'It's outside noise, we don't listen to any of that' - Cian Kenny responds to Kilkenny criticism
CATS CALLING: Kilkenny hurler Cian Kenny poses for a portrait. Pic: Sam Barnes/Sportsfile
Cian Kenny has insisted that the Kilkenny squad don’t pay attention to the “outside noise” after former Tipperary manager Liam Sheedy questioned the strength and depth of the Cats’ attack.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Allianz League Sunday, the two-time All-Ireland winning boss with Tipp stated that he believed Kilkenny “are still struggling for real quality forwards coming through and I think it’s going to cost them” following their narrow win over Waterford at UPMC Nowlan Park.
But on Monday, Kenny, who’s late free proved to be the difference between the sides, admitted he doesn’t agree with those comments.
"It's something that we don't pay attention to,” said the half-forward, who scored seven points in total, six from dead-balls.
“They get paid to go on and say stuff. It's their job to review a game and everyone has their own opinion, so you have to respect someone else's opinion.
“But I think the lads that are in our forwards are proving in every game and they've proved themselves in the last couple of years.
“You're talking about TJ Reid, Eoin Cody, John Donnelly, Stephen Donnelly, Mossy -- I see it every day in training, so I know what they're like. If it doesn't happen one day, so be it. It's going to happen.
“You just have to keep trusting the players. For us, it's outside noise. We don't listen to any of that.
“I don't sit down every Sunday and watch what people want to say about us because we know our capabilities.
“If it doesn't work, it's a good thing as well because you have stuff to improve on. But I don't really agree with that comment.
“I know what we have in the dressing room and it's something that's building."
Having hit two frees wide earlier in the game, Kenny held his nerve to fire over the winning score against the Déise to secure the hosts second win in Division 1A.
“When I put the ball down, I looked at the clock, and it was 75 so I kind of made it worse on myself. But I just tried to get the heart rate down,” he added.
“You'd be learning off TJ in the last two or three years. We used to play free competitions with him after training so you're watching him doing it and you're seeing what he's doing.
“He'd always tell you to just stick to your routine as best as possible. I did that and luckily it went over.
"You try to stick to the same process as best as possible. You don't want a missed free to affect your in-game play.
“We do a lot of work with our psychologist in the camp, Mags McCarthy, and you're just trying to go back to what you went through with her and how to get yourself back into the game.
“For me, it was just getting hands on ball as quickly as possible. Luckily, I got the ball straight afterwards, so it was gone out of my head.
“But when you're stepping up to take another free, you're not trying to focus on the misses because it could lead to another miss, so I was happy."
Kilkenny will be home again next weekend when they take on a Cork side that will be looking to make it four wins out of four.
And Kenny is aware of the challenge his side will face against a Rebels team with a number of different threats in attack themselves.
“Cork are savage, they're a savage team,” said Kenny.
“The last two All-Ireland finals, they've kind of proved it and in the Munster Championship as well.
“But you look forward to these games, you look forward to Cork coming to town and you're coming up against savage quality players.
“It's the only way to improve and it's a great test coming into Championship as well.
“The forwards they have, when they get going, they can be scary but it's about just trying to shut them down and getting into their faces as much as possible.
“Any time we play a Cork, it brings out the best in both teams, in hurling and physicality. I'm hoping for Sunday it'll be the exact same.”
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