by Declan Rooney

Brian Cody is free to oversee the start of Kilkenny's national league campaign after it was confirmed that he not face any further sanction for his sending off during the Walsh Cup final defeat to Wexford at the weekend.

Cody will be able to take charge of their national league opener against Cork this Saturday and will not face a suspension after being sent to the stand during the sometimes fiery encounter at Nowlan Park.

Leinster GAA have confirmed that they judged the incident was dealt with sufficiently by match referee John O'Brien and that no charge will be handed to the Kilkenny manager.

"The matter is deemed to have been dealt with by the referee on match day and there is no further action being pursued," a statement from the Leinster Council said.

Cody was sent from the sideline during last Saturday's meeting with Wexford after debating the sending off of Kilkenny player, Richie Reid, with the linesman. On the advice of his linesman, Cody was warned by referee John O'Brien immediately after the sending-off, but was then sent from the field moments later when the linesman again called for the referee's assistance.

After a 50-second stand-off Cody was escorted through the sideline gate into the Nowlan Park stand by the referee, but his punishment ended there.

Had the 11 time All-Ireland winning manager being charged with directing abusive language towards a referee, umpire, linesman or sideline official, a minimum four-week suspension would have applied.

Reid will also be available to play this weekend due to the fact that the Walsh Cup is a Leinster GAA competition - he will serve any suspension handed down in next year's competition - but GAA rules state that offenses under Rule 7.2 are 'applicable in all codes and at all levels' and Cody would have received a sideline ban had a charge been handed down.

After the game Cody immediately protested his innocence and his view has since been confirmed by Leinster GAA.

"One of our players got sent off and I merely said to the linesman that he was being mauled and dragged, which he was.

"Then he said 'I'll put you out of the field'. And I said 'you won't put me out of the field'.

"Then he put up his flag and somebody else may have roared something but that's as much as I said. That's the way it went."

Kilkenny start their Division 1A campaign this Saturday evening against Cork at Pairc Ui Caoimh, with Clare, Waterford and Tipperary the opponents in the following four weekends. Their final league game is another tussle with Davy Fitzgerald's Wexford at Nowlan Park.

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