JJ: We must drive on without Cody

Sunday’s Allianz Hurling League final against Tipperary will be a strange affair for JJ Delaney and his Kilkenny team-mates.

It’s not the fact that the match takes place in their home ground, Nowlan Park — a first national final in the Marble City since 1966 — when Kilkenny hammered New York (10-15 to 2-15).

No, this is about Brian Cody, or more specifically a lack of Brian Cody.

This is Cody’s 15th season at the helm in Kilkenny and in all that time he has been an ever-present, guiding the team to nine All-Ireland titles and six National Leagues.

Recent cardiac surgery, however, has seen the big man sidelined, but not before he had guided his injury-hit side through the minefield of Division 1A and into the play-offs. He missed the semi-final win over Galway and will miss Sunday’s decider. But will his players miss Brian? Definitely, admitted Delaney. “It’s different. When you’re on the field you’re looking over at him. It’s the game days that he takes over, that’s his baby more than anything. It is different looking over to the line and not seeing him there but we just have to drive it on now without him.”

The relationship between Cody and his players is strictly professional, mutual respect certainly, tinged with a little fear where the players are concerned, even for one as experienced and as decorated as JJ (13th season, eight All-Irelands, six leagues, six All-Star, hurler-of-the-year). So, no texts then between them, enquiring after the health?

“Sure you leave him be! No news is good news when you don’t hear from him — when he’s talking to you you’re probably in trouble! You leave well enough alone when you don’t hear from him. We just heard the operation went well, that’s it; we didn’t hear a word from him, so we’re presuming everything is okay.”

In his absence Martin Fogarty and Michael Dempsey have been calling the shots at training and on game day. Not that Delaney every doubted their suitability for the task.

“Even before they came in they were training the U21 side so they went through a lot of the players. I’ve been involved with Martin and Mick since 2003 which is 10 years. They’re only really picking up the ball and running with it.”

As for the man himself, when do they expect to see Brian back in action? “He’ll just burst in the door in a couple of weeks and you’ll realise it’s back to business as usual. He wouldn’t be the sort of man to tell us. He’s just taken himself out and will get himself right. When he comes back he’ll be back full tilt. I’m not going to put a timeline on Brian Cody coming back. He can’t come back unless he’s right, he has to look after his own health, that’s the only consideration. He’s a human being at the end of the day. It’s a stressful job and the last few years we’re probably making it a bit more stressful on him as well. He would take himself out of it because he’s not going to let anything affect the run up to the championship.”

And so to Sunday. And yes home advantage will play a part says Delaney. “You always want to win in your own back-yard. Against Tipp especially, the old enemy; then you have the bragging rights for a few months.”