Kerry have resisted the urge to make changes to the side that defeated Armagh in that titanic quarter-final the week before last. It means Mike Frank Russell is retained at corner forward against Cork on Sunday despite some speculation he might lose out although the injury to Bryan Sheehan limited manager Jack O'Connor's options in attack.
Otherwise the team picked itself with Kieran Donaghy lining out in the full-forward position in which he has been lighting bonfires since switching from centrefield. The big Austin Stacks player's ability under the high ball has been crucial to Kerry's turnaround since losing their Munster title to Cork after a replayed final last month.
Cork's potential problems have been exacerbated by the injury to Graham Canty, whose performances on big AFL players in the International Rules would have made him an obvious candidate to mark the towering Donaghy.
Laois manager Mick O'Dwyer has made one enforced change to the side which drew with Mayo last weekend for next Sunday's replay. Paul McDonald, who carried an ankle injury into the drawn encounter, had to go off during the match and was replaced at right-wing back by Peter O'Leary, who comes into the starting 15 for the replay.
O'Dwyer has decided not to start Donie Brennan, who scored three points on his introduction for the second half last Sunday. Brian McCormack is retained.
In Wexford, George O'Connor has been appointed as the first hurling development administrator for the county. The All-Ireland winner of 1996 has been handed a three-year term and will formally start work next month.
He will be based in an office in Wexford Park. The post is being funded by the Irish Sports Council via the Leinster Council and supported by the county board.
O'Connor's duties will include liaising with primary and secondary schools as well as implementing the development plan for hurling in the county which has been drawn up by former manager John Conran, fitness and athletics Jim Kilty, county secretary Mick Kinsella and John Barron.
They will also serve as the steering committee for the overall project and will be assisted by Kilkenny's Pat Henderson, Leinster Council's appointee, as chairperson and Fr Odhran Furlong as secretary.
Meanwhile, the launch took place yesterday of this year's MBNA Cic Fada, the football equivalent of the Poc Fada. Present were the reigning champion, Offaly goalkeeper Pádraig Kelly, who will be going for a third title in a row and attempting to break the All-Ireland and world record of 72 metres, achieved by four-time champion Mark Herbert from Kildare, and Dublin centrefielder Ciarán Whelan.
The competition, to be staged at the Bray Emmets club in Wicklow on September 9th, tests the abilities of the country's best footballers to kick for distance and accuracy.
Tickets for next Sunday's matches at Croke Park are currently available from the GAA website (www.gaa.ie), Ticketmaster outlets, nationwide through clubs and county boards and in the Croke Park area from McCaughey's Shop on Clonliffe Road and Benny's Shop on Emmet St. Tickets will also be on sale from the Ticket Office at the rear of the Cusack Stand from 11am to 7pm today and tomorrow and on Saturday from 11am until 5pm.
There will be no general sale of tickets for Croke Park the following weekend, the day of the Dublin-Mayo/Laois All-Ireland semi-final. Tickets will be available through clubs and county board sources in the participating counties.
KERRY (SF v Cork): D Murphy; M Ó Sé, M McCarthy, T O'Sullivan; T Ó Sé, S Moynihan, A O'Mahony; D Ó Sé, T Griffin; S O'Sullivan, E Brosnan, P Galvin; C Cooper, K Donaghy, MF Russell.
LAOIS (SF v Mayo): F Byron; A Fennelly, D Rooney, J Higgins; P O'Leary, T Kelly, P McMahon; P Clancy, B Quigley; R Munnelly, C Conway, B McCormack; B McDonald, N Garvan, B Sheehan.
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