Cody not a winner ‘by being nice’ - Canning
JOE CANNING has dismissed the furore over Brian Cody’s strained handshake with Henry Shefflin, claiming the iconic Kilkenny boss didn’t become a serial winner by ‘being a nice guy’. Cody’s perceived icy handshake with his former star player, after Shefflin’s Galway side had claimed a one-point Leinster SHC win over the Cats, has prompted a huge media reaction. However, Canning claimed the incident had been ‘blown out of proportion’. ‘I don’t think Brian or Henry will lose any sleep over it. I think they will probably be laughing at the whole thing,’ said the Galway legend. ‘I would be more worried if it was all pally-pally after losing. ‘Brian is a winner, there is no doubt about it. Another inter-county manager once said to me nice guys win nothing. So you have to be ruthless. He did not win all those All-Irelands with Kilkenny being a nice guy and it was a difficult situation obviously with his history of coaching Henry and Henry being against his native county so, it is what it is. He lost a Championship game, that’s life. I would not read too much into it,’ said Canning, Last Sunday’s game was decided by a controversial
free after Kilkenny’s Paddy Deegan was adjudged to have fouled Galway’s Tom Monaghan by referee Colm Lyons, a decision labelled erroneous by RTÉ pundits Derek McGrath and Shane Dowling. Canning was withering about the comments from both Sunday Game experts, saying they made ‘no sense’. ‘I didn’t see The Sunday Game, I
don’t really watch it but I heard it back that Shane Dowling and Derek McGrath said it wasn’t a free because he got man, ball and all. ‘Like if you get the man is that not a free? It didn’t make sense what they were saying to me. Any time you go through the back of a player was a free to be straight up about it,’ said Canning, speaking yesterday at the launch of the Bord Gáis Energy Legends Tour in Croke Park. Meanwhile, LGFA legend Cora Staunton has claimed that, apart from star player Vikki Wall, a number of other Meath players have been courted by AFLW clubs ahead of the new season, which is scheduled to start in August. Staunton, who is currently out of contract with Great Sydney Giants, is expected to return to Australia for a sixth season after the 40-year-old’s red-hot form saw her shortlisted for an All-Australian this year. But with four new expansion clubs joining the league, she predicted that there will be a record number of Irish playing in the AFLW in the new season. ‘There has been more than just Vikki approached. And again, whether those individuals will go or not is up to them. ‘I suppose it’s depending on who the club is, the contract they’re offered and depending on what they want, what their motivation is. Is it to win more All-Irelands with Meath or is to pursue the professional contract, professional sport,’ she said.