Cody keeps iron grip on Leinster reins of power

THREE years ago, a promise of glasnost swept through Leinster hurling.

When the Galway hurling board finally stopped dragging their feet and allowed their senior side to compete out east there was a hope that Kilkenny’s days of stacking up titles like firewood outside a cabin would no longer stretch on like an endless winter.

Dublin were already deep into their underage revolution so here, at last, were two counties intent on ending a 14-year chain that was broken just the once, back in 2004, when Michael Jacob’s goal poached a win for Wexford in the semi-final.

That scent of democracy is getting stale.

Galway’s initial three-year term is officially up and Dublin’s wait for their 24th Leinster senior title will now stretch into a sixth decade after this most comprehensive of defeats to a side they had tamed so convincingly just over two months ago.

No one uttered the word revenge yesterday but there must have been added satisfaction for the champions in pouring sand on the flames of hope and ambition that Dublin brought to this debate after events in the same ground back on May 1.

Not only that, here was the most damning evidence yet to counter the claims of decline that followed Kilkenny back to the Marble City after that 12-point defeat but Brian Cody has never been one to lend added weight to a victory.

“You can’t get revenge for a league final,” he said.

“The game is over and it’s won or it’s lost and Dublin were by far deserving winners of the league final, not just that day but throughout the league they proved themselves to be the best team.

“You can never get back the league final but what it does is it gets into the players’ heads very clearly the quality of the opposition and the enormity of the challenge, so that certainly was very much there.”

Cody may have put the league final behind him but few of those facing him in the post-match press conference seemed willing to move on so fast. The sight of Kilkenny losing so heavily still lingers. Lessons and meanings are still being sought.

The Kilkenny manager has never sought to use the get-out clause that was the absence of so many key players for that game but the importance of men like Henry Shefflin and Tommy Walsh was acknowledged here through persistent enquiries.

Shefflin, in just his second competitive game back from injury, scored 1-9 and pulled all his familiar strings whilst Walsh dominated his domain with a lack of fuss and a dependability that have long been his trademark.

“Henry is absolutely flying,” said Cody. “You see the quality of him there again today. His ability to play for the team is immense and some people will rightly talk about his overall excellence. For us, as a team player, he is immense.

Kilkenny’s reward is an extended leave of absence from championship action whilst Dublin and the others diverted through the back door scramble to find a path back towards an All-Ireland semi-final.

Kilkenny are well used to that hiatus and the intervening weeks will be spent vying for starting places in Nowlan Park. Yesterday, Michael Kavanagh, John Dalton, Eddie Brennan and PJ Ryan sat on the bench for the entire afternoon and that alone is a frightening thought.

“We wanted to win the Leinster final and that brings on the All-Ireland semi-final,” said Cody.

“The alternative to that is what Dublin are faced with now. We are quite happy to go there and if we hadn’t won today, you would be disappointed but straight away you would be focusing on the next match. That is the way it works.”

One game at a time. Trademark Cody.