Kilkenny have made one change in their team to face Offaly in the Leinster hurling final at Croke Park on Sunday by giving a championship debut to their only true dual player of recent years.
Twenty-four-year-old Paddy Mullally will line out for his first competitive game at left half back, taking over from the injured Peter Barry. Mullally was captain of the Kilkenny football team this season and has also maintained his commitment to the footballers during the National League.
However, when the hurling selectors picked their squad for the championship, Mullally was a surprise inclusion in the panel and his impressive current form at club level has convinced the selectors to place him in the starting 15. Despite a number of other injury worries for manager Brian Cody, his inclusion is the only change on the team that comfortably beat Laois in the Leinster semi-final.
"Paddy is a quality player and we have no worries about throwing him in such an important match," said Cody last night. There were a number of possible replacements for Barry, including the highly experienced John Costelloe, but Cody appears confident enough to take a chance on Mullally.
Denis Byrne keeps his place at midfield despite having a broken finger and Canice Brennan also holds his position at full back. The defending Leinster champions have delayed the selection of their substitutes. The hope is to give Philip Larkin and P J Delaney, who are nursing injuries, a few more days to prove their fitness.
Galway's team to face Roscommon in the Connacht hurling final won't be announced until later today. Manager Mattie Murphy will inform his players this morning although there are no reports of major injury problems. The full panel trained last night, including Joe Cooney and Joe Rabbitte, but the extent of their role in Saturday's final remains to be seen.
Elsewhere, Antrim and Derry have made changes for their Ulster hurling final clash in Casement Park on Saturday afternoon.
Antrim manager Seamus Elliott will be without his top scoring forward and nephew Alister Elliott as they search for their third title in four years. Elliott is still troubled by a cruciate knee injury, although he may yet defy medical advice and play some sort of role later in the game.
John Carson comes in to start for Elliott at corner forward while Ronan Donnelly moves from centre back to fill Carson's regular position on the wing. Eoin McCluskey is over his injury and plays at full back while Jim Close returns from suspension to partner Conor Cunning at midfield.
That means there is no room for regular midfielder Jim Connolly, who played at half forward against London, but appears to have been unhappy in that position and is also rumoured to have had a falling out with Elliott. There is one vacancy at left corner back and it is expected that Frankie McMullan will take up that slot.
Derry have gone for a number of positional switches in defence. Collie McGurk and Niall Mullan are moved into the full back line while Barry Kelly, who came on as a substitute in the semi-final, retains his place at left half back. Oliver Collins is hoping to be recovered from his calf muscle strain to fill the vacant spot at midfield.
Meanwhile, Clare midfielder Ollie Baker continues to stay off his feet to reduce the swelling on his ankle ligament injury picked up in last Sunday's Munster final loss to Cork. There was no significant improvement in the state of the injury yesterday and Baker must wait for a closer inspection after the swelling before the full extent of the damage is known.
