Dublin without Paul Ryan for daunting Clare challenge

Dublin hurling manager

Anthony Daly

will have to plan without All Star nominated forward Paul Ryan as his team tries to bounce back from last weekend’s mauling by

Galway

against All-Ireland champions Clare.

“Paul injured his groin tonight,” said Daly after last night’s training session, “so he’s gone for this weekend.”

Dublin have a couple of other concerns for the weekend. “We’ve two ’flu victims, Dotsy O’Callaghan and Cian O’Callaghan. Both of them are on antibiotics but we’re hoping they’ll be able to play at the weekend,” said Daly.

He added he’s not concerned by the team’s poor start to the campaign.

"I'm not, to be honest," he said. "In sport everything is different so I don't see past years repeating themselves. Two years ago we were beaten by Laois in the first round of the Walsh Cup. This year we got within a few points of Kilkenny in the final. We're not guaranteed the same success as last year but we could do as well if not better.

"We played at challenge-match intensity while Galway were at championship levels. They had a bad season last year and got beaten by 12 points when they played us in the Leinster final and we just weren't as up for it as they were."

Daly also said he was "fed up" with the speculation that Antrim and Loughgiel forward Liam Watson had been approached with a view to switching to Dublin.

One change
The rumour arose in a couple of newspaper reports. Watson is not currently involved in the Antrim panel but when contacted by this newspaper, the player too confirmed: "There's nothing in that."

Meanwhile Tipperary manager Eamon O’Shea makes one change in personnel for the trip to Kilkenny.

Paddy Stapleton comes in at wing back with Conor O’Brien switching to centrefield and James Woodlock to wing forward. John O’Dwyer drops out.

Cork manager Jimmy Barry-Murphy has changed half the team from the selection that drew with Limerick.

Anthony Nash is rested and Darren McCarthy starts in goal for the All-Ireland finalists who take on Laois.

Others to return are captain Patrick Cronin, full back Stephen McDonnell and All Star Séamus Harnedy. Dual players Aidan Walsh and Eoin Cadogan, have opted out this week because of football commitments.
TIPPERARY (NHL v Kilkenny): D Gleeson; C Barrett, C O'Mahony, M Cahill; S McGrath, Pádraic Maher, P Stapleton; B Maher (capt.), C O'Brien; K Bergin, N McGrath, J Woodlock; S Callanan, P Murphy, J Forde.
CORK (NHL v Laois): D Mc Carthy; S O'Neill, S McDonnell, C Spillane; M Ellis, C Joyce, W Egan; L McLoughlin, P Haughney; S Harnedy, J Coughlan, M O'Sullivan; A Cadogan, P Cronin, P Horgan. Subs: A Nash, K Murphy, E Keane, S White, D Kearney, R O'Shea, C McCarthy, B Lawton, S Moylan, B Hartnett, M Cahalane.
ANTRIM (NHL v Limerick): C O'Connell; C McGuinness, C McKinley, M Bradley; S McCrory, N McAuley, O McFadden; N Mc Manus, C Johnson; P Shiels, C Carson, N McKenna; D McKernan, D Hamill, C Clarke.