TJ and his Cats back for Derek
KILKENNY manager Derek Lyng is confident of a full deck to choose from for the National Hurling League.
The Cats will finally get their 2024 campaign up and running tonight in Carlow.
They already travelled to Carlow last Sunday but their Dioralyte Walsh Cup opener at Netwatch Cullen Park was postponed because of fog.
Lyng will experiment again having only named two players last weekend – Tommy Walsh and Billy
Ryan – that started last year’s All-ireland final.
The team he selected for the Group 1 encounter included five players – Niall Rowe, Joe Fitzpatrick,
Killian Doyle, Timmy Clifford and Billy Drennan – who lined out in the 2022 All-ireland U-20 final win.
Former U-20 stars
Padraic Moylan, Paddy Langton and Andy Hickey
were among the subs along with 2023 Croke Cup winners Bill Hughes and Ted Dunne.
Padraig Walsh and Richie Hogan have retired from county duty but all the signs are that veteran TJ Reid will go again.
Asked if there have been any more retirements, Lyng said: “No, no, that’s what we have now.”
Referencing the start of the National League, he continued: “Everybody at that stage will be back.
“Obviously we have to juggle Fitzgibbon and things like that but most players will be back from the club in the next two or three weeks. The All-ireland intermediate and junior finals are on next weekend and after that we have O’loughlin Gaels playing so they’ll be back.
“Some will need a break, some will come straight back in. But by the end of the month, we should have everyone back.”