With the inter-county hurling season underway, it's only natural that players up and down the country might be dreaming of the All-Stars come the season's end.
The most prestigious awards every year, the All-Stars award the finest talent in hurling - though, in recent years, they have been dominated by Limerick in a similar fashion to the All-Ireland senior championship.
In fact, of the 15 players who started for the Treaty County in last year's decider against Kilkenny, 13 have won All-Stars at some stage during their careers.
It's been an extraordinary period for Limerick, and many of their best seem like locks even before the season has properly gotten going - but could anyone sneak their way in this year? We've picked out six players who could win their first hurling All-Stars in 2024.
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Hurling All-Stars: Six players who could break their duck this year
Mike Casey (Limerick)
23 July 2023; Mike Casey of Limerick during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship final match between Kilkenny and Limerick at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Piaras Ó Mídheach/Sportsfile
We'll start with one of the two members of Limerick's All-Ireland winning team who is yet to win an All-Star, Mike Casey.
The corner-back has been a mainstay of hurling's dominant force ever since their breakthrough in 2018, and has been nominated for All-Stars on four separate occasions without ever being named in the final selection.
He was once again exceptional in a green jersey in 2023 and, over the winter, he captained Na Piarsaigh to the county hurling title. If Limerick do the business with a five-in-a-row this season, Casey will surely be in with a great chance of finally being named in the XV.
Richie Reid (Kilkenny)
9 July 2023; Richie Reid of Kilkenny is tackled by Ian Galvin of Clare during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match between Kilkenny and Clare at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Part of the Kilkenny panel since 2014, it took until 2017 for Richie Reid to finally play his first minutes of championship hurling, and took him another four years to establish himself as a regular presence in the Cats' starting XV.
Since then, he has kicked on, captaining the side in 2022, and continuing to play a crucial role as they reached a second successive All-Ireland final last year. His performances in '22 earned an All-Star nomination.
Reid's brother TJ won a staggering eighth All-Star in 2023 - announced while the pair were at Richie's stag do in Cheltenham last November. Richie will be desperate to add his name to the hallowed list of Kilkenny hurling All-Stars in 2024.
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Dónal Burke (Dublin)
28 May 2023; Donal Burke of Dublin scores a point despite pressure from Padraic Mannion of Galway during the Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Round 5 match between Dublin and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile
Something of an outside shout, but Dónal Burke has been immense in an unpredictable Dublin team in recent seasons.
Despite Dublin failing to go any further than the quarter-finals in the past two seasons, Burke has earned back-to-back All-Star nominations for his exceptional displays for the Dubs. Even with Dublin eliminated after the Leinster round-robin phase in 2022, Burke still finished as the championship's fifth-highest scorer.
In the inter-county off-season, he sadly missed out through injury as Na Fianna claimed a first-ever county hurling title. He will be desperate to get back on the pitch and, if Dublin push on in Leinster or manage to perform strongly in the All-Ireland series, there is every chance Burke could sneak his way in to the All-Stars selection.
Evan Niland (Galway)
11 June 2023; Evan Niland of Galway in action against Huw Lawlor of Kilkenny during the Leinster GAA Hurling Senior Championship Final match between Kilkenny and Galway at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Stephen Marken/Sportsfile
A stand-out for Galway last year during an ultimately disappointing campaign.
Evan Niland was stellar throughout the 2023 season and rightfully earned himself an All-Star nomination after finishing the season with 0-77 from eight appearances - only beaten by TJ Reid's 2-73. As Galway's free-taker, he is likely to feature highly on the top scorers' charts come the season's end, putting him right in the mix for a spot in 2024 - especially if Galway can right the wrongs of the past two seasons.
They may need to show a bit more resolve in pressure-cooker situations - the manner of their Leinster final defeat last year was scarcely believable - but you'd have to imagine Galway will be there or thereabouts in late July, making Niland a serious contender for a maiden All-Star.
Jake Morris (Tipperary)
3 February 2024; Jake Morris of Tipperary during the Allianz Hurling League Division 1 Group B match between Dublin and Tipperary at Parnell Park in Dublin. Photo by Tyler Miller/Sportsfile
It is somewhat surprising that this will be Jake Morris' sixth season with the Tipperary senior hurlers, having broken through in their All-Ireland winning season of 2019.
After a series of ups-and-downs in the seasons since then, 2023 saw Tipp show glimpses of returning to their old selves, with Morris again a stand-out in the forward line.
Almost as surprising as the length of time he has been in the panel is the fact that Morris is yet to win an All-Star. If Tipp are to build on the promise of 2023, Morris will undoubtedly play a crucial role, and that could just earn him a first All-Star.
Diarmuid Ryan (Clare)
9 July 2023; Diarmuid Ryan of Clare during the GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship semi-final match between Kilkenny and Clare at Croke Park in Dublin. Photo by Brendan Moran/Sportsfile
Bar Mike Casey, Diarmuid Ryan feels like the man on this list most likely to crack into the All-Stars come the end of the 2024 inter-county season.
A rock at the back for Clare, Ryan is a multiple All-Star nominee, and was once again stellar in 2023 as Clare came within inches - literally - of reaching the All-Ireland final.
On ability, Clare should be the team best equipped to challenge Limerick's throne, having threatened to do so in Munster over the past two seasons. The goal this season must be an All-Ireland final appearance at least, which would put Ryan in the perfect position to finally earn himself a selection.
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