Team leadership comes in many guises, says Brian Cody

Kilkenny manager Brian Cody sees his current side as “building on a nucleus of what’s there” rather than a new team being created from scratch.

Speaking ahead of Sunday’s Allianz League clash with All-Ireland champions Limerick, Cody said: “I don’t see it so much as rebuilding a new team, just see it as much as continuing on.

“That’s the nature of the game. The nature of it is that you will always have players coming in and players moving on.

“That’s just merely the way it always was and always will be, you know.

“And you never have to build a total new team because you are building on a nucleus of what’s there and we have been lucky over the years.

“We have been able to introduce one or two players most years. It works on from there. We would always understand the importance of the whole panel and everybody there, so players who have been on the panel maybe for a couple of years suddenly become very, very important starting players, or players being introduced to the game.

“I think the sense of honesty in the whole thing is terrific.”

Asked about replacing leaders, the Kilkenny boss pointed out that leadership “is shown in different ways” in a team environment.

“You can have a leader who will stand up and drive the whole thing in the dressing room.

You have leaders on the field and then you have just fellas who, as they are, how they carry themselves, the way they contribute to the determination of the whole group.

“And the honesty of the way they apply themselves - that’s leadership as well. Fellas just bring whatever they have to the group, and they give everything to it. It’s very much central to everything that goes on.”

Warming to his theme, Cody pointed to the input of panelists to the team ethos while acknowledging the contribution of well-known players also.

“First and foremost, they were players. They didn’t come in with leader emblazoned on their jumper or whatever.

“They came as players who had to fight for their place and they always saw it as that.

“There’s always if you like the importance of the panel. You know, the great thing about it over the years was you talk about leaders in our dressing room and very, very often they were people who weren’t starting players and it was people who wouldn’t have had high profiles at all, players who would obviously have given everything to start the game.

“But, when the team was announced, they were not starting, but they still drove on the whole thing and showed terrific leadership.

“I’m not being smart by saying this, but from the outside, people can never be absolutely certain who the real leaders of the whole group are until they are actually involved within the group.

“There are so many different ways of providing that leadership.”

He’s 20 years in charge of the Cats but the James Stephens clubman said that his two decades at the helm don’t occupy his thoughts.

“I don’t start thinking about how long I’m doing it or what’s coming up next or whatever it is.

“My mindset hasn’t changed with regard to it since when I started it. The only thing that has happened is the whole thing has gone by very, very quickly.”

Cody added that he didn’t dwell on past games: “You see, I don’t tend to think about the past. I never think about games I played in either.

“I don’t ever look back too much at all about it. Some people do that. Some people don’t do that. I am one of the fellas that doesn’t do it.”

The national hurling league doesn’t involve relegation this year, with some observers wondering if that has taken the edge off games, but the Kilkenny manager didn’t discern any pattern to the league after the opening two matches.

“I don’t see any trends — this time last year we were down four points and were lots of people’s fancy for a relegation fight, at least. As it transpired we won the thing afterwards so you couldn’t begin to put any vision on how things will go after two rounds of the league.

What we do know is that it’s seriously competitive and the next games are ding-dong battles.

Kilkenny are out against the All-Ireland champions this weekend, of course, as Limerick roll into town.

“It’s a terrific game to be coming to Nowlan Park for hurling supporters everywhere, not just Kilkenny. Their performances the last couple of weekends have been top-class, they’re going very well. It’s a great game for us as well to look forward to.

“I wouldn’t be commenting on Limerick at all only to say they’re hugely impressive and were deserving All-Ireland winners last year. They’re a top class team with an age profile to give them magnificent hope to be there for quite a while.

“Their form is outstanding and we’re looking forward to the game because we’ll be playing the best team in the country.”

Cody acknowledged that the new All-Ireland champions have carried themselves well since breaking Limerick’s long famine last year.

“What’s been said about them by their own people, who are the ones who see them on the ground, they are hugely impressed and proud of everything about them.

“It’s hugely important, how you represent the county, and obviously they’re doing it very well.”