TJ PLAYING THE PERCENTAGES

DRAMATIC change has occurred in Kilkenny’s scoring patterns over this and last season, with a much higher proportion coming from one source than in previous years. TJ Reid has landed almost half of their total in five championship games this year, scoring 2-47 (1-42 from placed balls) of their Kilkenny’s 5-94 total.

Liam Blanchfield is next on 2-2, followed by Walter Walsh (1-4) and goalkeeper Eoin Murphy (pictured) who has pointed seven long-range frees. That a player (Blanchfield), who has started only two of five games is second and their goalkeeper joint third points to a significant shift for Kilkenny, who usually had a variety of high-scoring forwards.

The change hasn’t impacted on their overall efficiency, however, having already won the Allianz League and heading for a Leinster final replay after coming so close to downing the All-Ireland champions last weekend.

Last year, Reid surpassed the 52 per cent mark. The difference between 2017/’18 and previous times is striking, with Reid returning much higher figures that either he – or Henry Shefflin before him – did as the main finishers (frees and open play combined).

With the exception of 2012, when Shefflin beat the 40 per cent mark and 2013 when Eoin Larkin, who was on free-taking duty, came in at 52 per cent, the top scorer ranged between 28 (2010) and 37 per cent (2010) over the last 10 years

The 2010 figure is somewhat misleading as Shefflin missed most of the All-Ireland semi-final and final due to injury with Richie Power taking over the free-taking duties. Assuming that Shefflin would have scored as many as Power in those two games, he would have finished on 37 per cent of the overall total, still well below Reid’s return in 2017/’18.