HURLING’S CODY OF PRACTICE
Kilkenny legend aiming to expand sport’s reach
SO WHY did Brian Cody finally retire in 2022 after 24 seasons in charge of Kilkenny?
Up until yesterday, two years on, there hadn’t been an opportunity to sit the 70-year-old down, to place a microphone in front of him, and actually ask him.
In a rare interview for the James Stephens man, at a Hurling Development Committee briefing, Cody shot back: “Check my birth cert!”
That drew smiles all around but if you’re figuring that the typically no-nonsense Cody has suddenly mellowed or dropped his guard, think again.
Cody always chose his words ultra-carefully and wasn’t about to offer up any easy headlines this time either.
Asked if he misses inter-county management, the 11-time All-Ireland-winning Cats boss said: “I’m not involved in it now and I can’t say I miss it. Because if I was going to miss it, I would have maybe tried to stay doing it but I think you move on. That’s it really.”
What about potential rule changes for the game? Anything he’s seen in his two years out of inter-county management that could be tweaked or improved?
Cody shrugged: “I haven’t put any thought into that at all, I don’t know.”
But what about four points for a goal, similar to the path football is heading down?
Cody reiterated: “Like I said, I haven’t thought about it.”
The former Kilkenny defender is still involved in the game as boss of James Stephens. He returned to the TV screens last weekend for their Championship encounter with Ballyhale Shamrocks, a game they lost.
Now they have a relegation play-off against Glenmore to contend with.
Again, Cody wasn’t getting overly emotional about that.
Reacting to the suggestion that it’s one of the biggest games in his club’s history,
Cody said: “Every year that game happens for two clubs, in so many counties.”
Likewise, he wasn’t about to pull back the curtains and give a peek into his daily life postKilkenny. Does the retired schoolteacher, for instance, have so much more time now that he’s not managing a top senior inter-county team?
Cody said: “Life just goes ahead really.”
Media
Surely he plays a bit of golf or enjoys an extra holiday or two?
Cody grinned: “Yeah, I’m a top class golfer!”
Truth be told, this was one aspect of inter-county management that Cody was never going to miss when he called it quits
dealing with the media. He — fulfilled his obligations over the years but never looked like he was enjoying it much.
So getting back to his departure, why did he opt to leave?
Cody said: “I was enjoying it but I didn’t own the job. An opportunity was there for someone else to come in and take it on. It was just a natural evolution of what happens. I suppose I spent longer there than most people.”
It was no great surprise that Cody didn’t bite when asked if he’s reflected in the last 24 months on his remarkable achievements in management.
He said: “Not even remotely. At the end of the day, I didn’t hit a ball in any of those matches. The players that I was privileged to be involved with, they won whatever they won. Obviously you need a good setup, the whole backroom, everything has to be good, but players go out and make
‘Hurling is struggling in some areas’
those achievements for everybody.”
Derek Lyng, his former midfielder and then coach, is doing a decent job of filling Cody’s boots. Lyng still hasn’t managed to steer Kilkenny to MacCarthy Cup success but they haven’t imploded either, as many teams do after losing long-serving managers.
In his two seasons in charge, Kilkenny have won back-to-back Leinster titles and contested an AllIreland final.
Cody said: “We have been very competitive. They were barely beaten by Clare this year, who went on to win the All-Ireland. They won a League and two Leinster finals as well. We are doing very well and that’s what we get on with. It’s easy to say you want to be successful, but to be successful you have to competitive, and we are.”
Modern
Cody reflected on the modern game in his new role as a HDC member. He is joined on the committee by well-known figures like Neil McManus, Martin Fogarty, Willie Maher and Darragh Egan but is the standout figure on the 12-person list.
He said: “The advent of the Joe McDonagh, Nickey Rackard and Christy Ring competitions has been very beneficial, counties are playing in competitions where they have a genuine chance of success.
“And, you know, some of the games in those competitions are top class and are played out here (in Croke Park) before MacCarthy Cup matches as well. So that is there, but so much work is needed to be done. Hurling is struggling in certain areas for sure and that’s what this committee is all about, trying to improve things.”
GAA President Jarlath Burns said the HDC’s long-term target is to bring more counties through to MacCarthy Cup status.
Cody said: “I think he is talking about that in maybe 20 years’ time, he’s made no secret of the fact that he sees this as a long-term project. We are there for three years but we are not going to see anything remotely like that in three years.
“If we can put some structures in place and see start ups of new clubs and see progress in counties that really have been crying out for progress, that’s as much as we can hope to be able to see.”