Kilmacud Crokes can take second Dublin SHC title in three years

Kilmacud Crokes v St Jude's, Parnell Park, 7.45pm: New Dublin manager Ger Cunningham will be an interested spectator in Donnycarney, as he assesses some of the talent he's been assigned to organise.

Champions two years ago, Kilmacud are back after making impressive progress through the championship.

Under new management this time of former Clare All-Ireland winner and All Star and Offaly manager Ollie Baker, the Stillorgan club have been bringing through good under-age talent for the past number of years and supplying successful minor and under-21 county sides.

They have some heavyweight county hurlers in Ryan O'Dwyer, Niall Corcoran and former Dublin forward Ross O'Carroll, who plays centrefield, as well as his brother, football All Star Rory, who is a fine hurler.

The stand-out hurler in the championship to date has, however, been St Jude's Danny Sutcliffe, an All Star last year, who has been starring at centre forward. He has been supplemented in attack by this year's minor Fionn Ó Riain Broin whose free taking has been excellent.

They don’t look to have the strength in depth of the favourites, though. St Jude’s are, however, dangerous underdogs because they’ve had to work much harder to get this far, to the club’s first senior final, than Kilmacud whose progress has been more comfortable.