The unrest within Galway hurling continued yesterday with confirmation that midfielder Rory Gantley had been dropped off the panel at least until the start of the championship. Gantley becomes the fifth player to have come into conflict with manager coach Conor Hayes in recent weeks.
Gantley was named at midfield for last Sunday's NHL meeting with Tipperary, but he subsequently informed Hayes he couldn't play because of an important game for his club, Beagh, in the Galway hurling championship the following afternoon. When Hayes insisted that he should make the trip, Gantley chose his club over his county. As a result Hayes felt he had no choice but to suspend the player.
"It's unfortunate the way things have fallen," said Hayes yesterday, "but his preference was obviously for the club, and so we had to take some sort of action."
Hayes has been highlighting the importance of having all his best players for league matches, and Gantley was one of Galway's best in the win over Wexford the previous Sunday. But he will now miss the concluding league match against Cork, and then needs to make peace with Hayes to ensure his role in the championship.
This latest conflict follows last month's departure of goalkeeper Damien Howe and midfielder Gordon Glynn, who both cited the excessive commitment involved, and they were then followed by former stand-out minor forward Ger Farragher and centre back Peter Huban, who both cited the lack of starting opportunities.
Tipperary hurling manager Michael Doyle, meanwhile, had problems of a different sort last night, with several injured players unable to train. As a result the team to play Clare on Sunday - a game Tipperary still have to win to ensure a place in the final - will not be named until after training tomorrow night.
John Carroll (back) and Brian O'Meara (foot) remain the main long-term concerns, but with several players carrying niggling injuries and Eamonn Corcorcan also ruled out because of suspension, Doyle decided to give those concerned a couple of more days to prove their fitness.
Kilkenny's Michael Kavanagh has also been ruled out of his team's final league match against Wexford because of a finger injury sustained in Sunday's win over Cork. Injury will also rule out goalkeeper James McGarry.
Meanwhile, the Dublin under-21 football team to defend their Leinster title against Longford on Sunday evening in Mullingar (5.0), will be finalised after training tonight. As last year, there is a strong presence of current Dublin seniors on the panel, including Alan Brogan, Liam Óg Ó hEineachain, Bryan Cullen and Declan O'Mahony.
Dublin senior hurler Conal Keaney has also featured prominently in the current campaign and will thus miss Sunday's final round of the NHL. The main injury concern arising from the semi-final win over Westmeath concerns another Dublin senior, Paul Griffin, who has an ankle injury.
Keaney's absence from the Dublin hurling team means there will be a largely experimental team for Sunday's game against Limerick at Kilmallock. Both teams are safe from relegation, and Dublin manager Marty Morris has taken the opportunity to introduce several fringe players. St Oliver Plunkett and Eoghan Ruadh's Danny Sweeney will make his debut at right-half-back, while Johnny McGuirk and Ronan Fallon form a new midfield pairing.
DUBLIN (SH v Limerick): G Ryan; P Brennan, C Wilson, S Daly; D Sweeney, L O'Donoghue, T Holden; J McGuirk, R Fallon; T Moore, K O'Donoghue, D O'Reilly; F Armstrong, P McDonald, K Horgan.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
SATURDAY
NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE
Division One - Group Two: Derry v Laois, Celtic Park, 2.30, JA Gribben (Down).
ALL-IRELAND COLLEGES
Senior Hurling A final: St Colman's, Fermoy v St Kieran's, Kilkenny, Clonmel, 3.30, S McMahon (Clare); SH B final: Borrisleigh SC v Castlecomer CS, Clonmel, 1.30, J Sexton (Limerick), (Extra time in all games if necessary).
Leinster MF championship: Longford v Kilkenny, Ballymahon, 3.0, S Carroll (Westmeath); Leinster MH championship: Meath v Wicklow, Navan, 3.0, D O'Donovan (Dublin); Laois v Carlow, Portlaoise, 3.30, J Owens (Wexford).
Ulster MF league final: Armagh v Fermanagh, Dungannon, 12.30, D McQuillan (Monaghan).
SUNDAY
NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE
(All games 3.30 unless stated)
Division One - Group One: Kilkenny v Wexford, Nowlan Park, B Kelly (Westmeath); Clare v Tipperary, Cusack Park, P Horan (Offaly); Galway v Cork, Pearse Stadium, J Sexton (Limerick).
Division One - Group Two: Offaly v Waterford, Birr, W Barrett (Tipperary); Limerick v Dublin, Kilmallock, S Roche (Tipperary).
Division Two - Group 1: Down v Kerry, Portaferry, E Morris (Dublin); Carlow v Antrim, Dr Cullen Park, P Moore (Waterford); Meath v Westmeath, Pairc Tailteann, D O'Sullivan (Kilkenny).
Division Three - Play-Off: Leitrim v Fermanagh, Markievicz Park, 1.45, G Robinson, (Antrim).
Division Three - Group One: Sligo v Tyrone, Markievicz Park, T Holian (Galway), Monaghan v Mayo, Clones, J McGrath (Westmeath); Armagh v Louth, Keady, RA Quinn (Derry).
ALL-IRELAND COLLEGES
Senior Football A final: St Patrick's, Maghera v St Jarlath's, Tuam, Breffni Park, 3.15, J Bannon (Longford); SF B final: St Gerald's, Castlebar v St Michael's, Lurgan, Breffni Park, 1.15, P Finnegan (Louth); SF C final: Rathmore GS v Pres Carlow, Navan, 1.30, B Crowe (Cavan), (Extra time in all games if necessary).
Leinster Under-21 football final: Dublin v Longford, Mullingar, 5.0, D Coldrick (Meath).
WOMEN'S National Football League Division One Final: Laois v Kerry, Cusack Park, 1.45.
