Think about that now. All the attention he's had to contend with, all the injuries, all the setbacks, and yet he scored in every league and championship game he played for Tipp this past seven seasons.

So, now that Browne is gone, what current player is on the longest scoring streak? The man who Monaghan are pinning so much of their hopes on today, Tommy Freeman.

You have to go back to Ennis, February 2005, for the last time Freeman was held scoreless from play in league or championship, and back to May 2003, when Monaghan shocked Armagh, for the last time he didn't score from play in championship. That's 13 championship games straight scoring.

After that are two Armagh men.

The last time Ronan Clarke failed to score from play was the same weekend Freeman last shot blanks . . .

February 2005. In the meantime he's managed to score at least once from play in 20 consecutive games. You have to go back to the 2004 All Ireland quarter-final, 14 games ago, for the last time he failed to score in the championship. In fact in the 34 championship games he's played to date, he's scored from play in 28 of them. No wonder Armagh missed him so much this year.

By scoring three points from play in Clones last Sunday, Steven McDonnell brought his run to 15 straight games. Only four times in his last 38 league or championship games has he failed to score from play.

Just like last Sunday though, he has to bow to a Derry man. Leaving aside his 10-minute cameo against Antrim last month, and Paddy Bradley has scored from play in his last 14 competitive games. That run started after his three points in a league game against Laois were all from frees.

And would you believe that was the only time in his last 44 league or championship games that he didn't score from play. You have to go back to the 2003 Ulster championship replay against Tyrone when Ryan McMenamin held him scoreless from play for the last time he drew a blank from play . . . and Ricey gave him all that attention after Bradley had ripped Tyrone for 1-6 in the drawn game.

Matty Forde was on a hot run but was held scoreless from play in Clones last Sunday. Colm Cooper is back in the groove but is still short of double figures after going three straight games last summer without scoring from play.

Dublin's Conal Keaney has an impressive scoring percentage too. By failing to score from play against Westmeath in last year's All Ireland quarter-final, he ended a 15-game run.

He also had to rely on frees alone in two league games this past spring.

Still, that's 23 of his last 26 games in which he has been on target from play, and in 19 of those, he registered at least two scores from play.