Kilkenny aren’t going away any time soon.
We can talk all we want about Kilkenny being on the wean. We can write their obituaries, we can say they’re gone but every time we do it, Brian Cody laughs.
He’s lapping that up now. He mightn’t have been at the start of the year when, after two years of disappointment and a rocky start to this year’s League campaign, concerns were very legitimate, indeed. But now, now there is light on Noreside.
This would be a crucial League campaign for them. Cody knew that from the word go, every black and amber follower knew that. Their recent struggles have all been based on a lack of replacements for legends who have moved on.
Brian Cody had no option but to look at new players, to offer opportunities, to see who is the next generation to take the mantle, to step in and make the famous Kilkenny jersey their own.
He’s found a flock of capable young hurlers who’ve shown over the last few weeks that they’re determined and damn good enough to fill the gaps left by their predecessors.
Brian Cody will be excited now.
He’ll be excited by the likes of Richie Leahy. The young Rower club man was tipped for stardom from a young age but he’s really coming into his own at the highest level now. A graceful, impactful mover with ball in hand, three effortless long range points from play from midfield on Sunday against Wexford showed what he’s capable of.
Richie Leahy having a stormer, strikes it high and over the bar pic.twitter.com/jMCTFSgLSu
— The GAA (@officialgaa) March 11, 2018
Martin Keoghan wasn’t at his best this time out but we’re all well aware what the young Tullaroan attacker is capable of by this stage. John Donnelly has some of the silkiest wrists in the county.
Enda Morrissey of Bennettsbridge has stepped up to the plate at half back as has Conor Delaney beside him.
James Maher is finally making his mark after an injury hell for the last two years. He was a mammoth of energy in midfield in Nowlan Park.
Darren Brennan is another find in the goals, and the St. Lachtains man is an interesting one. Last year’s under-21 goalie impressed all the way through the underage ranks and he’s taken his chance when given the start in the last two games of the group stage against Tipperary and Kilkenny.
He was safe as a house against Wexford. His puck-outs were drilled and direct and he pulled off a few fine saves, notably from Cathal Dunbar in the second half.
Eoin Murphy is the best goalkeeper in the country. There’s no doubt about that. But those with their finger on the pulse in Kilkenny hurling circles marvel at this man’s ability out the field for his club Glenmore, with whom he won an All-Ireland club title as an outfielder in 2016.
Murphy, who captained WIT to a Fitzgibbon Cup from half forward, is the liveliest goalkeeper in the game. He probably has the fleetest feet off the mark in the whole panel. Would it be beyond the realms of possibility to suggest that Cody could at least think about moving him out the field, considering he has the impressive Brennan making such strides in the nets?
Cody has form for a move like this, with Richie Reid coming on out the field last year against Wexford when he was named as the sub-goalie.
That may not happen, especially given the form being shown by the likes of Donnelly and Keoghan up top but these are the kind of debates Brian Cody will love to have to face up to.
On the other hand, the old guard of TJ Reid, Cillian Buckley and Padraig Walsh did what they always do. Reid ghosted around typically, coldly picking Wexford off for 12 points. Buckley dominated at half back, but Padraig Walsh, Padraig Walsh was on another level.
The Maynooth student bursted out of defence with ball after ball. He leapt highest to catch about five high balls cleanly, he left the Wexford forwards sitting with his drives from deep.
Wexford, however, were committing some form of tactical suicide by insisting with their spare man, which meant Walsh and Buckley had even more of a scope to clean up.
Davy Fitz abandoned the sweeper with his side trailling by six points after 55 minutes. Then they made a game of it, with Cathal Dunbar, Rory O’Connor flourishing with a bit more help by their side.
But at that stage it was too late as Kilkenny held onto win by three.
The question remains whether a team can win with a restrictive system?
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