Henry Shefflin and Brian Cody should make peace – Nickey Brennan

Shefflin’s decision to take over Galway has sent him on a collision course with Cody – his Kilkenny manager when they combined to win 10 All-Ireland SHC titles together – with the second chapter set to be written this weekend in Croke Park.

Relations seemed somewhat hostile when the final whistle blew after a controversial late free handed Galway the victory in their round-robin clash on May 1, and Brennan believes the pair should nip it in the bud before their provincial final rematch.

“I just hope before the match on Saturday evening that the two boys shake hands on the sideline, wish one another well, go off and do what they have to do. And when it’s over, shake one another’s hands and whoever wins, wins, and get on with it,” Brennan told the Irish Independent.

“It’s what you do and you can be as vociferous and shouting at your team as much as you like, but at the end of the day, Cody has a job to do with Kilkenny and Shefflin has a job to do with Galway, and I’m sure both recognise they have to do that and that’s what it’s about.”

While off-the-pitch activities will be on most people’s minds before, during, and after the Leinster decider, Brennan reckons it is “very low on the radar” of both managers.

“They won’t put much store on it, and while everyone else might be talking about it, it’s very low on their list of considerations. There’s far more important things in their thoughts for Saturday,” he added.