Cody: no winners in relegation decision
The Kilkenny legend also believes it is premature to describe Saturday’s defeat against Galway as the end of an era for Cork hurling and that manager Denis Walsh has not had enough time yet to leave his mark on the side.
Despite the strident criticism from the competing counties, GAA chiefs have opted to plough ahead by pencilling in the relegation semi-final ties for this weekend and there has been plenty sympathy for Wexford, Clare, Offaly and Antrim.
The one manager in the country least likely to ever be embroiled in relegation trouble has added his weight to that theory.
“It’s very unfortunate the way things have happened,” agrees Kilkenny boss Brian Cody. “The Antrim thing seems to be up in the air, they are not happy and were given a guarantee. You saw Antrim this year running Laois very close and it’s been a great exposure for them to get exposed to those sort of games.
“You can understand things too from the perspective of Carlow. Being the Christy Ring winners of two years, means they have certainly earned their right to compete and take their place in the Leinster championship.
“Leinster with so many teams involved can only go from strength to strength. Having relegation couldn’t be good for anyone then because it’s important that all of the counties stay strong and keep improving. The bottom line is that relegation is not something that can be beneficial for any of the counties.”
Cody maintains his empathetic disposition when it comes to another hurling group set for difficult times.
The GAA announcement last week that all intercounty hurlers will have to don helmets from next January onwards will bring about difficulties for a slew of leading players.
“It’s going to a strange situation for those players. I think it’s a psychological thing, it’s been something you’ve been doing all your life. Michael Kavanagh and James Ryall are examples for us, and you’d see Tommy throwing off the helmet as well.
“When you are playing for so long without it, you can find it strange wearing one. Nowadays, it’s part and parcel of the gear for young players and that’s the way it is. Diarmuid O’Sullivan has already stated how he feels, but I think it’s a psychological thing.”
Sunday’s All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals will determine Kilkenny’s opponents in the All-Ireland semi-final on August 9. Regardless of who they face, Cody is adamant that his charges come through testing ordeals in Leinster that have proved the strength of the province’s championship.
“It’s been a very, very strong Leinster championship. They were massive tests against Galway and Dublin. To me the Leinster championship is always competitive, but in other years we had bigger wins. The League final was another phenomenal test, so a lot of players were exposed to real tests.
“Dublin had been threatening for a few years, and certainly they came to the fore and obviously they face another huge game against Limerick. It will be very interesting to see how that one pans out.
“Galway will always be contenders for All-Irelands, but the biggest thing of all this year for me was probably the Laois performance against Limerick last Saturday night.
“Kilkenny have always been put to the pin of their collar to beat them. Niall Rigney has come in this year and done a great job, and they are realising the potential and they will be even stronger for the experience next year.”
One side Kilkenny will not be renewing acquaintances with this summer will be Cork, following their championship exit last Saturday. But as the people start to sound the death knell for hurling on Leeside, Cody rails against such talk.
“Look there’s not going to be an end of the road for Cork hurling. There just can’t be. Cork have the tradition and they have the ability to keep churning out hurlers in Cork.
“It’s up to every individual themselves what they do now but that is not an old team. You’d write off Cork at your peril. Denis Walsh is just barely in the job a couple of months and he’s just starting off to get things going.”
nBrian Cody was speaking at a James Stephens Sponsorship Launch on Monday night in Kilkenny
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