Tipperary in the dark about Corcoran's fate

Gaelic Games Team News: Tipperary have an anxious wait today before finding out the fate of Eamonn Corcoran who was shown a straight red card in last Sunday's National Hurling League match against Galway. The GAA's Games Administration Committee met on Wednesday night to consider the referee's report but did not release a decision yesterday.

An announcement is expected today and Corcoran's punishment could range from four to 12 weeks. A maximum suspension would rule him out of the entire Munster championship.

It is also believed that two Tipperary players will be called to next week's meeting of the GAC on foot of video evidence from their league match against Kilkenny two weeks ago. Two Kilkenny players are also expected to be called.

Taken together with John Leahy's injury, it all adds up to a major headache for manager Michael Doyle who also has injury concerns about John Carroll and Noel Morris.

The team to play Clare this weekend in a rehearsal for next month's Munster championship first round reflects all these difficulties. Corcoran is obviously not available after his sending-off and is one of two changes from the side that drew with Galway.

Aidan Butler comes in at midfield for Corcoran with Paul Kelly reverting to his favoured wing back position and in attack Eugene O'Neill is named at full forward in place of Ger O'Grady who is nursing a slight leg injury.

A win for Tipperary will guarantee them a place in the NHL final on Monday week.

Meanwhile, there have been further developments in Meath hurling with clubs threatening not to fulfil fixtures. This comes after county hurling manager Michael Duignan briefly resigned last weekend in protest at the clash of club matches with the preparation of the county team at a crucial juncture.

Laois' dependable David Cuddy looks set to miss his side's opening championship outing against Wicklow.

His absence could not have come at a worse time for new manager Páidí Butler, who despite a promising league campaign in which they salvaged their Division One status, is now looking anxiously towards their championship opener.

Cuddy broke a finger in his sides league victory over Dublin in late March, an injury which keeps him at least three weeks away from full fitness.

However, there is better news regarding his brother, centre-back Paul, who is also captain. He retired with a foot injury during Monday's league defeat to Limerick, but it's felt that his cracked toe will have healed sufficiently to allow him take his place.

Meanwhile, Wicklow manager Michael Neary is hoping that his outstanding talent Michael Anthony O'Neill will return form injury for the clash which takes place on May 5th in Portlaoise.

Limerick have been told to scrap any plans they had made for a training session at Croke Park on Saturday. They had asked for the concession to help familiarise themselves with the playing pitch before taking on Westmeath in the Division Two NFL final on Sunday week. But the authorities have said "no".

TIPPERARY (SH v Clare): B Cummins; M Maher, P Maher, B Dunne; B Horgan, D Kennedy, P Kelly; T Dunne, A Butler; M O'Leary, C Gleeson, L Cahill; E Kelly, E O'Neill, L Corbett.

CLARE (SH v Tipperary): D Fitzgerald; B Quinn, R O'Looney, F Lohan; G O'Grady, S McMahon, G Quinn; T Griffin, D McMahon; A Markham, F Lynch, D O'Connell; N Gilligan, A Quinn, B Murphy.

OFFALY (SH v Limerick): S Byrne; B Teehan, G Oakley, D Franks; N Claffey, J Brady, C Cassidy; S Browne, N Coughlan; B Carroll, G Hanniffy, B Murphy; R Hanniffy, J Errity, D Murray.

LIMERICK (SH v Offaly): D Bulfin; S McDonagh, TJ Ryan, M Cahill; P O'Dwyer, S Lucey, Maurice O'Brien; J Meskell, B Hayes; Mike O'Brien, N Moran, J O'Brien; P Kirby, O Moran, S Sheehan.

MONAGHAN (v Mayo): M McHugh; K McEntee, J McHugh, E Hearne; P Murphy, D Connolly, A Dalton; A Hughes, B Connolly; R Healy, K Connolly, S O'Sullivan; M Gleeson, P Walshe, B Reilly.