shot and ended a seven-year wait for provincial success. He was Cork’s top-scorer in the semi-final against Dublin, hitting 3-2 to power his side to a 20-point victory. Related Reads What are the key selection decisions facing the Cork and Tipperary camps? 'He's got a great affinity to these players': Keegan double-jobbing with Lions rugby and Cork hurlers 'If Kilkenny don’t win it on the field, they ain’t going to bring it to the boardroom' Jake Morris (Tipperary – Nenagh Éire Óg) Jake Morris was a talent on the rise when he scored a point as a second-half substitute in Tipperary’s 2019 All-Ireland triumph. At 26, he’s now one of the leading forces in their attack. He checked out of Tipperary’s Munster championship with 0-13 from play this year and added another 0-9 across their All-Ireland quarter-final win over Galway and the Kilkenny semi-final. His development years in the Tipperary squad coincided with a fallow period for the county but Morris has played a major role in helping the team through their reboot. Last year was particularly challenging for the Premier county as they went on a winless run through the Munster series. “There was a lot of soul-searching done over the winter,” Morris said earlier this year. ”A lot of hard looks in the mirror and seeing what can be done more. “I think for myself it was just a look in the mirror and to say I need to do more. It’s not about giving big, massive speeches in the dressing room. It’s about leading on the field and that’s consciously what I was trying to go after.” Who do you think should be 2024 Hurler of the Year – one of this trio or another player? Let us know below. Check out the latest episode of The42′s GAA Weekly podcast here Sinead Farrell Viewcomments Send Tip or Correction Embed this post To embed this post, copy the code below on your site Email “Who are the leading contenders to be 2025 Hurler of the Year?”. Recipient's Email Feedback on “Who are the leading contenders to be 2025 Hurler of the Year?”. 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