Former Kilkenny hurler Richie Power believes it will be very hard to see longevity like the kind TJ Reid has shown in inter-county hurling.
Reid, now 37, is set to play his 17th year with the Cats, having stated last year that he has little desire to retire. This is still the case.
Time catches up with everyone, including the best sports personalities, and one day it will be no different for Reid. Nevertheless, his ability to keep going is extremely impressive.
Power, a man who knows him well from his Kilkenny days, believes it will be difficult for anyone to match Reid's staying power at the highest level.
“I was only thinking about it the other day—I’ll be 10 years retired next year—and TJ, his longevity," said Power to RTE Sport at an event. "I don’t think it’ll ever be seen again. But I suppose, in fairness to the chap, he looks after himself so well. Obviously, his employment is within the fitness industry as well, which maybe gives him a little bit more time to do the small things that people wouldn’t see—the recovery, the stretching, and things like that.”
Kilkenny has been blessed with excellent hurlers, particularly during the Brian Cody era. The likes of DJ Carey and Henry Shefflin are two names that come to mind immediately for Kilkenny fans. Reid is also firmly in that category.
output:When asked about who the GOAT (Greatest of All Time) Kilkenny hurler is, Power explained the difference between Shefflin and Reid.
"Henry just caught the bull by the horns in these games. There were times—2012 pops into my head, the drawn game against Galway—without Henry that day, we wouldn’t have been in a replay. He single-handedly brought us back from defeat to get a replay," he added.
"TJ, his scoring record, his performances day in, day out, having a lot more games with the new structure that’s been put in place, is a credit to his endurance as well. Staying injury-free and not having had the serious injuries that Henry had throughout his career is also remarkable."
For Power, despite Reid's incredible career and ability, he believes Shefflin edges it slightly because the game was less system-focused during Shefflin’s era.
"I still think, for me, probably Henry [is the GOAT], and that’s not just because I hurled all my career with Henry. I just think it was a time when hurling was at a real pinnacle and was played the way it should be played.
"There were very few tactics—there were no sweeper systems, none of this—in place when we were hurling. And, for me, Henry narrowly shades it, but definitely not by a lot."
Kilkenny faces Galway in the opening round of the Allianz Hurling League. This takes place on February 2nd.
