Kilkenny hotshot Henry Shefflin hopes Brian Cody and his team of selectors will stay together for next year's defence of the Liam McCarthy Cup. Cody is yet to confirm whether he will be staying on, but Shefflin is optimistic that the manager will be at the helm for another All-Ireland challenge. "After beating Cork, none of us have had much time to start thinking about next year, but naturally, the players would love to see Brian and his team back because the spirit in the camp this year was fantastic," the Ballyhale Shamrocks star stated. "Everyone put in a huge effort from the very start and the hard work of all 30 players in the squad showed itself on the pitch in the final. Everyone pushes the next man on and it would be great if we could maintain that drive into next season. No one has really talked about, but I can't see anyone walking away." Shefflin was voted Opel Gaelic Player of the Month for Hurling by the country's players following his superb performance against Clare in which he hit an amazing 1-13, and he is a keen supporter of awards scheme. "It's a huge honour to gain the recognition of your peers in the game and this is a very nice bonus to receive, but I know it wouldn't happen without my team-mates," he remarked. "Initiatives like the Opel awards are another step forward for players in general because I think putting rewards in place will inevitably help all players gain more respect." Tweet

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