JACKIE TYRRELL IS ready to lace up his boots for another season with Kilkenny — provided he gets the call from Brian Cody.
The Cats are still licking their wounds after an off-year in which they were beaten by Dublin in Leinster and then knocked out by Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-finals.
Tyrrell had a longer summer break than usual but, after watching Cork and Clare play out a thrilling draw last weekend, the six-time All-Ireland winner is even more hungry to bounce back.
Although he turns 32 next June, making a call on whether or not he should carry on hurling is a no-brainer.
“I haven’t thought about [retirement],” he said yesterday. “I don’t need to think about it. Once I get picked I’ll be back.”
The way the game has gone, once you hit the age of 30, 31 the big retirement word comes out. It is just an automatic kneejerk reaction.I don’t suspect any retirements in Kilkenny. I don’t really know. We haven’t met up or talked or anything, we are just back with our clubs, getting on and enjoying that. It is up to everyone but I don’t suspect any retirements.
Tyrrell has no concerns about Cody’s future either. The Cats boss, who has led the county to nine All-Ireland titles, missed the end of the league campaign to undergo pre-planned heart surgery but was back on the sideline for the Championship opener against Offaly.
“I don’t think he will [retire]. Brian Cody is his own man, he will make his own decision when the time comes.”
Tyrrell, third from left, with Katie Kenney, Marissa Gaskill and Lee Chin at the launch of the GAA/GPA Celtic Champions Classic (INPHO/Lorraine O’Sullivan)
Watching Sunday’s thriller in Croke Park from afar has certainly increased Tyrrell’s appetite but he’s the first to admit that Kilkenny may need to tweak their style if they are to compete next summer.
Even seeing the razzmatazz and the build-up beforehand was brilliant. You would be sitting there and itching to play. Absolutely it would reinvigorate you to go on again next year and hopefully get back to some days like that.
He added: “Looking at the way the game has gone and the way teams are setting up now, it is very much a possession game really now. The days of route one and hitting the ball long are kind of gone. We tried it this year and it didn’t work.
“Teams are just holding onto the ball, working it out and looking for the good ball into the forwards, so maybe that is something we need to look at and adjust our game and tweak it. Clearly what we did this year didn’t work.”
“Teams are always looking at who are the team to beat and what do we need to do. Cork, Dublin and Clare have done it this year so yeah, I’d say it is something we will be looking at.”
