Tony Considine on hurling: When do age and experience become a liability to a team?

WE are now at the All-Ireland semi-final stage, Limerick and Galway, and Clare and Kilkenny.

Apart from the managers, who obviously are the leader of these teams?

Brian Lohan, Henry Sheflin, Derek Lyng and John Kiely are the key men on the line, but which of the players will have the biggest influence in the next couple of weeks?

Who will be driving it on mostly, and more importantly, which players will be looked up to by the overall panel?

When I look at the age group of the teams, and look at some of the older and more experienced players, I am sure they will be having a big say, and maybe do a lot of talking and passing on their experiences to a lot of the younger players. 

LEADERS

I am sure a lot of the managers would be looking for these players to do that. Managers know, or at least should know, who the leaders are of their teams. 

Of course, they pick out players to do that kind of thing. Sometimes that can work, and other times it can create tension, especially if some older players feel that it is their right to call the shots at times.

When I look at the Kilkenny team, I see a good few players at the veteran stage of their careers - guys like Eoin Murphy, who is in his '30s now, and always plays like a real leader, not alone in his goalkeeping but also in his shouting of instructions. 

Another player with a lot of mileage is Conor Fogarty, and of course Walter Walsh, another big player for them and well in the 30 age-bracket too. 

But I suppose the real leader of this team is probably one of the great players of his time, and maybe any other time, is the great TJ Reid (now 35). 

He leads by example all the time - never gets caught up in anything controversial and never makes statements of any kind - only in it for the right reasons - that is playing and winning for Kilkenny. Also Richie Hogan, who is part of the panel. 

But these guys were under the control of the greatest hurling manager of all time, the great Brian Cody. 

Cody had a way of dealing with players.

When he wanted to play them, he did that, but it didn't matter how long they were there, or how often they played, or their big reputations. 

If he needed to leave them on the sideline, or maybe let them go, which he often did with a lot of his star players, he just did. 

End of story, end of career, no apologies. 

When your time was up that was the right thing to do. He always kept players in their place: play the game, and I will manage you.

Clare have one veteran player well in his '30s: John Conlan.  John is a warrior, and very important to this team for his leadership and his total commitment to the cause. 

He will play anywhere for the team, as he has done, being a forward for a number of years and now taking the role of a defender, in a very demanding position at centre-back. No fuss here, no big statements, just gets on with the game. 

CRUCIAL

Galway also have a couple of players in their '30s, in Gearoid McInerney and Joseph Cooney, big players for Galway, big leaders. No seeking of media attention from these two, just get on with the game, put their bodies on the line every time they go out for Galway. 

Limerick have one player in the 30 category in Nicky Quaid. We all know how important he is to Limerick. 

A lot of people would tell you that he is one of their most important players, and has proved that in the last couple of years with his goalkeeping and ball-striking.  Crucial to Limerick's success over the last number of years, and still there doing the same thing.

All of the above-mentioned players are the holders of All-Ireland medals. 

Cork have a couple of players that showed great leadership for Cork this year. Namely, Seamus Harnedy and Patrick Horgan.

Two of the elder statesmen of the Cork team and well in their '30s now, and these two do not have All-Ireland medals in their back-pockets but are still willing to try to win one. 

I see where Patrick Horgan says he will stay on for next year. 

In my opinion, I believe that is not up to Patrick. That should be Pat Ryan's decision. 

And I think it puts a bit of extra pressure on Pat to hear Horgan making statements like that. 

And for Horgan himself, I think he should wait until he gets the phone call from the manager, and then say he is willing to stay on. 

Sometimes older players like to safeguard themselves and their reputations, and the bigger the reputation the more they want to save it. 

Older players going off only think of themselves. And sometimes when older players are around, the younger players do not become leaders, as they feel a small bit intimidated by the experienced player, so it puts the manager in a very pressurised situation. 

No one questions the ability of the experienced player, but it cannot be to the detriment of the overall team. 

Seamus Harnedy is in the same boat and I'm sure Pat Ryan and his management team will make the right decision on the future of these two great players but on the future of Cork hurling first and foremost.