Decies pair in frame to face Clare

WATERFORD HURLERS have had some good news for a change with the news that the injury to hurler of the year Dan Shanahan isn't as bad as previously feared and that former All Star Eoin Kelly's chances of making the first-round championship match against Clare have improved.

Shanahan injured his knee playing in the county championship for Lismore against Mount Sion at the weekend. At first it appeared as if he had damaged ligaments but according to team selector Nicky Cashin: "Dan's injury isn't as bad as we'd thought - a bit of bruising on the knee but we'll keep an eye on things."

The panel reassembled last night after the club break for training and although Cashin said he didn't expect Kelly to play, as listed, in the team for Sunday's challenge against Cork the player, who broke a bone in his hand also during a club match, will be in contention for a place in the Clare fixture. "He's not too bad but he won't be playing at the weekend. He's been seeing the specialist regularly and the hand isn't as bad we originally thought. He's good healing powers."

News is expected today about Tony Browne's suspension. The veteran player had been rumoured to be on the verge of retirement but scotched that when lining out in a challenge for the county on the bank holiday.

Browne was red-carded playing for his club Mount Sion the previous weekend and depending on how the referee has reported the offence, could be facing a 12-week ban.

But the fact he played against Offaly earlier this week suggests the Waterford management are confident the suspension will be a shorter, four-week one and therefore applicable only at club level.

Other injury concerns for Waterford, Eoin Murphy and Paul Flynn, are however still ruled out for a return before the Clare match on June 1st.

Sunday's challenge against Cork takes place in Mallow to mark the opening of the local club's state-of-the-art new 35-acre facility.

The new complex has six pitches - the main pitch has a 2,000-seater covered stand with a further 6,000 standing capacity - indoor and outdoor astroturf pitches and two gyms.

At present Cork hurlers and footballers train there once or twice a week, as do the under-21s and minors, and the Munster rugby team also use it given its convenience relative to Cork and Limerick.

GAA president Nickey Brennan will perform the opening ceremony at 6.30pm with the match following at 7pm.

Meanwhile, Longford will delay naming their side for Sunday's opening match of the 2008 championship until tomorrow evening. Manager Luke Dempsey is juggling a number of injury concerns.

"We're more or less there," he said, "but have to make doubly sure of some players. Declan Farrell is the most serious doubt. He tore a quad muscle playing in the league against Sligo. Noel Farrell, his brother, and Declan Reilly, who's also from the same club, are nursing hamstring strains and Kevin Mulligan has an ankle injury but we'd be hopeful that they'll make it."

Westmeath, meanwhile, are expected to name their team for Sunday this evening.

Rory Hanniffy fears he will miss out on Offaly's Leinster senior hurling championship first-round game against Laois on May 25th. Hanniffy, captain in 2007, underwent knee surgery in Dublin on Tuesday and conceded he is unlikely to be fit in time for the Portlaoise match, which takes place in 17 days' time.

He said: "It's been a long year and I've been suffering the effects of wear and tear. It was just a small niggle again, a short-term thing, but I was at the stage where I was struggling big-time with it."