Power: No guarantee of Kilkenny spot

Kilkenny hurler Richie Power says that nothing will be taken for granted as he aims to battle back from injury to cement a spot in the Cats side for their GAA Leinster SHC semi-final on June 20.

The 23-year-old Carrickshock clubman picked up his first Vodafone Hurler of the Month award today and believes that league performances will count for nothing when manager Brian Cody selects his Championship side.

"Definitely places are still up for grabs. Brian has always said that the team is picked on training and it's going to be that way when we go back into train for the first round of the Championship," said Power.

"There's no one going to remember the league I had once it comes to the Championship. The Championship is a totally different ball game and the competition for places in there is immense.

"You know it's a great way to be because you have lads pushing each other from the 1 to 15 jersey and you know you have to be on top of your game to hold onto it."

Power was placed in contention for the Hurler of the Month award after scoring an impressive 3-1 in the Cats' league demolition of Cork, although an injury sustained while in action for Carrickshock sidelined him for the remainder of the league.

"I was unfortunate to pick up a hamstring injury with the club when we were given a week off. It's coming along great - it's been four weeks on Sunday so in the next week or two I will start to get back into the heavy training again.

"No one wants to pick up an injury and I suppose the time I picked it up it resulted in me missing the last game against Dublin and as a result ended up missing the league final which was a big disappointment for me.

"It would have been great to be involved in a game of that nature. Again you pick up injuries throughout the year and you just have to get on with it and get back into the training now and get my place back."

Kilkenny's first league title since 2006 was annexed last Sunday, and Power says that while it was painful watching on from the sideline he was delighted to see Richie Hogan impressing.

"It just goes to show the talent that has been brought up through the underage (system) in Kilkenny.

"Richie Hogan is an exceptional talent and it always has been that way. He has shown it at minor and U-21 levels and it was only a matter of time before he came to the fore at senior level.

"I suppose at the beginning of the year Kilkenny set out to win as many competitions as they possibly can. This year we were lucky enough to have a good run in the league.

"There were probably a couple of results which flattered us a bit compared to what the game was and we were just delighted to come out on top of a titanic battle on Sunday."

Club action will provide the focus for the Cats over the next few weeks as they bid to bridge a long lay-off between the end of a successful league campaign and their first 2009 Championship bout.

"It is a lengthy lay-off," Power mused.

"But we have club Championship games coming up which are intense. We are just looking forward to getting back inside with the lads and putting the head down training hard.

"We train as hard as any other county and lads are fighting for their places and you are looking over every shoulder. Hopefully the preparations go well and now we're just looking forward to the 20th of June."