GAA/National Hurling League finals: It's never taken much to work up the hurling passion in Brian Cody, and when it was put to him yesterday that Kilkenny are somehow adapting their style to halt Cork's quest for a third successive All-Ireland, the redness in his face deepened a little and he bellowed out his response. Ian O'Riordan reports.
"Obviously Cork are the only team thinking about retaining the All-Ireland," he started, "but they're certainly not on our agenda at the moment. We're not even in the same province as them. Thanks be to God, if you like. Our focus is completely on building our own team. It's going through a fair bit of transition, having been on a run of a number of years.
"Things do change through necessity, but our only necessity is the younger players coming on stream. They have talent, and we're bedding them into the thing. So we're working from a Kilkenny agenda at all times.
"I'm sure people are speculating about us, but I wasn't even aware that kind of speculation was even out there. But it's the players you have that will dictate how you play the game, so our only focus is ourselves."
Just how true that proves remains to be seen, but what is certain is that Cody's immediate focus is Sunday's Allianz Hurling League final against Limerick. Kilkenny - the defending champions - are seeking their fourth title in five years. And they haven't lost a league final since going down to Clare in 1978.
"I can't understand anyone not taking the league seriously, added Cody. "It's no secret that we always have. I think it's a cop out for any team to say they don't take it seriously. And I'm happy with how we're going. It would be pointless saying otherwise. We're unbeaten in the league, but I'm also aware that things will really hot up in the championship. And I wouldn't even begin to suggest we've a settled team yet. We're happy that we have the players that can bring Kilkenny hurling forward."
Cody shares much with his counterpart in Limerick, manager Joe McKenna. The last time the two teams met in a league final was 1983, with Kilkenny winning by two points. McKenna played that day while Cody was a Kilkenny substitute. McKenna, though, got his title the following year when Limerick beat Wexford.
Like Cody, McKenna takes his team to Thurles on Sunday with an unbeaten league record, including last Sunday's dramatic semi-final win over Clare, when they clawed back an eight-point deficit to win convincingly after extra-time.
Yet they have their differences too. Limerick last won the league in 1997, but have had no real success on the senior stage since (their under-21s, however, have shown potential). And while Cody is into his eighth successive season as manager, McKenna is only two years into a job he admits he never even wanted.
"It's nearly 10 years since we've been in a national final," said McKenna, "so of course it's a huge occasion for Limerick. To win on Sunday would be a huge lift for this team, and obviously Limerick hurling. We've literally come from nowhere, considering this time last year we were fighting relegation.
"But I felt we'd a very good panel when we got together last October. We got all the best players available to us, who wanted to play hurling for Limerick.
"So to be honest I'm not too surprised that we are where we are. We've worked very hard, and the players are really enjoying it as well. And once they get any taste of success I think they'll want more of it."
An All-Ireland winner with Limerick in 1973 (with Cody on the losing Kilkenny team), it was over 20 years later before McKenna finally realised he couldn't put off the management job any longer.
"Yeah, I was asked several times over the years. I think things just went so low over the last two or three years that I felt I'd like to have some input for a few years, and try win back some of the hurling in Limerick.
"It was never my intention to be manager, far from it. I'd turned it down several times, but then I just decided to give it the time. But management is all about having good people around you. We've a lot of people in there now, 45 people on the panel between players and the backroom team."
Limerick's big loss for Sunday is corner forward Mark Keane, who has been ruled out of action for the next four to five weeks with a leg injury.
Cody won't announce his starting line-up until Friday evening, but few if any changes are expected from the 12-point win over Tipperary.
The most notable absentees on Cody's panel are DJ Carey and Peter Barry, and for now their future is still uncertain: "It's an open-ended panel," explained Cody, "and always has been. They'll give us some indication of that (their future) when they're ready, but any player that's actively involved with his club and has the potential to be involved with the panel with be dealt with in the same way."
Foley in surprise return for Limerick
Barry Foley is a surprise selection on the Limerick team to play Kilkenny in the NHL final at Thurles, on Sunday.
Foley, who has not played for the county team for three years, was recently invited to return to the panel by manager Joe McKenna. He replaces the injured Mark Keane at left corner forward.
Paul O'Grady, who suffered a finger injury in the win over Clare, is replaced by Denis Moloney.
LIMERICK (SH v Kilkenny): B Murray; D Reale, TJ Ryan, M Foley; O Moran, B Geary, D Moloney; D Ryan, D O'Grady; M O'Brien, S Lucey, C Fitzgerald; A O'Shaughnessy, B Begley, B Foley
