Caffrey likely to reconfigure the Dublin full back line

NEWS ROUND-UPDUBLIN MANAGER Paul Caffrey has held off until this evening announcing a team for the All-Ireland football quarter-final against Tyrone. This was put down to a change in training schedules to accommodate the Saturday throw-in at Croke Park, which has all but been declared a sell-out.

Several changes are expected from the 23-point victory over Wexford in the Leinster final on July 20th. The full back line is widely expected to be altered.

Paul Griffin, David Henry and Collie Moran lined up there the last day, but the presence of the converted Tyrone All Star midfielder Seán Cavanagh at full forward is expected to require a particular type of man marker.

Bryan Cullen has regularly provided cover from centre back this season, and Ross McConnell may come back into the reckoning despite being badly exposed by Westmeath's Denis Glennon in the provincial semi-final.

McConnell, also a converted midfielder, was being groomed as Dublin's long-term full back throughout 2007, but was recently dropped.

"Every team in the country is looking at their full back line these days," said the Dublin selector Brian Talty in reference to the ever-growing trend of teams operating with a big full forward. "Everything eventually falls on the full-back line."

Tyrone manager Mickey Harte will name a team tomorrow, the only absentees being corner back PJ Quinn (back) and Colm Cavanagh (broken collarbone).

That means Owen Mulligan has been declared fully fit to come in and trouble Dublin, much like he did when scoring a magnificent goal in the corresponding 2005 fixture. Mulligan replaced Brian McGuigan late in the one-point qualifier win over Mayo.

The GAA announced yesterday no more tickets would be on sale from the Croke Park ticketing office or Ticketmaster outlets, all allocations having gone to the relevant county boards.

Dublin received 40,000 tickets, which will be distributed to the clubs, but some may be available for general sale from Parnell Park later this week. Such has been the drop in support for Tyrone this year their county board received only 8,000 tickets, though up to 12,000 are expected to attend.

"Turn-out for games has been very disappointing to date, but that is more down to the credit crunch than complacency of the supporters," said PRO Damian Harvey. "It is very expensive for families to be travelling down to Dublin for matches, but now the ante has certainly been upped we expect a decent crowd."

As for the All-Ireland hurling semi-final on Sunday, Tipperary and Waterford are expected to announce teams tomorrow.

Davy Fitzgerald's defensive options have been improved by Aidan Kearney's recovery from an appendix operation.

National hurling director Paudie Butler believes the game is being played at unprecedented levels and insisted yesterday that no intercounty manager in history can compare with Kilkenny's current supremo Brian Cody.

A spellbound Butler was at Croke Park for last Sunday's All-Ireland semi-final between Cork and Kilkenny and he insisted that the first half an hour of that game contained the best hurling that has ever been seen.

Former Laois manager and Tipperary native Butler said: "The reality is that players now are the best that have ever played in the history of the game. People have their own opinions but denigrating any modern day player flies in the face of facts because these guys are so dedicated, educated and committed to honing their skills every day."

Describing Cody as "the master of all time," Butler said: "I don't think his equal has ever existed. Kilkenny are calm when they need to be, fiery when they need it and tuned into the last."

Energised by last Sunday's Croke Park fare, Butler reflected: "The first half hour we witnessed was the best hurling of all time. It's not just me saying that; people have rung and said the same. It had everything to me and the players are almost Olympian in their fitness levels."