All-Ireland Championship Hurler of the Year and top scorer predictions

Free GAA hurling tips, best bets and predictions for this year's All-Ireland hurling championship.

Best bets

Stephen Bennett to be championship top scorer
1pt each-way 5-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Stephen Bennett to win Hurler of the Year
1pt 10-1 Betfair, Paddy Power

Aaron Gillane to win Hurler of the Year
1pt 16-1 BoyleSports

Patrick Horgan to win Hurler of the Year
1pt 33-1 Betfair, BoyleSports, Paddy Power

All-Ireland championship preview

Few forwards go into this year's championship in the sort of red-hot form as Waterford's Stephen Bennett does, having lit up the Allianz League as top scorer.

Each of the first six in the scorers' standings played five games but Bennett's tally of 8-51 was at least 19 points more than any other player during the league campaign. His goal-scoring ability set him apart from the rest.

In last year's championship he raised three green flags in five games but still finished third in the scorers' standings. In the same number of appearances in the 2022 League, the Ballysaggart man rattled the net eight times.

That element of his game is extremely strong and he looks overpriced at 5-1 to be the championship's top scorer.

Four of the top five in the market play for Leinster sides, probably due to the fact there is an extra round of games to play in that province, but it could end up that Waterford have a longer spell in the championship than most. That should present Bennett with more games to add to his tally.

Reigning Hurler of the Year Cian Lynch is favourite to retain his prize in 2022, but it's worth remembering that no player has ever been awarded the honour in back-to-back seasons, and Henry Shefflin is the only multiple winner of the prize since its inception in 1995.

During that period, the player crowned Hurler of the Year has hailed from the side who won the All-Ireland in all bar three of the 27 seasons.

That makes it best to concentrate on sides fancied to be involved at the end of the competition - Limerick, Waterford and Cork.

Bennett, nominated for the prize in 2020, could be a live contender for the Deise at 10-1 if extending his excellent League form to the championship, while Cork's main man Patrick Horgan, who topped last year's championship scorers' standings with 54 points, looks overpriced at 33-1.

However, the one who makes most appeal is leading Limerick forward Aaron Gillane, representing the All-Ireland favourites.

He was denied a third consecutive All Star award last year but did complete a hat-trick of appearances in the Sunday Game's team of the year.

When operating at the top of his game, the Patrickswell man is pretty much unmarkable. He is bound to be at the heart of Limerick's attack again and is only 25 so could be entering his peak years.

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