Revamped Limerick can take League title

The curtain comes down on the hurling season with tomorrow's Church & General National Hurling League final in Ennis. It comes down in a sparsely attended and less than rapt auditorium as holders Galway and Limerick try to cheer themselves up after miserable championships. Adding to the general air of anti-climax is the knowledge that this year's experimental calendar-year NHL has been only a qualified success and that tomorrow will see the competition concluded in October for the last time, at least for the conceivable future.

By next season, a structure will have been set in place to allow the final be played two weeks before the championship commences.

It is a pity that the huge interest generated by the NHL in its early, regulation matches did not survive when the knockout stages began to clash with the championship, but the idea was worth trying.

Principally, it foundered on the conservatism of counties who felt incapable of playing matches in any sort of proximity to championship engagements and also of those who, after championship setbacks, were unable to muster any enthusiasm for a League played during the best months of the year.

Maybe it's unfair on the finalists but there is an air of their being the last two standing when the music stopped. Both reached this stage after semi-finals for which they had qualified directly from Division One.

Once there, Limerick mounted a bravura performance when defeating favourites Kilkenny in Nowlan Park whereas Galway did what they had to in order to dust off Tipperary's deliberately under-strength challenge.

Complicating matters is the mental attitude of both sides.

Limerick are in the unreal situation that, irrespective of the result, they are likely to have a change of management. It would be emblematic of Tom Ryan's tenure of office were he to be let go after adding another trophy to the cabinet.

In the four years since his appointment, Ryan has led the team to two Munster titles and two All-Ireland finals. Nonetheless, there are by now enough rumours of player discontent and county board dissatisfaction that successors are being openly discussed.

Given that the county board has transferred powers of managerial appointment from the full board to the executive, officials will decide on Ryan's future and even he has no reason to feel confident that his tenure will be extended.

Anyone who saw Ryan's frank interview on Network 2's Sideline View last night would question why he would wish to continue coping with such pressures in return for so little support.

Galway's situation is different in that Cyril Farrell has been perfunctorily re-appointed after a disappointing championship defeat by Kilkenny. In addition, the county has recently suffered a listless reverse in the under-21 final against Cork.

There is apparently little buzz around either county and both teams have an experimental look, contributed to by injury and suspension. Because of the final's timing, the long-term applicability of the positional trials is questionable.

Galway field a defence half of whom look out of position and which is missing the county's outstanding defender, Brian Feeney, who got himself sent off in a club match.

Further up the field, the team is also weakened by the absence of two first-team regulars, Eugene Cloonan and Kevin Broderick. The latter is injured and Cloonan has been selected for the Galway Vocational Schools team who contest the first match on the programme.

Francis Forde has been omitted - despite good form with his club and a fairly blameless All-Ireland quarter-final - and Darragh Coen comes into the team to take command of the placed-ball duties.

Michael Coleman is named in the centreforward role for which he has limited enthusiasm, and in front of him, Joe Rabbitte returns despite having had only one match since his return from the summer's most startling piece of Grand Guignol, in the Connacht final.

If the Galway selection fails to convince, Limerick's looks a more resourceful deployment of depleted playing stock. The goalkeeper and full back line are as expected, but the half-back line is innovative as the selectors try to cast around for a centre back, in order to release Ciaran Carey to centrefield, where his influence has always been more pronounced.

TJ Ryan is best known as a corner forward at inter-county level but plays centre back for his club. Beside him Jack Foley is restored to his best position after a number of outings in the attack. Foley's brother Mark makes the return journey having started life in the forwards but subsequently having gained a great reputation at wing back.

Mark Foley's selection at centre forward is more of a reflection on Limerick's dearth of forwards than Foley's optimum role. The switch is of particular interest in the light of long-term centre forward Gary Kirby's switch to the corner - presumably to test the theory that the closer he is to goal the better.

Neither side has the appearance of bring fired up for this one but Limerick were good at disguising any lack of motivation in the semi-final and get the nod to thrive again in adversity.

Limerick: J Quaid; S McDonagh, M Nash, D Nash; D Clarke, T J Ryan, J Foley; C Carey, Shane O'Neill; M Galligan, M Foley, B Foley; J Moran, O Moran, G Kirby. Subs: A Shanahan, F Carroll, T O'Brien, D Hennessy, A Browne, J Flavin, B Tobin, P Coleman, N Doolin.

Galway: P Costello; G Kennedy, L Hodgin, V Maher; B Keogh, C Moore, M Donoghue; L Burke, N Shaughnessy; J Campbell, M Coleman, J McGrath; D Coen, J Rabbitte, O Fahy.

The GOAL Challenge between All-Ireland champions Kerry and a Rest of Ireland selection, due to be played in Tralee this afternoon, has been cancelled due to the involvement of many of the Kerry players in club championship matches this weekend.