|
Replying To Midleton: "Kilkenny's reign lasted a long, long time. I don't think Limerick are in a similar position.
The only team they battered out the gate in the Munster Championship was Cork, who made it easy for them by the way they played.
They beat Waterford by 3 points, an aging Tipp team by 6 points, and drew with Clare in the round robin, before beating them by 3 points in the Munster final after extra time. Hardly similar to what Kilkenny were doing to teams in Leinster for ten years.
No Munster county fears Limerick at the moment, although they certainly respect them." Yes, but any time Shefflin was not playing KK were not the same, even at their peak. Remember Lynch and Casey scored 11 points from play between them in last years AIF and Casey was gone after 27 minutes, having also scored five points from play in the Munster Final. Any team would struggle with men of that caliber off or just returning from injury.
Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4317 - 10/08/2022 10:00:10
2436910
Link
0
|
|
Replying To ballydalane: "A sad day, really. I know a lot of Kilkenny folk who will be delighted he's gone and think his old fashioned tactics were holding the team back for years. Maybe. I'm not convinced, time will tell.
They're right in that he wasn't a tactics or a stats man, but what he was was a brilliant judge of player. He knew exactly what type of player he wanted in the panel, and every player knew exactly what was expected of them if they wanted to remain in that panel. Consistency over decades.
People will point to the fact that he had great players like Shefflin, JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh etc., that is true. But some examples of his particular type of genius here. The 2012 All Ireland final replay v Galway. He hands an intercounty debut to a 21 year old junior club hurler Walter Walsh, unknown outside Kilkenny and scarcely known within either! Walter scores 1-3 (I think!) and wins Man of the Match!
2014 All Ireland Final replay v Tipp. Cody drops his first choice centre back Brian Hogan, and replaces him with Kieran Joyce who had barely any game time in that championship. Joyce wins Man of the Match!
What other manager would make those calls before an All Ireland Final? Giving a 21 year old his debut, and replacing the centre back. And both winning MOTM! Absolute confidence in his own judgement of players, and infusing players with absolute confidence in their own ability.
Even this year, Kilkenny were probably ranked 7th in the country, 6th at best. Behind all the Munster counties and possibly Galway too. Facing Clare in the semi final. Clare, the only team that could give Limerick a game apparently. Cody's team savages Clare in probably a Kilkenny team's best performance since 2014. Of course the narrative afterwards was "Clare really weren't that good, anyway"! And running a brilliant Limerick team to 2 points in the final with, let's face it, a vastly inferior team in most positions. A bit like Mourinho finishing 2nd with a poor United team, maybe this year was Cody's best achievement of all!
And let's not forget, who is still the last manager to have defeated John Kiely's Limerick in the championship?
It would be remiss of me not to mention his less endearing qualities. He was cold and ruthless with players who he felt were surplus to requirements, he could be petty and vindictive in the extreme. Even subbing players off, not so much as a "well done", a clap on the back of even a sideways glance! "You're coming off and if you don't like it, don't come looking to me for sympathy!" But at least all players were treated the same, and they knew where they stood. Plus he was an awful loser. But what great coaches in any sport were ever good losers?!
Hope he has a happy retirement from management and is free to pursue his other interests (which incidentally is, eh, going to as many hurling games as he can fit into his day)!
Happy retirement Brian, thanks for all you have done for Kilkenny hurling." Man that's a super post id say it encapsulates Brian Cody exactly like he is, brilliant hurling brain yet cold & unapologetic to any Player feeling his wrath but his achievements will never be overtaken.
He took over Kilkenny when they weren't at there best I seem to recall reading in 1995 that Kilkenny hurling was in a bit of bother Seniors well beaten by Offaly think Leinster final was 2.16 to 2.06 with both KK goals late efforts and there Minor team of that year well beaten by Cork he turned it around big time beaten in 1999 in an awful final if I remember correctly .
I imagine you can detect a small bit of Alex Ferguson at Man Utd ruthless massively successful perhaps not greatly loved but greatly admired legacy will live forever.
clooney (Clare) - Posts: 880 - 10/08/2022 11:22:05
2436930
Link
0
|
|
Replying To clooney: "Man that's a super post id say it encapsulates Brian Cody exactly like he is, brilliant hurling brain yet cold & unapologetic to any Player feeling his wrath but his achievements will never be overtaken.
He took over Kilkenny when they weren't at there best I seem to recall reading in 1995 that Kilkenny hurling was in a bit of bother Seniors well beaten by Offaly think Leinster final was 2.16 to 2.06 with both KK goals late efforts and there Minor team of that year well beaten by Cork he turned it around big time beaten in 1999 in an awful final if I remember correctly .
I imagine you can detect a small bit of Alex Ferguson at Man Utd ruthless massively successful perhaps not greatly loved but greatly admired legacy will live forever." Were they really that bad in '95?. They had just done a back to back in '93 and that Offaly team were a splendid team anyway.
Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4317 - 11/08/2022 07:51:38
2437022
Link
0
|