Championship 2007 All-Ireland Senior Hurling:Clare hurling captain Frank Lohan yesterday said that his team-mates are fully supportive of the team management. He was speaking at the launch of the Guinness All-Ireland hurling championship at Croke Park yesterday.

Last week Lohan contacted the county executive on behalf of the players to make sure that their views were known before a county board meeting considered a vote of no confidence in manager Tony Considine. The motion was withdrawn.

"We're really happy with the management team," according to Lohan, "and the training of the guys. It hasn't been easy. We've had a tough training schedule and the response has been really good. That's the message I passed on."

Considine's first season has been beset by controversy, starting with the withdrawal of long-serving goalkeeper David Fitzgerald from the panel.

Other departures kept the rumour mill rumbling and matters have been raised at county board level.

Lohan says however that the off-field issues haven't intruded on the team's preparation for the championship and the opening fixture against Cork in Thurles at the end of the month.

"It's not something as a player that you've any control over - what happens in boardrooms.

"Time thinking about that is wasted time. Distractions are never good, but this is about how much time you put into it; that's what our summer will be decided on, so we've tried not to think too much about it."

Nonetheless, when word started to go around that there would be an attempt to get rid of Considine - one of Ger Loughnane's selectors during the great successes of the 1990s - it was decided to convey the collective opinion of the players.

"I don't know what happens at county board meetings. There were fierce rumours that there was something happening so I rang the board, but it's not something as a group we have concentrated on or intend to concentrate on."

On the field Clare have a major challenge ahead. They go into the championship in transition after seeing three of the players who won All-Ireland medals in both 1995 and '97 - Fitzgerald plus Lohan's brother Brian and Seán McMahon, who have retired - all depart the inter-county scene.

Frank Lohan is now the only surviving player of that first campaign 12 years ago when he came into the Munster semi-final - also then against Cork - as a replacement, having had to take time off in the lead-up to the match because his exams in UCC. He has been first-choice ever since.

Looking back on an National Hurling League campaign that mixed good results (like the defeat of ultimate winners Waterford) with the not-so-good (losing at home to Wexford), Lohan said his team was well positioned despite the distractions.

"Overall, we've had a good pre-season and a good league's training and, hopefully, that will stand us in good stead. As a panel of players, we haven't really dwelled too long on controversies.

"You can't really worry too much about what's outside and I think it's been very positive within the group of players.

"We're really happy with the preparation the management team have put in and the lads have reacted really positively. That's been our focus and our aim for the last five months at this stage."

Speaking at yesterday's launch Michael Whelan, Head of Sponsorship at Diageo Ireland, referred to the GAA's imminent review of sponsorships and gave a strong indication that Guinness remain interested in staying involved even though Central Council have approved a multi-sponsorship model for the association's main commercial deals.

"There's been a lot of speculation about the future of the sponsorship but now is not the time for that.

"There will be announcements in the coming months. As sponsors for the past 13 years, we are as committed now to the game as we ever have been."

Guinness have been sponsors of the championship since 1995 and yesterday launched the latest advertising campaign to support their sponsorship.

At the same event, GAA president Nickey Brennan called on hurlers to remove their safety helmets when walking around in the pre-match parade during the coming championship.

"I would like them to be as recognisable as any other sportsmen in the country," he said before asking the 12 captains present to convey his request to their team-mates.

McGrath on the mend

•Waterford expect Ken McGrath will be fit to face Cork or Clare in the Munster hurling semi-final on June 17th, writes Seán Moran. The Mount Sion player broke a thumb in a weekend club match against Ballyduff Lower.

"He'll be out for about four weeks," according to county PRO Joe Cleary. "It was a clean break and he played away with it; it was only discovered afterwards. We're confident he'll be ready."

•Longford's David Barden is free to line out in Sunday's Leinster SFC opener against Westmeath at Pearse Park, Longford. Barden last night successfully appealed to have his four weeks suspension, for a sending off against Clare in the NFL backdated to the day of the game.