Brian Whelahan says Kilkenny will always be a force as long as Brian Cody remains at the helm.

The Cats have lost a number of key players to retirement since winning the All-Ireland title in September - with Tommy Walsh, Brian Hogan, JJ Delaney, David Herity and Aidan Fogarty all stepping aside - but Whelahan points out that ten-times All-Ireland winning manager Cody is the biggest influence on the Black & Amber:

"Brian Cody has ensured over his tenure that there's always going to be a healthy influx of players," the Offaly boss says in The Irish Daily Mirror. "He obviously sees and maybe would have known over the previous month or so whether lads were going to go or not.

"He made his decision [to stay on for another season] based on the fact that Kilkenny are going to be contesting at the highest level again next year.

"From the outside looking in, the influence these guys in the dressing-room, whatever effect that will have, we won't know until the championship.

"The biggest influence on Kilkenny is still there and that's Brian Cody."

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