1. Christy Byrne Age: 26. Height: 5' 11["] . Weight: 12st. Club: Castlemitchell. Leinster's Railway Cup goalkeeper, he is integrated into a good defence. Byrne has a clever kick-out (which won the Leinster final) and good stopping ability (as when he made a save from Brendan Reilly in same match). Vulnerable under dropping ball.

2. Brian Lacey Age: 23. Height: 5' 9["]

Weight: 11st 4. Club: Round Towers A sensational first season with Kildare after the move from Tipperary. He has subdued a litany of high-profile opponents. Quick off the mark and a talented ball player, there is a possibility he will be detailed to mark Padraig Joyce should Ronan Quinn's injury not clear up.

3. Ronan Quinn Age: 26. Height: 5' 11["]

Weight: 12st 6. Club: Leixlip Injury doubts have disrupted his lead-up and there is still uncertainty about his participation only weeks after keyhole surgery. Since claiming the position early in championship, he has been steady but looked vulnerable against Kerry's early use of the direct ball.

4. Ken Doyle Age: 27. Height: 5' 10["] . Weight: 11st. Club: Allenwood Back where he started in the corner after a nomadic season. A tenacious, hard-working player, he was deployed at wing forward against Kerry where his tireless roaming may have been more suited than it will be to tracking someone of Savage's explosive pace.

5. Anthony Rainbow. Age: 27. Height: 5' 9["] . Weight: 10st. Club: Suncroft. The fastest of the half backs, his runs have been more penetrative than most of the forwards. A good year in defence - apart from sending-off against Dublin - his pace and positioning have been noticeable. May track Donnellan.

6. Glen Ryan (c) Age: 27. Height: 5' 9["] . Weight: 12st. Club: Round Towers Physical wear and tear have taken a toll on Ryan but he remains the font of inspiration for the team. Not as quick or agile as he once was, he is still a powerful player and a great leader. May need to curb natural expansiveness which could lead to trouble against Fallon.

7. John Finn Age: 27. Height: 5' 11["] . Weight: 11st. Club: Clane The most improved of Kildare's defenders, he has made the wing back spot his own with a series of determined displays. Good concentration and great blocking have contributed to a total shut-out of opponents this season. Physical tussle with Shay Walsh will appeal.

8. Niall Buckley Age: 25. Height: 6' 1["] . Weight: 12st 5. Club: Sarsfields Not quite the year he enjoyed in 1997. Apart from the first match against Dublin, his ball- winning hasn't been up to usual standard. Tending to hang off centrefield rather than taking the play forward, he is fully recovered from the injury which kept him out of the semi-final.

9. Willie McCreery. Age: 28. Height: 6' 1["] . Weight: 11st 9. Club: Clane His role involves him in constant tracking between defence and attack. Although in perpetual motion he is a bit one- paced. Resembles Colm McManamon in his capacity to find openings which he has difficulty exploiting - except against Meath.

10. Eddie McCormack. Age: 25. Height: 5' 8["] . Weight: 11st 5. Club: Clane. Fast, tidy footballer for whom accuracy is the main problem. He still manages a couple of points per match but could have scored more - particularly given his ability to flash in behind defences. Still, he creates chances for others.

11. Declan Kerrigan. Age: 31. Height: 5' 9["] . Weight: 11st 8. Club: Johnstownbridge Another fine year for the unobtrusively excellent Kerrigan whose work goes generally unnoticed because he's not a scorer. Positioned in front of centrefield he feeds on broken ball and moves it on quickly.

12. Dermot Earley Age: 20. Height: 6' 1["] . Weight: 11st 8. Club: Sarsfields. Such has been his impact that the absence of Buckley in the semi-final was hardly noticed. Earley's tentative introduction as an auxiliary centrefielder on the wing has given way to his status as the team's pre-eminent fielder.

13. Martin Lynch Age: 28. Height: 5' 11["] . Weight: 12st 4. Club: Clane. More confident than in the past as his role has been modified within the team. Freed of the expectations to be a central player, he has found in the right corner the space to exploit his physique, height and left foot. Has posed awkward problems for defences who frequently foul him.

14. Karl O'Dwyer Age: 27. Height: 5' 11["] . Weight: 11st 8. Club: Rathangan An unlikely renaissance for the former Kerry player who joined his father at the beginning of the NFL. His strength is an appetite for deep ball which also brings others into the attack and an accurate boot which has given a directness to Kildare's attack.

15. Padraig Gravin Age: 22. Height: 5' 11["] . Weight: 12st. Club: Clogherinkoe Has had a useful debut year during which his dead-ball kicking has been fairly reliable and although he is lively in general play, his scoring returns are dominated by frees. Of his top-scoring total 1-21 for the county, only one score - the goal against Laois - came from play.