GAA: Kilkenny defender Jackie Tyrrell hoping to continue at centre-back against Offaly

Jackie Tyrrell hopes he can hold onto the No 6 jersey for Kilkenny’s Leinster Championship opener against Offaly.

Tyrrell has won four All Stars at corner-back but has been playing at centre-back this year, and started ahead of Brian Hogan in last Sunday’s National League final win over Tipperary.

Kilkenny begin their championship campaign at home to Offaly on June 7, which is exclusively live on Sky Sports, and Tyrrell hopes he can retain his place in Brian Cody’s starting line-up.

Once I am playing, I don’t mind if it’s centre-back or corner-back or corner-forward. Literally, I don’t care where I play.

“Brian has chopped and changed things but you would be hoping he would be trying to settle down on a team,” said the 31-year-old.

“But it’s very hard to predict what the selectors are actually thinking. They have tried a lot of things, a lot of lads in different positions.

“Once I am playing, I don’t mind if it’s centre-back or corner-back or corner-forward. Literally, I don’t care where I play.”

The Kilkenny defence is particularly competitive at the moment, with Hogan and Tommy Walsh forced to settle for the role of spectators for the league final.

“The half-back line is one of the most competitive lines going,” said Tyrrell. “Kieran Joyce can play there, Tommy obviously. Conor Fogarty is going well. There is a lot of different players that can come in that fold; Padraig Walsh too."

But despite impressing against Tipperary, Tyrrell cannot afford to rest on his laurels.

“There were 26 lads togged out at Thurles but there was another 10 sitting at home,” he said. “To be in that position after doing all the training, watching the game, you probably don’t feel as attached as if you were actually at that game. Theirs is genuine competition to get into that 26, and then the starting 15.

“Even Joey Holden was taken off at the weekend. It doesn’t matter who you are, Brian will just haul you off. You saw that with Brian Hogan and Tommy and it happened to me a couple of years ago as well. It is just Brian being true to his word.

“If you are not doing the business you are taken off and that is it. John Power played corner-forward against Galway and I thought he did alright but he wasn’t even in the 26 the next day. When Brian says something he follows it through.”

Concern

Kilkenny were also league winners in 2013 but suffered a disappointing championship, losing to Dublin in Leinster and Cork in the All-Ireland quarter-finals. Like this year, the Cats faced Offaly in their provincial opener and although they prevailed by five points, the concession of four goals was a cause for concern.

“It wasn’t like us, we would have always prided ourselves on being a mean defence and not giving away easy scores and that day we did,” said Tyrrell.

“It wasn’t ideal and maybe we were papering over the cracks in the league. The fact that we won the league, maybe we thought we were in a better place than we actually were. That could have been the start of it.”

Despite last year's early exit, Tyrrell says Kilkenny have resisted tearing apart their gameplan.

"It’s probably just about being a bit cuter, seeing the way teams are playing," he said.

“We always think that whoever wins an All-Ireland, that is the way to do it and everyone seems to follow. You had Cork with the running game back in 2004 and 2005, we came along then before Tipperary came along with this expansive moving game in the forwards.

“We would feel in Kilkenny that if we get a competitive panel, a spirit going and go out and do the business, we’ll be there or thereabouts.”