WHETHER you go on the basis of the evidence of the summer or even pre match opinions, the task of halting Gary Kirby looks certain to be fairly central to Wexford's chances of winning a first All Ireland in a generation.

Liam Dunne is the player charged with the responsibility.

Nicky Brennan, manager of Wexford's first victims, Kilkenny, doesn't deviate from that consensus. "If Liam on Sunday can hold Gary Kirby, he'll have gone a long way towards taking the title for Wexford. He's had a good, rather than spectacular year which is no harm. I think that in the past, he may have felt he had to do more but now with the defence playing so well as a tin it, he can mind his own patch."

For a large proportion of his eight year intercounty career. Dunne has been identified as one of the team's most talented hurlers. His problems on Sunday are as likely to stem from a need to curtail his natural game as from over anxiety.

In the words of Wexford manager Liam Griffin: "He's magnificent to watch. Does things on the training field you wouldn't believe. Things you couldn't risk in a match."

From the Oulart The Ballagh club, he was born a couple of months before the county's last All Ireland success. A fitful under age career with the county has been ascribed - around Oulart - to a prejudice against the club. Since he graduated to the Wexford senior team, recognition has been plentiful with a couple of All Stars and Railway Cup appearances.

This year, after some experimenting on the subject of his best position, he is back in his familiar role at centre back - where Griffin admits he is most usefully deployed.

"My own view of Liam Dunne has changed. At first, I thought that at centre back he had been exploited for size. Thinking about it, though, that doesn't always come into it. Jimmy Cullinane - The Puddin' was an incredible player. I played with him in Clare. Pat Kirby, the handballer was small but good - I remember playing him in the States.

"Liam Dunne is a pure hurler and I thought he might be better switched elsewhere like wing back. There's no doubt in my mind now: he's more comfortable at centre back.

"He was very exposed at wing back against Galway in the League (semi final) and I said to Rory Kinsella (a selector) at the time: `that position isn't suiting him'."

Such reservations as exist centre on his expansive style. Most centre backs like to play the ball a bit but those marking Kirby have to be mindful of the risks. Griffin is aware of the danger and not hugely concerned.

"He likes to contribute, but the primary task is to keep his man tight. But I've examined his performances and where he pops up in a match and have asked myself `what would have happened if he wasn't there?'. Maybe his man scores three points, but what would have been scored if he hadn't been covering?

"You have to be aware of tightness when you're loose and vice versa. When you're playing it loose, you have to be aware of your man.

"Great positional players tend to `ball watch' because they read the game so well. Against John Troy (in the Leinster final), Liam got it right. He did his `man watching' as well.

"I've been delighted with his response this year. Some fans say, `he's not as spectacular' and I say `good'. This has been his best year, only it hasn't been recognised that it is. He's a quiet, nice, dedicated, obliging fella, easy to deal with."

While appreciating Dunne's flair for the position, Nicky Brennan is cautious about the clash: "Liam will have to be careful about giving away frees. I'm not saying it's a habit with him but Kirby will punish any carelessness. He'll have to go more man to man on Sunday. He didn't play as much man to man against Galway and Cathal Moore got 1-3 from play."

Among the difficulties in dealing with a great natural talent is that the possessor frequently doesn't take to criticism or suggested improvement with the enthusiasm with which it's given. Griffin says this doesn't apply to Dunne who has willingly played all around the pitch in the last two years.

"He's a great player," says Griffin, "and when told about our reservations, didn't do a sulky baby on it, but tried what we asked him to. He could be a magnificent midfielder but he doesn't seem to have the confidence there. I'd also love to see him at wing forward or centre forward as well."

The decent relationship between player and manager has had to survive some rocky moments, as Griffin remembers.

"Over the years, he's monitored his own fitness with his own sort of in built mechanism. He tends to think he's right when in fact he's 10 per cent short. It's difficult if a fella thinks he's spot on and you know if you push him a little bit, he'll be better but mentally, he's not coming with you.

"In fairness to him, he doesn't suffer fools gladly and your arguments have to be good. He's an interesting fella, not just a noddy."

The worst incident was last summer when Dunne was stripped of the Wexford captaincy for playing a club match in the week before the Leinster semi final against Offaly after an agreement that county players wouldn't turn out for their clubs. Giving the impression of a man caught in no man's land, Dunne accepted the discipline without demur.

"Myself and Liam have never had a wrong word," says Griffin. "At the start of the year, we had a three hour meeting to discuss life and hurling and anything. Liam's not an attention seeker and the whole incident tore him a bit asunder. I thought that we needed to sit down and talk it over.