Kilkenny and Waterford will be at full strength for Sunday's Allianz National Hurling League final in Thurles - surprisingly the first such final meeting between the counties. It will be later in the week before the starting line-ups are confirmed although few changes are expected from their semi-final wins last Sunday week.
Kilkenny enjoyed a typically facile 15-point win over Wexford, although manager Brian Cody has never been slow to change a winning line-up. It's highly likely Cody will find room for Henry Shefflin, the 2007 captain, who hasn't played for Kilkenny since their All-Ireland success last September because of the involvement with his club, Ballyhale Shamrocks, which he helped to All-Ireland success on St Patrick's Day. Shefflin was married a week later, then back from honeymoon in time for the semi-final with Wexford, although Cody kept him in reserve. But after playing the first half of last Sunday's challenge game against Laois, which Kilkenny won by 11 points, his inclusion from the start appears inevitable.
Eddie Brennan sustained a leg injury against Wexford and retired, but is back to full fitness, and if Shefflin does start it's likely he'll take over at centre forward from Eoin Larkin. It will be Friday evening before Cody announces his team.
"We expect he'll be picking from a full-strength panel," said county secretary Pat Dunphy. "Eddie Brennan had a dead leg after the Wexford game, and so did full back Brian Hogan, but they were both back doing light training last week and set to play. Henry Shefflin played very well in the challenge on Sunday and probably will start, but we'll have to wait and see how it goes for the rest of the week."
Two of Shefflin's Ballyhale club mates, Eoin and TJ Reid, also featured in last Sunday's challenge and are likely to play some role on Sunday. Regular goalkeeper James McGarry also played in that challenge and could take over from PJ Ryan, who has been wearing the number one jersey in recent weeks.
Waterford manager Justin McCarthy will announce his team after training tomorrow evening and, again, few if any changes are expected from their semi-final victory over Cork, a far closer three-point winning margin. Waterford didn't use any substitutes in that game, although there are a couple of obvious contenders for starting places if there is a need.
"Everyone is available at this stage," said county secretary Seamus Grant. "Paul Flynn's fitness is improving all the time although he probably isn't ready to start yet, so it may well be the same team that started the last day."
Sunday's final has a 3.45pm start - with the Division Two final between Wicklow and Laois at 2pm - and sees Kilkenny chase a fifth league title in six years and Waterford their first title since 1963.
Sunday's National Football League Division Two final between Roscommon and Meath takes place at Breffni Park, and the big casualty for Roscommon is midfielder Seamus O'Neill, who sustained ankle ligament damage in last Saturday's semi-final win over Cavan, and is in a race against time to be fit for their championship opener against either Sligo or New York on June 17th. Meath manager Colm Coyle will be watching from the stands having been recently hit with an eight-week sideline ban.
