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Hurling

hurling

Charlie Carter: 'Kilkenny are in a period of transition now'

Brian Cody

Brian Cody

By John Harrington

Former Cats star Charlie Carter says the Kilkenny senior hurling team is about to go through a period of transition.

The Noresiders have been by far the most successful hurling county since the turn of the century, winning 11 of the last 17 All-Ireland titles.

But Carter believes their nine-point defeat to Tipperary in this year’s Final was a watershed moment that underlined the extent to which manager Brian Cody needs to build a new team.

“We're slipping into a slight transition period again, I'd say,” says Carter. “At the end of a team it usually happens and a new one starts up. And I'd say we're probably at that point again in Kilkenny.

“That's the way it's perceived, anyway. There's young blood going to have to come in again. You have the likes of Jackie (Tyrrell) slipping away now and Tommy (Walsh) and JJ (Delaney) over the last couple of years.

“Of all the teams that came through Kilkenny that's one of the greatest ever, if not the greatest. Look, it's a new challenge for Brian who is staying on again. He'll probably have to go back a little bit to go forward.

“There is talent there, but it takes a while to mould them into a team. He might have to give fresher faces a run in the League this year where maybe that wouldn't have happened so much in the last couple of years.

“There is talent there, we're not going to fall from grace, even though we're obviously not on the plateau that we were on for the last six, seven, eight years, whatever it is.

“Look it, that'll do hurling no harm either. It'll freshen up the Kilkenny supporters as well."

Charlie Carter

Charlie Carter

The Kilkenny defence was torn apart at times by the Tipperary forwards in the All-Ireland Final, and this is the area of the team that Carter believes requires the most surgery in the coming months and years.

“I suppose it's just a case maybe of Brian trusting the younger players coming through and they showing a bit of form and gelling,” says Carter.

“It could happen very quickly or it might take a little bit of time.

“We maybe need to find a new number 3 and a new 6 for next year and build around them. I didn't think Joey (Holden) got much cover at full-back last year in the All-Ireland, I thought there was too much room between the half-back and full-back lines.

“Whether he decides to go with Joey at full-back again or moves him out the field. He plays more half-back/centre-back for the club so are we looking for a new full-back?

“I've been at a lot of matches over the last couple of months in Kilkenny and you're always there trying to find a new player or two.

“Full-back is a hard position to fill. Noel Hickeys don't grow on trees, I'll put it like that. They'll have to probably find someone.”

Charlie Carter

Charlie Carter

Joey Holden certainly struggled to contain Seamus Callanan who scored nine points from play in the All-Ireland Final, but he was on a hiding to nothing such was the quality of ball delivered into the Tipperary full-forward.

One of the defining characteristics of Kilkenny teams under Brian Cody has been the way they compress their defence and cut down on the space in front of their full-back line.

But in this year’s All-Ireland Final there was a prairie of space in front of Holden and his full-back line that Tipperary exploited ruthlessly.

“It was strange that someone wasn't in Brian's ear telling him, 'Look, Brian, Jesus, there's a savage gap between the half-back line and the full-back line,” says Carter.

“And then, to make matters worse, their half-back line was cleaning up and delivering quality ball in for the likes of Seamie Callanan and Bubbles. It was harvest time for them.

“You've got to take every game on its merits. I'm not saying that Kilkenny would have stopped Tipp, I don't think they would, but it could have been tightened up a little bit better.”

Seamus Callanan

Seamus Callanan

Brian Cody said earlier this year he could never see himself employing a sweeper defensive system, but Carter believes it might have been worthwhile to do so in the All-Ireland Final to try to slow Tipp’s momentum.

“It might have made sense for the first ten minutes of the second half in the Final to see how it goes,” says Carter.

“Look it, it wasn't working in my eyes, and it's often when you get them in at half-time and have a talk about it and get their game-plan maybe a bit better.

“But it actually got worse in the second-half. The gap became wider.

“We don't usually do sweepers in Kilkenny, but there was a case for letting someone slip in behind for maybe five or ten minutes just to disrupt the game and see how it would work because it certainly wasn't working the way it was, anyway.”

Next year will be Brian Cody’s 19th season in charge of the team, and Carter believes he’ll need to remain in the position for a few more yet if he’s to complete the rebuilding job required with the current panel.

“I'd say if it's a fresh start then he's not just coming for one year, I'd imagine he's in for the long-haul,” says Carter.

“He's finished teaching, so obviously he has more time on his hands.

“I mean, if Kilkenny get Michael Fennelly back next year, Ger Aylward is going to be back, find a couple of players, they're not going to fall from grace altogether. James Maher is another one. Liam Blanchfield came in this year and will have another year's experience.

“With one or two others, we'll be there or there abouts again. We won't fall from grace or anything.”