HENRY IS READY TO BECOME KING OF AIRWAVES
As he swaps the pitch for a studio, Cats legend oozes class in his first outing as an analyst
HENRY Shefflin isn’t going to take the two barrels approach of Ger Loughnane. He’s not going to tilt at windmills or divide a nation à la Eamon Dunphy. Instead, hurling’s most decorated player is happy to ease himself into life as a pundit after retiring with 10 All-Irelands and almost every honour imaginable in the game.
In Carroll’s Hotel in Knocktopher yesterday, RTÉ launched their championship coverage with the first official outing of Shefflin in an analyst’s role. With the crowd in the back function room of the bar in his home parish of Ballyhale hanging on every word, the sight of Kilkenny’s greatest player with a set of headphones on talking hurling rather than wearing his iconic green helmet on the field of play will take a bit of getting used to.
But it was straight in at the deep end, Shefflin addressing the shock report of an inter-county footballer failing a drugs test.
He revealed that he had only been tested twice in his career, and that the experience is tough for amateur players to endure, particularly after matches.
‘I’ve no problem with the intraining testing because they come, you’ve a chance to get hydrated, you’re around your locality, you know what’s going to happen so you can drink plenty of fluids during training.
‘After the match can be frustrating. You play a big match and the next thing you’re cordoned off. The lads are gone back to the hotel. You’re there and whether you win or lose, there’s different emotions. You’re stuck on your own.
‘The match one is a bit difficult on amateur players.’
In no way does he feel that there is an issue of players taking prohibited substances at inter-county level. ‘I wouldn’t feel it’s a problem. Obviously, there is going to be a case or two, that happens in every sport. I don’t know enough about the facts to speak about that.
‘But I’d be very comfortable that the sport is clean. I do think it’s important that it [testing] is there.’
Another area he feels could be improved is in player education. ‘I think the educational piece is missing. Especially the younger members that come on panels. They’re in and it’s such a novelty. I’m so used to the doctor, the dietician, I’ve a very good relation and I can pick up the phone.
‘A lot of younger players wouldn’t be able to do that. The educational side is important to get across to them.’
While Sky Sports lost out in the bid to sign Shefflin as a pundit, he admits he is a fan of the Gary Neville/Jamie Carragher soccer analysis double-act.
‘I would be interested in Gary Neville and Carragher as well. I don’t see enough of them but any time I do, I’d be impressed by them. And they have the experience of playing, and they’re bringi ng i t across to viewers and explaining things that look simple but the general public, they might not see. It’s not being over- critical or blowing people up for the sake of it. It’s a good balance and that’s what’s good about their analysis.’ It’s an approach he is l i kely to take hi mself, rather than emulating the likes of outspoken f ormer Clare manager Ger Loughnane (left). ‘ He ma ke s some very good comments. Probably some of the stuff I wouldn’t necessarily agree with. It’s a mixture. It all depends on the personality of the person.’
Why RTÉ then? ‘To be fair, it went back to when I was a child. I grew up looking at The
Sunday Game. I used to watch it when I was playing, I used to watch it as a chap and when I had the opportunity to be involved in it, it was very hard to say no.
‘It was like a natural transition for me. It’s great to be still involved. I’m not just sitting at home watching the matches, I’ll be going to the matches and getting a sense of how spectators feel.’
Interestingly, he revealed he will not be analysing his own county Kilkenny any time soon. ‘ From working with the lads, it’s not something I envisage happening quickly.
To be fair to the players and the panel, it’s very important that it’s not a biased opinion. So, I won’t be sitting in on a Kilkenny game for the foreseeable future, as far as I can gather.
And when it does happen? ‘The lads know me well enough. What I’ll say will be fair and honest.’
He admits, too, that it’s not going to be easy on the sidelines this summer. ‘I don’t know how I’m going to react. Will I miss it? I think I will.
‘But I don’t think I’m ever going to go, “Jesus I should be out there”. Because I just feel my time is up.
‘Of course I’ll feel I’d love to be out there but there’s a difference there.’
It’s a natural transition, it’s great to still be involved