Hogan backs old pal TJ to thrive as summer rolls on 

BEST POSITION? Kilkenny's TJ Reid during the warm-up. Pc: Laszlo Geczo, Inpho

Richie Hogan has tipped former Kilkenny colleague TJ Reid to get better as the championship goes on, insisting he has no worries about his curious form so far.

Reid, 36, has shown both the best and worst of himself so far in this year's Championship.

The 2023 All-Star attacker has been a virtual ever present on Kilkenny's journey to Saturday's Leinster final against Dublin, playing nearly every minute of their five games and returning 2-40, including 1-13 in the crucial win over Wexford.

But unlikely errors - he failed to convert a penalty against Antrim, drilled a series of poor late wides against Dublin and hit three poor second-half wides against Wexford - were out of character.

Freshly retired Hogan, speaking at the launch of the 2024 Electric Ireland minor championships, has backed his long-time forward colleague to improve and to come good when it really counts.

"I wouldn't have any worries about TJ personally because I know him so well," said 2014 Hurler of the Year Hogan who retired after last year's All-Ireland final. "I think the later the Championship goes on, he'll improve.

"It's been maybe a slower start than he would have previously had. He didn't have the rest this year that he would have had in previous years. When your club gets so far, you miss a lot of that winter training with the county team and you're a little bit fresher coming through than other guys who have been maybe training hard since late November.

"But his frees were outstanding against Wexford. He missed a couple of frees against Dublin and Carlow, very uncharacteristically, but came back against Wexford and his frees were immaculate, from very difficult angles, very long distances.

"I think from play, it's just about, with TJ, at his age, how can we focus on impact rather than output.

"We can't expect TJ to be running up and down the pitch at 36 years of age, doing all of the things that all of the other Kilkenny players can do, hooking and blocking and tackling and turning players over.

"For me, TJ is an outstanding catcher of the ball and he has a brilliant pair of hands. So I'd like to see us getting more out of TJ in that sense. 

"Whether that's put him on edge of the square where he played against Limerick in the league, where has such a natural advantage, or whether that's play him in the half-forward line for 20 minutes and then move him into the full-forward line and back, but definitely trying to get the best position for TJ within the team will be vital for Kilkenny over the next few weeks I think."

Another big positioning issue for boss Derek Lyng is what to do with captain Paddy Deegan. An inspirational centre-back, the O'Loughlin Gaels man has been used at midfield more recently, with Richie Reid in the half-back line.

"I think they will go again in the Leinster final with Richie Reid at six and Paddy at eight," predicted Hogan. "They might change that around later on in the season because Richie Reid is a brilliant midfielder too, who can play anywhere from five to 12.

"He started off as a forward. So it's nice to have that flexibility there."

Despite being the only unbeaten team left in the MacCarthy Cup race, there is still a question mark over Kilkenny's form with near misses in each of their last four games, including a draw with Carlow.

Hogan, again, is optimistic.

"I think the last 35 minutes against Wexford was the best they've played since they beat Limerick in the league semi-final," he said.