GAELIC GAMES NATIONAL LEAGUE NEWS:THE PENULTIMATE round of the National Football League takes place this weekend, making team selections and player availability that bit more interesting as the days grow longer.
The 2008 footballer of the year, Tyrone’s Seán Cavanagh, is due to make his first start of the season when reigning All-Ireland champions Kerry travel to Omagh on Sunday.
“With every training session and every game I can feel myself getting sharper,” said Cavanagh, who featured off the bench in Tyrone’s defeat to Joe Kernan’s Galway last Sunday in Tuam.
“I don’t think I’m too far away at the minute and I wouldn’t turn away the possibility of 70 minutes against Kerry.”
It is ideal timing for Mickey Harte’s Tyrone, who lie bottom of Division One with just one victory and relegation looking a certainty unless their season ignites against the travelling Kingdom.
Mayo, on the other hand, remain clear of Cork and Dublin on points difference with just one defeat from five outings.
Manager John O’Mahony must make do without veteran midfielder Ronan McGarrity due to a hamstring strain, but he is expected back for the crucial last game against Cork.
Peadar Gardiner, however, will be confined to the sidelines for a longer period after breaking his hand in their defeat to Dublin.
The headline event of the National Hurling League is Sunday’s round-five meeting of Kilkenny and Galway at Nowlan Park.
The losing All-Ireland club finalists, Portumna, have sent their contingent back to intercounty training this week, while Joe Gantley and Aongus Callinan are expected to feature after injury.
Tony Browne was scheduled to feature in the Waterford half-back line against Tipperary at Semple Stadium but the 36-year-old’s shoulder injury has delayed a return for the All Stars’ 19th season by another fortnight.
“But hopefully I’ll be able to get in a good bit of full training in advance of the game against Kilkenny,” said Browne. “For a long time, it was 50-50 about whether I would go back with Waterford. Indeed I sat on the decision for a long time, but after a few training sessions with the club (Mount Sion), I decided it would make sense to do the same with the county. The training with the club is basically the same as with the county, and it’s now getting to the end of March, and there’s only a maximum of about five more months of intercounty hurling left for this year.
“I still feel in very good shape, so I said to myself ‘why not give another go for this year’. I may not be up to 70 minutes of hurling, but if I can make some contribution for Waterford then I will be very happy.
”Davy (Fitzgerald) gave lads like myself, Dan Shanahan and Ken McGrath a bit of leeway in that we didn’t have to go back with the rest of the lads at the beginning of the year.”
Meanwhile, the GAA’s first alcohol and substance abuse prevention conference, which takes place at Croke Park tomorrow, will be addressed by association president Christy Cooney.
Pat Carey, the newly-appointed Minister for Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs, Susan Kenny of the HSE, former Tipperary hurler John Leahy and programme coordinator Brendan Murphy will also speak at the event.
The 1980 All-Ireland winning Galway hurling captain, Joe Connolly, will act as chairman.
Team Selections
TYRONE (NFL v Kerry):P McConnell; D Carlin, Joe McMahon, C McCarron; D Harte, C Gormley, R McMenamin; A Cassidy, C Cavanagh; K Coney, S Cavanagh, P Harte; T McGuigan, M Penrose, O Mulligan.
CORK (NFL v Derry):P O'Shea; R Carey, E Cadogan, E Cotter; P Kissane, M Shields, N O'Leary; A O'Connor, D Kavanagh; F Goold, J Hayes, P Kelly; D Goulding, C Sheehan, P Kerrigan.
DERRY (v Cork):B Gillis; M Craig, K McGuckin, D McBride; G O'Kane, B McGuigan, M Bateson; F Doherty, J Diver; E Bradley, B McGoldrick, C Kielt; J Kielt, Paddy Bradley, M Lynch.
CORK (NHL v Dublin): D Óg Cusack; S O'Neill, E Cadogan, S Murphy; A Ryan, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpín; T Kenny, C Naughton; B O'Connor, A Ó hAilpín, N McCarthy; P O'Sullivan, M Cussen, P Horgan.
