Brian Cody
By John Harrington
Kilkenny hurling manager Brian Cody thinks that Galway minor and U-21 teams should be allowed to compete in the Leinster championship along with their senior team.
This week Galway’s clubs voted unanimously to back a motion calling for all of the county’s teams to play in the same provincial championship.
And Cody believes it would be fair were they allowed to do so.
“Yeah, I do, I think it would be (fair), I do,” said the Kilkenny manager yesterday.
Since Galway joined the Leinster Senior Hurling championship in 2009 they’ve been obliged to play all of their matches away from home.
But yesterday Cody seemed to have no personal objection to playing the Tribesmen in Pearse Stadium in championship hurling were that ever to be a possibility.
“Wherever the match is fixed for we'll play, simple as that,” he said. “That'll be it. It's not for...that's not our...we don't have power over that.”
In the eight years they’ve competed in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, Galway have won the title once and contested another four finals.
Cody believes their participation in the provincial championship has been a positive and hopes they continue to be a part of it.
“I think it's been beneficial for sure for the Leinster championship,” he said. “Galway are a top team and having them over there on their own with regards to senior inter-county matches is certainly not ideal for them, and for hurling in general they've been a huge part of the Leinster championship. I'd prefer to see them stay there.”
The 2017 campaign will be Brian Cody’s 19th in charge of the Kilkenny hurlers. The Cats were well beaten in this year’s All-Ireland Final by Tipperary, but Cody insists that did not affect his thought process about staying on as manager.
“My thought process, no. obviously not. if we were to start thinking about things like “should I or shouldn’t I” or whatever…my head settled the same way as any other year. We’ll just see what happens next year.
“It’s not a question of doubts about Kilkenny getting back or anything like that. We were in the All-Ireland final - we weren’t good enough to win the final. Next year has the same challenges every other year has.”
Larkin
Kilkenny will go into the 2017 season without two of the most decorated players in the county’s history after both Jackie Tyrrell and Eoin Larkin recently announced their retirement from inter-county hurling.
The duo hail from the same James Stephens club as Cody, so the Kilkenny manager has a deep appreciation of the quality they brought to the county team for so long.
“Ah look, I mean Jackie and Eoin have had massive careers,” said Cody. “I suppose Jackie first, he sort of made that position his own for so long. He had such a physical presence allied to his skill and reading of the game.
"He's had a wonderful career. Captained Kilkenny to win an All-Ireland final and was a huge leader, hueg presence there and got so much out of his career and had such a long career as well. Then Eoin, Eoin was just a wonderful player.
"Everybody talks about Eoin and they talk about a work rate and obviously he epitomised that but his skill level was complete as well. He had it all.
"Obviously the two lads I would know for a long, long time being clubmates as well. They can be absolutely just...so proud and so satisfied with the careers they've had."
Larkin and Tyrrell are no longer part of the panel, but Cody hopes to be able to call on Michael Fennelly next year.
Michael Fennelly
The midfield powerhouse suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon in the All-Ireland semi-final replay against Waterford this year, but Cody says Ballyhale man is determined to make it back onto the Kilkenny team in 2017,
“Michael's just recovering," said Cody. "He's had an Achilles tendon operation. He's in rehab at the moment. He will continue to be in that and he's going to be there for a few months. Just hoping that everything...it's a difficult one, it's a tough one. He's absolutely going to give it every possible chance to come back.
"He's a player that has gone through some tough times with injuries and that but he's dug out a wonderful career, coping with that, which he deserves great credit for. But again, that's part and parcel of sport for so many people and this is another challenge for so many people and it's one he's determined to win."
Kilkenny also lost Ger Aylward (cruciate) and James Maher (fractured knee) to injury this year, and Cody is hopeful they can make successful comebacks in 2017 too.
"He (Aylward) had a cruciate operation obviously last year. He played a couple of club matches, just I suppose because of his dedication to his club he came on and played. He's still working to get back properly and that. He's very determined to get there.
"James (Maher) is working hard as well too. Again, a small bit off being perfect but he's working hard."
**Brian Cody was speaking at the launch of the event, 'Leadership in Sport. Lessons for Business' which will take place at the InterContinental Hotel, Dublin on Thursday January 26, 2017, at 12.30pm. The Kilkenny manager will be one of a number of sports personalities on the day giving their insights into what drives success. **
