This is the Kilkenny way.
Fresh from yet another National Hurling League triumph at the weekend, the most successful bainisteoir in the history of the GAA gave a brilliant interview to Tim Moynihan on Radio Kerry.
During it, the topic of egos in the dressing room came under discussion and Cody made it fairly clear that any player with a big head is told exactly where to go in Kilkenny.
“To be honest, I think an ego is something I would be ensuring didn’t exist in our dressing room,” began the James Stephen’s club man.
“If people lose the run of themselves and get an exaggerated opinion of their own importance… I mean we’re playing sport, we’re playing hurling and just about everybody plays hurling in Kilkenny, so we’re just doing what everybody else is doing and we’re getting a huge opportunity to do it at the highest level, something everybody would love to do.
“If people develop egos and become unbearable on the strength of that then it is a sad way to be to be honest about it,” he said.
That’s what Kilkenny pride themselves on. Brian Cody has been true to these principals down through the years with various players being quickly cut as soon as he noticed such traits creeping into their mentalities.
We’re all well aware that the ‘county’ status does often go to the heads of players, to their own detriment, but Wooly, Conan and Conor, speaking on Thursday’s GAA Hour Show were all in agreement there’s no harm in having a few players in a panel who have that higher opinion of themselves.
“I understand where Brian Cody is coming from,” began Wooly.
“He’s an unbelievable manager, but I think it’s an extremely conservative way of thinking about things.
“I think an ego is no harm, You tap into that confidence of players.
“I honestly think there’s a concerted effort in the GAA to take all personality out of players. All unique personality traits or flair is seen as an absolutely horrible thing.
“I think an ego or two isn’t bad in the dressing room. A whole load of fellas going around with egos is unhealthy, I agree with Cody there, but you’ll tolerate one or two fellas.
“Some fellas can have an ego, and it’ll be a really likeable quality in them. I like someone who is sure of themselves.
“I always had an ego. I think any inter-county player that got to that level and says they don’t have an ego… I don’t know. Everybody has a bit of an ego.”
Conan was singing off the same hymn sheet. He sees an egotistical player as one with plenty of self confidence and he feels this can help to inspire others around them.
“I always thought that bit of arrogance would rub off on players, especially when you’re getting ready for a game when you’re looking at somebody, thinking, he’s pretty sure of himself. Then you’re looking forward to getting into battle with him. It’s good to be on the same team as them.”
So long as it’s not too far out of control, it can help the team bond too because these lads with the egos are often at the centre of the jokes in the dressing room.
“And it’s a bit of craic as well. Normally the boys with the ego are the boys you can poke fun at,” said Conan.
Conor Heneghan honed in on the criticism directed at players who celebrate scoring a point. It all feeds into the notion that we as a nation encourage our peers to aim high and to succeed, but once they do, we try and bring them straight back down to earth.
“Just look at the reaction to a player who’s celebrating a score, ‘oh who does he think he is?'”
“I’d 100% agree, I think you have to tolerate egos as long as they’re not detracting from the team and are putting in the same effort,” he said.
“Often these are the fellas you’d look to to pull the game out of the fire when it’s going against you, because they have that personality.”
It’s all about striking that balance.
You can listen to this chat and much more from Wooly, Conor and Conan on Thursday’s GAA Hour Show.
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