Delaney glad to be back with the Cats

A year is certainly a long time in hurling and 12 months ago JJ Delaney watched on from the sidelines with two crutches by his side as Kilkenny won their 29th All-Ireland senior hurling title and their first since 2003.

A cruciate ligament injury ruled the Fenians player out of contention for that crucial decider but a year later he is delighted to be back in the starting 15 as he searches for his third All-Ireland senior medal.

"A turn was all it took last year and my ligaments were gone then. I think four or five things have to go wrong at the same time for it to go wrong, but it could happen again tomorrow," Delaney said ahead of Sunday's clash with Limerick.

"It could happen at Croke Park, you don't know these things so you can't take it for granted any more," Delaney said ahead of Sunday's clash with Limerick."

The 25-year-old finds it hard to believe that he is taking part in his seventh championship campaign.

"Since I made my debut in 2001, it's after flying it. You would wonder where the years went. Even this year it only feels like yesterday since we came back from our holiday in New Zealand and now we are getting ready for another All-Ireland final.

"You can't take things for granted and these things can be taken away from you as quick as you have them."

Galway pushed Kilkenny to the limit in the All-Ireland semi-final, in what was the Cats' most testing game to date. Although substituted in that game, Delaney believes it has made him a stronger player as a result.

"We got tested for 60 minutes (against Galway) but the competition is there in training and we are kept very much on our toes which we have to.

"If you are starting, you know in the back of your mind that there are five or six people on the line who could have started. It's a judgement call from Brian (Cody) and the selectors that have you starting ahead of the lads. So you have to hurl your best to keep your place on the team as well."

And Delaney knows the management are not afraid to make the tough calls when required.

"It has shown this year that if you are not hurling well like I was in the Galway match - I was way off the pace - Brian will take you off straight away and put somebody in instead of you."

Although the Galway game did not go to plan for JJ, he concedes that Alan Kerins did a superb marking job on him.

"It was one these things that I would put down to experience more than anything else. I couldn't get near the ball...if I went right, the ball would go left. In fairness to Alan Kerins he was on fire the same day and he has troubled many a defender. I just couldn't get near him, it was as simple as that."

Delaney is keen to dismiss thoughts that his side have had an easier passage to the All-Ireland final than their Limerick counterparts, and believes that the big thing now is not to look back but rather to be fully focussed on the task ahead this Sunday.

"The two of us, ourselves and Limerick, are in the same place now and both of us are in the All-Ireland final and it makes no difference what path we had to take to get there," he insisted.

"The big thing about September 2 is going up those steps and lifting Liam McCarthy and that's the big focus for the next few days. It's about getting ourselves physically and mentally right for the final, simple as that."