It has not gone the way they want it in the league this year, but James Stephens are hopeful of their Championship chances.
With only one win in five, against fellow struggling Graigue Ballycallan, Village fans have been left understandably miffed. However, stronger performances despite losses, against City rivals Dicksboro and O’Loughlins in the closing rounds have given a glimmer of hope for not just the supporters, but the team as well.
We caught up with Village and Kilkenny midfielder Conor Browne at the launch of the St. Canices Credit Union Kilkenny Senior Hurling Championship to get his thoughts on his side’s performances, speaking to scoreline gave his thoughts on the upcoming relegation semi-final clash with Lisdowney;
“We are under no illusion we had a poor league. We are just confident that we are not going to let that dictate the rest of the season. We are not viewing it as a relegation semi-final, we want to stay positive and think of it as a first round, and if you win that you are into a championship quarter-final.”
“We had a poor start against Glenmore, then the next two games after that, we were not happy with. Ever since Brian (Cody) came in and joined us, there has been a great lift in the squad and in every training. We are training very hard and it is very competitive. So we feel we are doing okay now, and we know there is a performance in us.”
After Brian Cody departed his role as the Kilkenny Senior Hurling manager, many wondered what the legend would end up doing with his time. It was no shock that he would once again dedicate himself to the world of hurling, going back to his club roots as a selector for James Stephens. Browne believes this has been a huge boost to the squad coming to the closing rounds of the league;
“Brian is a legend in Kilkenny and especially in our club. Everyone has great respect for him, when he comes into the dressing room all eyes are on him. With himself and Shem, it is a great combination.”
“Especially the younger lads in the team, they all look up to him so much. It drives the whole training on. it gives great spirit and a lift in the squad.”
Related: Kilkenny receives eight nominations for the PwC All-Stars Hurling 2022
Of course, Cody’s tenure ended with a spirited All-Ireland defeat against Limerick, losing out by just two points. Despite the performance, Browne outlined that the plaudits mean nothing when you ultimately do not walk away with the Liam McCarthy;
“We had the three in a row in Leinster, but being from Kilkenny you are never happy if you do not win an All-Ireland.”
You can listen to the full interview with Conor & more from the club scene on Scoreline this Saturday from 2pm.
