Cats may have to join revolution, says Tyrrell

Jackie Tyrrell believes a hurling revolution is taking place and Kilkenny may need to alter their style if they want to be part of it.

The veteran defender has been an unlikely championship spectator for the last six weeks since suffering a surprise All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Cork. He’s filled a rare August off with club activities but kept a close eye on those teams left at the business end of the hurling championship. He believes a trait common to this year’s successful teams is ‘a possession game’, a style of play which he admitted is alien to Kilkenny and may require them to buy into it.

“Maybe so, looking at the way the game has gone and the way teams are setting up now, it is very much a possession game,” said Tyrrell.

“The days of route one and hitting the ball long are kind of gone. We tried it this year and it didn’t work. Teams are just holding the ball, working it out and looking for the good ball into the forwards.

“So maybe that is something we need to look at and adjust our game and tweak it. Clearly, what we did this year didn’t work. Teams are always looking at who are the team to beat and what do we need to do.

“Cork, Dublin and Clare have done it this year so, yeah, I’d say it is something we will be looking at.”

Tyrrell, 32 next summer, admitted he’s ‘itching to play’ at the moment and is already considering his comeback next year — along with the rest of the current Kilkenny squad and boss Brian Cody.

“I haven’t thought about it because I don’t need to think about it. Once I get picked, I’ll be back. The way the game has gone, once you hit 30, 31, the big retirement word comes out. It is just an automatic knee-jerk reaction. But I don’t suspect retirements in Kilkenny”, said Tyrrell.

“I don’t know. We haven’t met up or talked or anything. We are just back with our clubs, getting on and enjoying that. It is up to everyone but I don’t suspect any retirements. Likewise, I don’t think he [Cody] will go. Cody is his own man. He’ll make his own decision when the time comes.”