National Football League: RTE and the GAA appear on a collision course over the digital rights to broadcast matches. Whereas negotiations are believed to be under way on the matter, a prolonged stand-off could threaten domestic coverage, with big championship clashes coming up next month. At the heart of the dispute is the launch this week of RTÉ television on the Sky Digital platform.

The announcement - which the GAA say they weren't consulted about - means that viewers will be able to receive RTÉ on satellite.

GAA officials fear satellite subscribers in Britain will, by acquiring an Irish box, be in a position to watch live coverage of football and hurling matches and so undermine the GAA's overseas rights holders. RTÉ's argument is that they hold the satellite digital rights to matches - something disputed by Croke Park.

This issue was raised at the GAA's annual congress earlier this month when director general Liam Mulvihill said in his annual report: "A further complicating factor is that an RTÉ agreement with Sky Digital would enable RTÉ to broadcast our games directly to Britain, which would be in contravention of the international rights deal done with Setanta Sport. At the time of writing, the issue is being discussed and the GAA is determined to protect the agreements already entered into in good faith."

A similar row with BBC caused Croke Park to refuse admission to television cameras for last year's All-Ireland championship as long as a broadcast was being carried on digital television.

Sky Digital has signed up all Irish stations in order to compete with the cable companies in the multi-channel market and RTÉ will not be included in the British digital package, but anyone acquiring the appropriate box will be able to access the stations, including RTÉ, encrypted in the Irish package. The international rights deal is important to the GAA, as it outstrips the value of the domestic agreement with RTÉ and has raised the association's media revenue, which in the past five years has risen from just over €1 million to nearly €4.5 million.

As a result, and as indicated by Mulvihill, the deal will be protected as otherwise the international rights will fall in value.

Meanwhile the GAA will convene a meeting of top officials at the weekend to consider the growing controversy on the issue of amateurism. The meeting will be attended by county chairpersons, county secretaries and central council delegates.

On the same day the Gaelic Players' Association are holding an e.g.m. in Portlaoise to consider the lack of progress in their campaign for a weekly payment of €127 for senior intercounty players.

Kerry make three changes for Sunday's NFL Division Two final against Laois. The two corner backs in the semi-final defeat of Meath, Enda Galvin and Michael McCarthy, are injured and their places go to Tom O'Sullivan and Eamonn Fitzmaurice respectively with Marc Ó Sé switching back to the left corner. Colin Cooper comes in at left corner forward with Declan Quill dropping back to the bench. Laois will not release a team until tonight.

Kerry's championship hopes appear to have been dealt a blow following suggestions by Maurice Fitzgerald he will not want to be considered for the senior panel during the championship. Fitzgerald was quoted in The Kerryman: "I am self-employed and very busy at the moment." He added: "You have some great lads coming into the panel . . . and you have to have the same time and effort put in as the next fellow"

KERRY (SF v Laois): D O'Keeffe; T O'Sullivan, S Moynihan, M Ó Sé; J Sheehan, E Fitzmaurice, T Ó Sé; D Ó Sé, S Scanlon; A MacGearailt, N Kennelly, E Brosnan; MF Russell, L Hassett, C Cooper. Subs: D Murphy, D Quill, S O'Sullivan, B O'Shea, I Twiss, F Kelliher, D Daly, R O'Connor, D Ó Cinneide.