Skehan: tear up form book
And he knows the vagaries of bookmakers' odds better than most.
After all, Skehan, a current Kilkenny selector, played in eight championship deciders, climbing the steps of the Hogan Stand on six occasion.
The first of his medals on the field of play (after picking up three as reserve to Ollie Walsh) came in the 1972 final against Cork when he captained the side. He was again on the winning side in 1974, '75 and '79, before playing on the double-winning side of 1982/'83 against Cork in the company of Brian Cody.
But on more than one occasion, things did not go according to script.
"The '82 final is one that would stick out, where we probably hadn't much of a chance going up. That'll tell you something about All-Irelands! To me - and I'll stay repeating it for as long as I can - All-Ireland final day is totally different. What you've done before counts for nothing, really nothing.
"You can talk about form up to the final and you can say Cork are flying or that Kilkenny are flying. But on the day, it's a different thing. You don't know how lads are going to deal with the day, how their heads are going to be. It's a big occasion.
"Some say when you play our first final it's probably your easiest one, because after that you know what's coming around the corner. You know what to expect, what it's like to be in a winner's dressing room or a losing dressing room.
The fact that Cork provide the opposition, is something which delights Skehan, given the magnificent history and rivalry between the two hurling superpowers.
"I always like to say that it's a 'big' final. Cork think they are the best hurling team in Ireland and Kilkenny probably think they are the best. There's no harm in that, but I'm sure that Tipp, Wexford and other teams will say otherwise. Cork looked mighty impressive the second day against Wexford. Kilkenny looked impressive in the second half against Tipp as well. Put the two of them together and I reckon you could have an intriguing All-Ireland."
Naturally, the talk turns to the All-Ireland decider of 1999 when Cork defeated the favoured Cats in dramatic fashion. Skehan, who watched that game from the stands, still believes it to be a game which Kilkenny could and possibly should have won.
"At the end of the day, it's not about what you are winning by with five or six minutes to go it's who is winning when the final whistle goes that counts.
"Cork looked then like they were going to be around for quite a while and they are only reappearing now. These chances don't come around too often." So what of the Cork side four years on? Skehan points to the semi-final meetings with Wexford as an interesting indicator of how much they have developed.
"The second day they all did it and took the game to Wexford. Maybe I'm not being fair to Cork, but that is the way I feel because they were a different outfit the second day, the way they were moving off the ball.
"And they were passing better and hurling better.
"It was a more open game and they dragged Wexford around the field, whereas the first day it was more man-to-man stuff."
Acknowledging the importance of Brian Cody's leadership in Kilkenny, he describes him as "a player's manager," adding that his outstanding characteristic is his honesty.
"Players know they will get their chance if they are putting in the effort. We're picking the team the whole time as we see fit and as we see in training."
Talk of Kilkenny drawing level with Cork in the roll of honour and "double doubles" (of League and championship) is of little significance.
"There's never too much between Cork and Kilkenny - never. And I can tell you there's not going to be much between them on Sunday. Definitely nothing.
"I hope to God we'll be on the right side of it."
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