GAA Digest: Tough choice for Henry Shefflin - Kilkenny Cats on cloud nine after All-Ireland hurling win

King Henry Shefflin, Kilkenny boss Brian Cody's praise and Galway struggles

“Winning the replay was very much about the team and the team performance, and that was the most satisfying thing. I think in the drawn game we did not perform as a team, although we had some good individual performances.

“Today we had a very good team performance, and that has always been the hallmark of this team.”

Kilkenny boss Brian Cody led the tributes to Shefflin at the post-match press conference.

Cody said, “He set the tone from around 1999, I think, to be honest about it, from the point of view of playing senior with Kilkenny.

“He wasn’t just playing for Kilkenny, he led for Kilkenny, he fought for Kilkenny and he scrapped for Kilkenny.

Cody believes Shefflin will hang around to try and win a 10th All-Ireland medal next year.

“I haven’t spoken to him yet but I’d be amazed if he isn’t back. You talk about hunger but to me it is very simple and Henry and these players love hurling,” Cody said.

“The thing a lot of people forget when they talk about hunger, about this fella doing this or that, to me it’s very simple - Henry is just in love with the game.”

Cody’s Praise

Kilkenny boss Brian Cody was quick to pay tribute to his other players too.

“It’s a replay, it’s something we have never sampled before. It’s not the first or second Sunday in September, it’s the last Sunday in September,” he said.

“It’s unchartered territory for hurlers and it seemed very strange with the MacCarthy Cup still up for grabs. It was tucked away for three weeks and three weeks is a long time at that stage. It’s about getting ourselves ready and getting back into it.

“We started lively and we started well. We were certainly going well and then we were hit by two goals again and it was as if what’s going to happen after this? But the response was instant and very strong and that was the key to it today. The performance of the team was absolutely outstanding.”

​
Nster.com