JUST A BRIEF CAT..
LIKE most of the chats that result in a Kilkenny player’s retirement, Kieran Joyce’s with Brian Cody was “short enough”.
In his autobiography, Jackie Tyrrell told how his final conversation with Cody (inset) after 14 seasons as a Kilkenny player lasted just seven minutes.
By then Tyrrell was 34 and couldn’t break back into the side after a run of injuries.
Joyce was four years younger but had been frozen out in last year’s Championship campaign. After starting against Wexford, he didn’t see any more action.
He explained: “I met Brian I think it was October last year.
“I didn’t feature after the Wexford match.
“If someone got injured, I wasn’t even the first man to come on. Usually if I wasn’t starting I was the first one to come in, or the first one covering for the backs, so I said to him, ‘Is the belief and the confidence still there in me?’.
“He said, ‘It is, but we’re looking at other people now KIERAN JOYCE doesn’t expect Brian Cody to make wholesale changes after Kilkenny’s Dublin scare.
The League champions snatched a victory late on at Parnell Park on Sunday, after Cody fielded seven Championship debutants. so I can’t say that this isn’t going to be the case going forward’.
“I said, ‘Look, if that is the case, it’s a big sacrifice’. I didn’t want to be there for the sake of being there either.
“I didn’t want to be holding up the position for other players trying to come in. I said, ‘That’s fine so, I’ll step aside and let the next few lads come in’.”
Not appearing in the defeat to Waterford in the qualifiers was particularly hard for Joyce to take. With the game going to extratime Experienced duo Colin Fennelly (left) and Paul Murphy came off the bench to steady the ship and while Joyce expects them to start against Offaly on Sunday, he doesn’t expect much tinkering beyond that.
The former Kilkenny defender said: “To start seven last week was a big call. With Kilkenny could have, in theory, used 10 subs over the 90 minutes.
“Getting knocked out in that game, I knew myself then that that could be it. “That’s why it was amicable enough and I wished them all the best. “Likewise, he thanked me and we went our separate ways then. It was a short enough meeting.” Reflecting on his career, the 2014 All-ireland final replay win over Tipperary is an obvious highlight. Joyce had lost his place during the Colin and Paul on the bench, their coming in was a massive addition.
“I do expect Paul and Colin to probably start, apart from that I wouldn’t think there’ll be too many changes.
“Brian’s not one to change a team too much if it’s winning.
“And look, the lads will learn campaign but was restored to the side at centre-back and won man of the match.
“That year finished out brilliantly.
“Throughout the year beforehand you’re probably a little bit worried about how it was going to go and sure if Bubbles’ [John O’dwyer] free was a couple of inches on the other side it could have been a completely different year.
“That probably is one of the standout ones, one of the special ones. You’re probably counting your stars that you got a chance to do it.” from this. Even from our club, Richie Leahy, it was his first Championship match.
“He probably didn’t have as prolific a game as he had in the League matches but that’ll stand to him as well.
“Parnell Park is a tough place to go in your first Championship match.”