Shane Barrett joint top scorer from play after two rounds of hurling league

With the opening two rounds of the Allianz Hurling League Division 1A now filed away, an early shape has started to form, even if the picture remains slightly distorted by circumstance.

Cork and Tipperary sit at the table summit with maximum returns from their first two outings, while Limerick, Galway and Offaly are still searching for their first points.

The seven-team structure means not all records are created equal, though. Both Limerick and Kilkenny have played just once, their bye weeks leaving the early scoring charts weighted towards those already two games deep. But, even in some cases, that doesn’t tell the story.

Because for both Cork and Tipp in particular, rotation across the first two games has meant several forwards have only played once, and so it's Waterford’s Reuben Halloran that leads the way overall in the scoring charts, having been the Déise’s top scorer in both their defeat to Cork and their win over Limerick on Sunday, with 0-24 (0-18 f, 0-3 65) to his name so far.

Trailing him by five points is Jason Forde, the Tipperary forward doing so despite only playing one game, Tipp’s demolition of Offaly last weekend in which he scored three goals.

There’s a three-way tie for third with free-takers Cathal Mannion, Adam Screeney and Eoin Cody all on 10 points, while Alan Connolly and Shane Barrett are tied for sixth with nine each.

It’s the latter who is joint leader from play, after scoring 0-6 in the victory over Galway and following on from 0-3 against Waterford, Barrett is tied with Forde for first, as 2-3 of his haul came from play.

Behind them in third is William Buckley, the St Finbarr’s man having only played the one game for Cork as a result of Fitzgibbon commitments, while teammate Brian Hayes and Rory Burke are tied for fourth. Again, both of those have only played once.

A five-man tie for fifth place includes two Cork representatives – Darragh Fitzgibbon and Alan Connolly – while Offaly’s Brian Duignan is joined by Tipperary men Darragh Stakelum and Jake Morris.

Division 1A Top 10 scorers:

1 Reuben Halloran (Waterford) 0-24 (0-18 f, 0-3 65) 

2 Jason Forde (Tipperary) 3-10 (0-5 f, 1-0 pen, 0-2 65) 

3 Eoin Cody (Kilkenny) 0-10 (0-8 f) 

3 Cathal Mannion (Galway) 0-10 (0-8 f) 

3 Adam Screeney (Offaly) 0-10 (0-7 f) 

6 Alan Connolly (Cork) 1-6 (0-4 f) 

6 Shane Barrett (Cork) 0-9 

8 Shane Bennett (Waterford) 2-2 (2-0 pen) 

8 Aidan O’Connor (Limerick) 0-8 (0-7 f) 

8 Jake Morris (Tipperary) 0-8 (0-3 f) 

Division 1A Top 10 scorers from play:

1 Jason Forde (Tipperary) 2-3 

1 Shane Barrett (Cork) 0-9 

3 William Buckley (Cork) 1-4 

4 Rory Burke (Galway) 1-3 

4 Brian Hayes (Cork) 2-0 

6 Darragh Fitzgibbon (Cork) 0-5 

6 Brian Duignan (Offaly) 1-2 

6 Darragh Stakelum (Tipperary) 1-2 

6 Jake Morris (Tipperary) 0-5 

6 Alan Connolly (Cork) 1-2