Cody strikes out at rules

Walsh cup: When Brian Cody is unseasonably animated and pouring forth his opinions unprompted, there is usually something serious on his mind.

At this time of the year that could only be one thing - the new disciplinary rules - and the Kilkenny manager was not impressed by what he witnessed in Parnell Park yesterday.

"I had no idea what was happening," he said, "or what was going to happen. The referee came into us before the match and did his best to explain things. So it's not his fault.

"But basically they're trying to take genuine, man-to-man contact out of the game. That's absolutely off-the-wall. They're talking about promoting hurling and trying to keep it alive. Well, this will kill it."

Dublin's Eoin Moran was the only player to be yellow-carded yesterday, and therefore sent to the line - and replaced by a substitute. Yet Offaly referee Barry Gavin was ticking players like clockwork, and Cody was clearly fearful for the future.

"I think the whole thing is crazy. I feel sorry for the referee, because he's out there trying to hold his hand over his head, and no one really knows what's going on. Dublin had a lad sent off for basically nothing. It was a genuine use of his body.

"The game will be dead in 12 months if we let that continue.

"We won the game, but I thought it was crazy to see a Dublin player sent off for nothing. And every time a player fouled it was a tick. Two of those and you're off."

Cody's criticisms come a little late for Central Council, which this weekend approved the experimental rules for both the hurling and football leagues. Yet Cody still questioned the intentions of everyone involved with the new rules.

"Well, I don't know of any counties that had to chance to mandate their central council delegate. The game of hurling we have is a bloody good game. It's not perfect, but if they keep that rule for one more match I'm not going to want to be involved.

"You shouldn't be sent off for getting into the play with your body, which is one of the great skills of the game.

"The mandating that referees is getting is cracked. It's like some people sitting in a committee room decided they were going to do something with hurling. And they came up with something that didn't need to be done.

"I'm not interested in being controversial, but I couldn't believe what I was seeing."