WIN OR LOSE this weekend, Brian Cody will be expecting the usual post-All-Ireland hurling final questions regarding his future as Kilkenny boss.
A victory against Galway at Croke Park on Sunday will give Cody a remarkable eleventh All-Ireland senior crown in 17 seasons as manager of the Cats.
Henry Shefflin was involved in each of the previous ten wins so he knows his former manager well, but the legendary forward is unsure if Cody will continue in the role.
However, reading between the lines, the Ballyhale man — who retired this year — told The42 that there are positive signs regarding Cody remaining in the hotseat for 2016.
“You just don’t know with him,” said Shefflin. “But from the articles I’ve been reading this week, he seems to be still very much enjoying it, and if Brian’s enjoying it I think we’ll be seeing him for another while yet.
“As I said, it’s always hard to know with Brian but I definitely get the sense that he’s still enjoying the challenge. As players, that’s what we love and we can only do it for a certain lifespan, but Brian is still getting that buzz from being a manager.”
When asked if another manager could ever replicate Cody’s achievements, Shefflin said: “No, to be honest. I don’t think so. The level of success Kilkenny have had with him has been the one constant. It’s very hard to see it happening again in the modern game.”
Centra’s ‘Champion of Healthy Living’ ambassador Henry Shefflin was named Ireland’s favourite hurler in a survey conducted at Centra’s community hurling events this summer.
Almost 5,000 children turned out for Centra’s ‘Champions of Healthy Living’ events across 13 different locations during the championship season, with a selection of the finest inter-county stars.
The events travelled to counties from Cork to Donegal and Galway to Dublin with hurling stars such as Henry Shefflin, Patrick Horgan and Conal Keaney on hand to give budding hurlers form local clubs the chance to learn from the best in the game.
