Former Kilkenny hurler Richie Power.
By Cian O'Connell
Every significant Kilkenny Championship defeat under Brian Cody has brought a response. Losses to Galway in 2001 and 2005, Tipperary in 2010, and Cork in 2013 were all eventually followed by sustained spells of Kilkenny success.
So Richie Power, such a great servant to the Kilkenny cause, expects Brian Cody to spearhead another Cats riposte following September’s All Ireland Final beating by Tipperary. “Yeah, I suppose the past has proven that,” Power says about how a setback impacts Cody.
“I think the players will probably see it when they come together again, probably at the beginning of December for assessments and things like that and maybe gives guys a bit of a programme for the month of December until they get back collectively in January, but look I have no doubt that he's probably after meeting with the guys on numerous occasions at this stage.
“He's probably getting to every single club game that he can possibly get to. James (McGarry), Derek (Lyng) the same.
“So he just has a tendency to change things around. It's not going to be a huge change, but it will be probably that one or two little tweaks within the system that just change the whole thing and I think that's what Brian will be looking for.
“He realises now that Tipp are at the top and Kilkenny are, whether they're second or third or fourth in the pecking order, he'll want to get back to the top as quickly as possible and I certainly think he is a different proposition when he comes off a defeat so I'm looking forward to seeing what he brings to it next year and see how they perform.”
Power recalls what happened during the demanding winter of 2013/2014 when Kilkenny came thundering back to win All Irelands in 2014 and 2015. “Yeah I suppose even 2010 when we were beaten in the final by Tipp, we went back to the clubs,” Power reflects.
“There was no contact throughout the club season, but the minute the club finished the team holiday was got out of the way very early that year and we just got back and he laid out what we needed to do to get back to the top.
“We, as players, were very driven to get there and this group of players is going to be no different so if you combine that all together it makes for hopefully a good season.
Kilkenny manager Brian Cody after the All Ireland defeat against Tipperary.
“There is going to be a lot of hard work and I’ve no doubt that they'll probably start a bit earlier this year than previous years.
“As I said, it's interesting to see. Hopefully there are a couple of new players out there that they can start to kind of introduce into the set up and hopefully they'll make the step up next year.”
Tipperary’s return to the summit is worthy of the utmost respect according to Power, who has been highly impressed by manager Michael Ryan’s approach. “After 2010 a lot of past players came out and made predictions that Tipp could win three of the next four, or three of the next five. That didn’t materialse.
“Players, the likes of Seamie Callanan, John Dwyer, these guys, they are only hitting their prime now, if their mentality is right and I think Michael Ryan is a great guy to have over this team as well.
“I think a couple of weeks after the All-Ireland the cup was more or less locked away. It’s not going to be doing the rounds and the tour of Tipperary over the winter and things like that.
“Just to hear him talking like that, kind of shows me. He is a serious guy anyway, it just shows he has bigger plans for this team. If he can keep guys together and keep finding the one or two players, like the John McGrath's, there is nothing to say they won’t be about for the next couple of years.”
While Power suggests that a ‘building process’ is imminent with Kilkenny, the Carrickshock star doesn’t envisage it taking ‘too long’ at all.
Richie Power with Galway full back John Hanbury following the 2015 All Ireland SHC Final.
“I think Kilkenny fans have been spoiled in the last 10 or 15 years, that is the reality of it. I think in the build up to this All Ireland, the same buzz didn't seem to be around with the Kilkenny public. Even around the town and things like that, the same excitement or buzz wasn't there.
“Whether the supporters were a bit sceptical or nervous about the outcome, maybe, but look Brian just has a knack of turning things around. He did it after 05, after 01, after 2013.
“I've no doubt the minute the final whistle went in September his mind straightway started to think about next year and what he can do different.
“Little things like that. You will see the same Kilkenny team, hopefully they will be able to bridge it and breed a few new players and introduce them to the set up inside.
“Definitely there is going to be another building process, but I can't see it taking terribly long. That is what I would be hoping.
“At the end of the day Kilkenny are still going to be there or thereabouts next year, that is what you would be hoping. But they do probably need to find a couple of players to get back to the top.”
