DJ Carey fears Kilkenny's vice-like grip on the Liam McCarthy Cup is loosening.

Speaking in today's Irish Independent, the Kilkenny legend claims father time is the Cats' biggest enemy in their quest for hurling immortality.

"There's no doubt about it that hunger is a big thing," he said ahead of Kilkenny's bid for an unprecedented five-in-a-row.

"The skill will be there, most things will be there, but it's only when it's really cut and thrust - will the hunger be there? I'm not going to say it will or it won't, but certainly it does dampen, there's no doubt about that."

Carey is predicting wholesale retirements when Kilkenny's remarkable winning streak finally comes to a halt.

"At the end of the Kilkenny run, whether it's five or six-in-a-row or whatever, I think you'll see a good few guys retiring. The last eight or nine years have been phenomenal, but it is all go for that period of time. The incentive of history is huge, but publicly they won't be saying it.

"Brian Cody can't motivate them anymore from day to day except to tell them they are on the brink of history and that no-one has ever done it before. He can tell them: 'You are going to go down as a great team, probably even the best ever, but there can be no arguments if you win five-in-a-row'.

"I think that will be the motivation behind this team because there will be several guys that will have won an five All-Irelands in-a-row if they manage this." Tweet

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