Cody: Payments to managers would be ‘a disaster’

Brian Cody described the prospect of payments to managers as “a disaster”, warning it would only serve to reopen the debate on professionalism amongst players.

The Kilkenny boss is critical of suggestions managers or players should be rewarded financially for their efforts outside of expenses, arguing vehemently there is no sacrifice involved in playing for or managing your county.

“No way should managers be paid at all,” said Cody last night. “In the GAA? Absolutely not. It would be a disaster.

“A few years ago we had big discussions about players being paid. The GPA tested the waters and it was looked upon as a massive threat to the association. The people who were hoping for it to happen realised and accept now that it just can’t happen. That it’s impossible to have professionalism in our association. It couldn’t be sustained.

“For whatever reason now, and I don’t understand it, suddenly (the GAA’s director-general, Páraic Duffy is) talking about paying managers as if this is the correct way to do the thing. If that were to happen, all that would happen is it would resurrect again the potential for players and everyone else being paid.

Speaking during an RTÉ interview at the Dunamaise Arts Centre in Portlaoise, organised to help raise funds for Laois club Rosenallis, Cody continued.

“I choose to do this. It’s not a sacrifice. It’s a choice I made. It’s not even remotely a sacrifice. It’s the same with players. I read often about the savage commitment and sacrifices inter-county players make. They feel sorry for them.

“I don’t feel sorry for inter-county players. I envy inter-county players. Because I know in Kilkenny, they’re beating down the door to get into the dressing room. They would crawl to training if they thought they could get onto the county panel.

“No way should we be paid.”

Cody acknowledged it was likely some managers were being paid but cannot see the logic in legitimising the practice.

“I’ve yet to meet a man who has said to me ‘I’m cleaning up in this job’ or anything. But if some managers are getting paid, is the cure to pay all managers?”

Meanwhile, Cody believes that the time is ripe for a change in the format of the hurling championships, with the provincial competitions being jettisoned for a round-robin league structure.

“I would do that. The argument always is that the Munster championship is special. It’s always thrown out there. I’m not sure.

“It’s scant reward for a team if you were beaten in the All-Ireland and won a Munster championship, or a Leinster. They won’t feel they’ve achieved.

“I would change it because I think the whole backdoor system has diluted the interest in the provincial championships and the fact that if you lose it’s not the end of the world.

“The time to do it is when things are going well. You can’t leave it go until the crowds are no longer coming. Go out there and change it, and make it exciting.”

“If Kilkenny were going down to play Cork in the first game of the championship, or Tipperary were going to play Wexford, or Laois to play Dublin, it would create an excitement, there’d be a newness about it.”