THERE HAS ARGUABLY never been so much uncertainty surrounding a pre-championship Kilkenny side under Brian Cody’s rule.
They’ve won 11 All-Ireland titles since 2000, but the Cats have more question marks regarding team selection heading into a championship campaign than we’ve witnessed in a long time.
A resurgent Wexford earned a huge victory over Kilkenny in the league, their first at Nowlan Park in 60 years. Now they’re gunning for a first championship victory over the Cats since 2004.
It emerged last night that Kilkenny won’t be naming their team until prior to throw-in, although they have already issued a team sheet to Croke Park and the Leinster Council for the match programme. It’s almost cloak and dagger stuff.
First things first. It’s rumoured Padraig Walsh has recovered from a stress fracture in his foot to start, but nobody is quite sure if that’ll be at full-back or further out the field.
“I think he was growing into the (full-back) position,” says former Kilkenny poacher Eddie Brennan. “It’s a different mindset there. Personally speaking, I think he’s too valuable at five.
“One thing Padraig Walsh will have is the right attitude and if Brian Cody asked him to do a job he’d do it for him.”
Brennan is concerned that starting Walsh would be a major risk, given the time he’s spent on the sideline.
“A stress fracture, that’s something that needs rest. The problem is not that with championship being at such a high pitch you can’t afford a three or four-week layoff. It’s the loss of sharpness as well and that’s the danger now.
“I think the luxury of playing an injured player any more is just gone. If a fella gets a lay off for four weeks his sharpness is gone, so for a manager you are kind of going, ‘Jesus I don’t think I can gamble on that.’
“That’s probably the biggest worry for Kilkenny, but you’ve seen it with Brian (in the past). Richie Hogan had a broken hand last year and he appeared (against Galway).
“I often heard Tommy Walsh saying he would sit down and convince himself he wasn’t injured. So maybe he’ll have a chat with Padraig and tell him he’s not injured.
Michael Fennelly and Ger Aylward both showed good form in recent club games, having returned from long-term injuries. If he starts, Fennelly could slot into centre-back or midfield with Cillian Buckley likely filling the other position.
“(Cody) probably saw what Cillian Buckley can do at midfield against Tipperary. He gave a tour de force that day. Is Cillian too valuable at wingback?
“You can look at the All-Ireland last year and Tipp managed to pull Cillain out the field, whereas Cillian had played that role of being able to protect the full back line and get in behind the centre back up to that. So, there is a lot of food for thought for him there.”
If Walsh doesn’t start at 3, then Kieran Joyce is the leading contender to slot in at full-back. Paul Murphy is expected to act as the loose defender as Wexford will play with a sweeper.
The Kilkenny attack stuttered at stages during the league and a recent hat-trick for his club Glenmore surely reminded Cody if his prowess in front of goal.
Brennan, who scored 26-59 in 48 championship appearances for Kilkenny, says it’s vital that another forward steps up to take some of the scoring burden from talismen TJ Reid and Richie Hogan.
“They need a couple of guys outside of TJ Reid and Richie Hogan up front to really step up. They need someone like Kevin Kelly or Ger Alyward to have one of those seasons.
“Colin Fennelly really has to take on a leadership role this year. He has to be demanding the ball and do the grunt work for some of the other players.
“Kilkenny do need one of these younger guys to have a year of years to take the pressure off TJ and Richie , because both of those guys have been a model of consistency in recent years. If one of them is to dip this year, it means Kilkenny need someone else to take up the slack.
“Usually Brian had a policy of bleeding lads into the team and give them a couple of league games, 10 minutes of a championship match and get them familiar with it. It worked well historically but he hasn’t got that luxury now so you have to throw in these guys and give them a chance.
“How quickly they can learn is the big key. Richie Leahy is still very, very young. Liam Blanchfield, we probably measured him with a big stick when we looked at him.
“It’s not talking about Kilkenny when myself or Henry were there, this is the Kilkenny team that is there now and it’s how quickly they can learn. It’s survival of the fittest unfortunately at inter-county level, that’s the nature of it. It’s how quickly them guys can adapt and thrive in the situation.”
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