Former Kilkenny Senior Hurler John Power says it was somewhat disappointing that the younger players weren’t used more in the games against Dublin and Offaly.
Speaking to KCLR ahead of Sunday’s game in Salthill against Galway, John says the younger players could have done with more competitive time ahead of Sunday’s big test.
“I suppose the Offaly and Dublin game, the one disappointment is that we went back for Paul Murphy and Colin Fennelly and the young fellows lost their way a little bit.
“They did improve a little bit more against Offaly there so like whereas they are huffing and puffing a bit the young fellows, all them games they will stand to them.
“Sunday’s game will be a big game, a big audience for them so they are kind of slowly and surely coming again, but it was a of a bit of a disappointment having to go back to the older guard to a degree,” he said.
On a different note, Power thinks that the mileage in the Tipperary side might be an issue on the back of their defeat to Limerick.
“They are after doing massive hurling in Tipperary. Like, they were our arch-rivals back in Henry’s time and Noel Hickey’s time.
“They are trying to find young fellows to fill in for them like Brendan Maher and Padraig Maher and all them, are there 70 minutes in them? are they slowing down a bit? he questions.
“They are after racking up as much game time as Henry Shefflin and Noel Hickey and all these fellows did so I don’t think it’s Michael Ryan, maybe the players are slowing down a bit,” he feels.
