WE’LL TEACH OUR KIDS TO REID & RIGHT

TJ: It’s up to us veterans to guide the young guns.. we can’t pile pressure on them

TJ REID has challenged Kilkenny’s stalwarts to spearhead a new era for the county.

The Cats are in a deep phase of transition but appear to have turned a corner in recent weeks, reeling off three straight wins to reach the League quarter-finals.

The latest victory, a three-point win over Wexford on Sunday, turned the tables on Davy Fitzgerald’s side, who had sent them out of both the League and the Leinster Championship in 2017.

With Brian Cody introducing a host of younger players, Reid insists that the likes of himself, Walter Walsh and captain Cillian Buckley must set an example.

He said: “It’s up to the experienced lads to drive the whole thing, myself, Wally, Buckley, to keep that consistency there in games.

“And if we have Pat Lyng and Richie Leahy tipping a few points over, Mossy Keoghan tipping more points, that’s what you need and you can’t be putting pressure on those young lads. These young guys are only starting off.

“Richie Leahy (below), he’s a star, a fitness freak there at midfield. He has legs to burn and a great head on him.

“Those boys are around, minor, under-21.

“They will have the names (of) the likes of Tommy Walsh and JJ Delaney in years to come. Those big names are gone and, yeah, we have new players around.”

Reid certainly kept up his side of the bargain on Sunday when he contributed 0-12 of Kilkenny’s 0-22 tally.

“I am one of the experienced boys now so I have to be driving the whole thing.

“I am going ok, but, again, in sport you could be peaking too early, you could have an off season – it’s all about looking after yourself and making sure you are fresh for games.

“It’s early days yet, it’s March. There is no point firing on all cylinders now and dipping then come Championship.

“We are doing ok. Look, Tipp were missing five key forwards when we beat them two weeks ago, we can’t be getting overly excited because other teams are missing players as well.”

Reid also

played down the extent to which the Cats’ panel has changed over the past couple of seasons.

He added: “People are saying ‘new team’ but if you look back to 2015 we have the same panel of players.

“The only two lads that are gone off the team are Jackie [Tyrrell] and Mick Fennelly.

“Yeah, there are new faces around but we still have that panel that won the All-ireland back in 2015.

“Last year didn’t work out the way we wanted it to work out and these things happen.

“I think we are very persistent this year.

“Our performances are up there but it’s going to be a different structure with the League and Championship this year, it’s going to be a new kind of tactical system as well because there is going to be a game each week.

“You could be resting players one week, and trying new players the next week.

“It’s going to be something similar to the League, trying lads and keeping lads

fresh.”