Hurling & Camogie

Henry Shefflin backs hurling sin bin - and Cody continuing with Kilkenny

Henry Shefflin of Kilkenny and Ballyhale Shamrocks launching the new Gaelic Games Player Pathway, a united approach to coaching and player development by the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association which puts club at the core.<br /> Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile
Henry Shefflin of Kilkenny and Ballyhale Shamrocks launching the new Gaelic Games Player Pathway, a united approach to coaching and player development by the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association which puts club at the core.
Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsf
Henry Shefflin of Kilkenny and Ballyhale Shamrocks launching the new Gaelic Games Player Pathway, a united approach to coaching and player development by the GAA, LGFA and Camogie Association which puts club at the core.
Photo by Matt Browne/Sportsfile

HURLING legend Henry Shefflin has fully backed the introduction of the sin bin for cynical fouling in his code – and even suggested that there should be punishment for more such offences.

Neither potential nepotism nor county bias prevented the Ballyhale and Kilkenny man from offering his honest opinion on cynicism in his sport, speaking at the launch of the Gaelic Games Player Pathway.

'King Henry' hailed the sin bin, saying: "I think it was a very pragmatic and progressive decision…. I think it ties in with the level of backroom teams that are involved in inter-county set-ups now. There are so many coaches there. You have a backs coach and his job is to stop scoring.

"So there's no doubt it, I think that aspect of coaching was coming into play in the backroom where a player gets in and watches [the game] back and is told, 'You had an opportunity to stop this player here, why didn't you take him down?'

"I think that was becoming part of the game and it was only right that we looked at the rules."

Indeed he admitted he'd questioned his own nephew for not bringing down an opponent in the 2019/20 All-Ireland club semi-final with Ballyhale against Ulster champions Slaughtneil:

"Evan Shefflin left the wing-forward, I think it was Brendan Rogers, get in behind him at a critical stage in the game and I said to him after the match, I said, 'Why didn't you stop him? You had a chance to stop him 40 yards out? You let him in, they scored a goal.'

"So look, that's what we all do and that was becoming part of the game and I think these new rules will definitely benefit the forwards and the more offensive play which is only right."

Shefflin also pointed to a controversial incident in last year's Leinster SHC Final when the Kilkenny full-back was the culprit – and still wouldn't get put off the pitch under the new rules:

"Did it [the rule change] go far enough? Probably not. If you think back to the Huw Lawlor incident last year in the Leinster final where he ripped the hurl [off Galway's Niall Burke]…

"What Huw Lawlor did, it was completely cynical play in that he just yanked the hurl from him and what I didn't realise until after the event and even from the discussions since, is that that doesn't even warrant a yellow card so I think that rule needs to be definitely changed.

"It's happened in a few incidents close to goal where a defender just knows he has to stop his player, come hell or high water…

"I'm sure the rules committee and CCCC will look at later on this year because you might see an incident or two like that again and you'd imagine there'll be a lot of noise about it.

"It'll be interesting to see, it's difficult on the referees and there will be dubious decisions, no doubt, during the year but I think it's a very progressive approach and I think those other couple of nuances that we will identify during the year can be brought into play again."

Shefflin has backed Brian Cody for continuing as Kilkenny senior hurling boss for a 23rd season, arguing that his departure would leave the county in a difficult position:

"I think it's more a testament of the character of Brian that that kind of conversation has happened and yet in the midst of a pandemic where it must be very, very difficult for inter-county managers and inter-county teams that Brian hasn't said, 'Look, I've done so much, I can't do any more.'…

"No matter what happens for any inter-county team to think if a manager steps away in this current climate, it's going to leave it in a very vulnerable position for a new manager coming in and I think Brian would never do that because everything he does is always about Kilkenny hurling so I'm absolutely delighted he's still there."

Shefflin insisted that he has no immediate aspirations to enter inter-county hurling management, instead returning at intermediate club level with Kilkenny outfit Thomastown, having stepped away from his own club after leading them to two All-Irelands:

"At this moment in time, no. At the time I wasn't even sure I wanted to get involved with Ballyhale. I just felt we needed something different than someone to stand in there and obviously I became involved.

"Little did I think that we'd go on the run we did for two years and I really needed a break then to spend time with my family.

"Obviously I've spent a lot of time with my family over the past year – Deirdre's nearly sending me back out the door again – and I've really embraced that. It was something different for me. That was one of the major benefits for me of Covid. We got to spend quality time with our family and the ones we love most.

"Now I'm getting involved with Thomastown….So that's the journey I'm on and where it takes me, I'm just not quite sure."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ytswTVtQYo4