KILKENNY’S TJ REID says it is unlikely that he will feature in the Allianz hurling league as he continues to work through injury ‘niggles.’

Reid is currently focusing on a strength and conditioning programme and is making a gradual return to full contact training as the 2023 season progresses. The Ballyhale Shamrocks star helped his club to a ninth All-Ireland crown in January after defeating Antrim champions Dunloy in Croke Park.

Following a long campaign with both club and county, Reid does not expect to feature for Derek Lyng’s side at the moment. The Cats are currently in third place in Division 1B and are in the hunt for a place in the league semi-finals as they face Dublin in Round 4 on Sunday.

“I’m working with the physios and the strength and conditioning coaches,” Reid begins, “because I have a few little niggles that I’ve played through the whole club championship again. This is my fifth week off the field. I’m back on the field next week taking part in field-based exercises.

“Derek [Lyng] has been great as well. I had a newborn baby and had a week or two there as well to spend time with the family which is very respectful. I’m back in the gym doing four or five sessions a week.

“I more than likely won’t feature in the league with the few injuries I have. I’m back on the field next week. If things are okay and the niggles are gone, we’ll probably have a chat then to see about availability.”

Reid recently welcomed a new baby girl with his wife, which they named Harper-Mary in memory of his mother who has passed away.

“Mary is the name of my mother, paying tribute to her because he passed away in 2008. Nice to honour her name as well. We were just going for something different than the traditional names.”

Reflecting on Ballyhale’s path to glory, Reid said the coverage leading up to their All-Ireland semi-final against the then-champions Ballygunner was “a bit disrespectful.” Reid recalls that the Waterford were being conveyed as the “best club team ever” after beating Ballyhale in the 2022 All-Ireland final, suggesting that the Kilkenny side’s achievements over the previous decade had been dismissed.

“We were being written off. Everyone was talking about Ballygunner being the best club team ever. It was a bit disrespectful after what our club Ballyhale Shamrocks has achieved over the last 10 years. Ballygunner beat us in the final a year ago so to get revenge… revenge is sweet when it works out.

“We won that game. You’ve seen the celebrations afterwards. Even talking to other people, that game meant a lot to the parish of Ballyhale. It’s not just us, it’s the club. It’s the people, the volunteers, the people who make the sandwiches after training – it hurt them as well that people were speaking so little of Ballyhale Shamrocks and regarding Ballygunner as the favourites… no fault of Ballygunner. The media and the press were highlighting that.

“People were saying whoever wins that game would most likely go on and win the All-Ireland and that’s obviously what the media were talking about – no disrespect to Dunloy or St Thomas. That was probably the biggest game I’ve played in terms of the hype and what’s at stake because we felt as a club, if we lost that game, everything that we’ve done over the last five years would have been tarnished.

“We respected Dunloy and that’s why we pushed on to win the game. They’ve won four in a row up in Dunloy as well. So it was more relief when we got there.”

TJ Reid was speaking after he was named the Gaelic Writers’ Association Hurling Personality of the Year for 2022.

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