KILKENNY SHARPSHOOTER TJ Reid is confident the Cats will only get better as the season progresses and the weather continues to improve.
Reid top-scored for Brian Cody’s men with 0-10 during their win over Dublin in Parnell Park on Sunday, a result which sent the Sky Blues packing into a relegation play-off.
Kilkenny are preparing for a showdown against Wexford in Nowlan Park on Sunday, and the 28-year-old believes they’re on the right track.
“It’s early days, it’s still the end of March,” he says. ”We probably started slow. We are building, so championship is where we want to be peaking.
“At the end of the day nobody remembers the start of the league like so as long as we progress and fine-tune I think our standard of hurling is improving each week.
“You might see that because we are not doing a whole lot of hurling in training because this is physical work at the moment.
“Once the long evenings come in and the ground starts to harden up, that’s when the hurling will start then. Our hurling is improving, our first touch will improve and our vision for the ball will improve as well.”
The Ballyhale man pointed out that other sides in the top flight got a head start on Kilkenny in terms of fitness at the beginning of the year.
“A lot of counties are back a lot earlier now because they are trying to raise their standards and raise the bar in terms of fitness.
“This time of year if you are not fit and the ground is hard, the team with the fitter legs do usually win out games. But we are just building towards championship and trying to fine-tune as well.”
Reid tipped his hat to inside forward Conor Martin, who posted 1-5 in an impressive display.
“He’s been threatening in training and he’s been going well. He’s a really good hurler and today it was like he’s been around for the last number of years and that comes from a bit of experience and confidence on the field as well.
“When you are new start off, because you are wearing the black and amber jersey there’s a responsibilities on your shoulders as well but he was fine there today. He has to be going to those standards again next week.”
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