If new Kilkenny senior hurling manager Derek Lyng had hoped to feature the services of Conor Browne in 2023, he’ll have to think again.
The James Stephens clubman is reportedly set to skip the 2023 inter-county season in favour of spending some time travelling with Australia destination number one in the new year.
Speaking to media including Scoreline on Tuesday ahead of this weekend’s Leinster club senior hurling final, Cats teammate and Ballyhale Shamrocks Eoin Cody said Browne will very much be missed by the panel next season, describing his departure as a “massive loss” while acknowledging the team have all wished him well on his travels.
Young Irelands’ Mikey Carey revealed earlier this summer that he too would be spending some time travelling with no plans to feature for Kilkenny next year. Both Carey and Browne started this year’s All-Ireland senior hurling final with Kilkenny falling to Limerick 1-31 to 2-26.
While the duo’s departure may leave something of a hole in the selection process, there is no shortage of talent as Cody outlined to Scoreline at Tuesday’s championship launch.
“The team has changed”, said former young player of the year. “There are a lot of young lads there that we would have been in school with, a lot of us have hurled together. This year again I expect a few of the lads to drive on again, maybe get a place on the team or a place on the panel. There are a lot of young lads there that are really driving it on, on and off the pitch.”
You can hear the full interview with Eoin Cody on this Saturday’s Scoreline as we preview the Leinster club senior hurling championship between Ballyhale Shamrocks and Kilmacud Crokes.
