Brian Cody says he has "absolute belief" in the Kilkenny players at his disposal for the 2015 SHC.

Since the Cats defeated Tipperay in last year's All-Ireland final replay, they have bid fareware to six all-time greats - Henry Shefflin, JJ Delaney, Tommy Walsh, Aidan Fogarty, Brian Hogan and David Herity - who have 48 All-Ireland medals between them. While this is a huge hit, Cody says it's business as usual as he prepares to commence his 17th championship season at the helm against Wexford on Sunday:

"Our desire will be the same, our intent and our focus will be absolute," he confirms in The Kilkenny People. "The championship is not different, but the dressing room is different. That is the reality of the situation. Excellent players who have been around for years and have given great service are gone.

"They are no longer part of it. That is the natural order of things. Players come and go, but we still have gifted players and huge experience in our dressing room.

"We focus on the players who are in the dressing room. The talent is huge there. We don't think of players we don't have because that would be counter productive.

"I would have the same absolute belief in the players we have now as I had in other players we have had over the years. There is tremendous talent and potential in the current panel. The core of what we are about is the same."

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