GAELIC GAMES: One of these days John Allen might surprise us all and shake up the Cork hurling team but, as the saying goes, you don't fix what isn't broken. Allen stays practically true to that for Saturday's All-Ireland hurling quarter-final against Limerick at Semple Stadium, making just one change from team that beat Tipperary in last month's Munster final. Ian O'Riordan reports

Neil Ronan gets his first start since the quarter-final of 2002, a direct swap with Cian O'Connor at left wing forward. Ronan opted off the panel for a couple of years but is rewarded for his persistence, and in fact replaced O'Connor late in the Munster final. He also started in that position in Cork's All-Ireland success of 1999.

The rest of the Cork line-up bears the usual settled look. The defence has changed little over three seasons while the forward line is rarely changed by more than a player or two. And that stability, says corner forward Joe Deane, is one of the main reasons behind Cork's obvious confidence when it comes to high-pressure championship games such as Saturday.

"You mostly get that confidence from winning games," says Deane, "but I've always said that the way our team is so settled helps as well. From one to nine we've been very settled, and the same with the forwards except for one or two positions. Everyone knows what the other players are doing, and that's definitely been a big help for us."

Deane was in Dublin yesterday to collect his Opel/GPA player of the month award for June (Donegal's Rory Kavanagh collected the football equivalent), probably increasing further his personal confidence. He collected 0-8 in the win over Tipperary, one less than the 0-9 he hit against Clare in the semi-final, and is on course for one of his best ever seasons in a Cork jersey.

"Things have gone well for the team this year," he adds. "I'd be happy enough with my own form. Maybe I looked after myself a little better over the winter, and came back a little fitter. I also missed the last couple of league games, which meant I was fresh coming into the championship."

In contrast to Cork's stability, opponents Limerick shake up their team for what is clearly a massive test against the All-Ireland champions. The key trio of Brian Geary, Stephen Lucey and Ollie Moran all return from injury having missed the last qualifier match against Dublin, while captain TJ Ryan switches from full back to left wing forward. While Ryan has often lined out at full forward in the past, the wing forward position is unusual, and it remains to be seen if he in fact plays there.

Tipperary show one enforced change for their meeting with Waterford in Croke Park on Sunday. With team captain and forward Ger O'Grady dropped from the panel after the Munster final defeat to Cork, Toomevara's Francis Devaney is called into the starting line-up for the first time this summer, named at centre forward. Fellow forward Lar Corbett takes over the captaincy following O'Grady's dismissal.

Galway, who face Kilkenny in Thurles on Saturday, have suffered a setback with the loss of defender David Collins with a hamstring injury, while centre back Shane Kavanagh is struggling to be fit with a toe injury. Underage star Joe Canning won't by playing any role as he's lining out with the Galway minors the following day in their quarter-final against Antrim, and it appears likely Eugene Cloonan will see some championship action for the first time this summer.

Finally, Wexford will be without midfielder Darren Stamp for the other quarter-final against Clare in Croke Park because of a knee ligament injury, with Willie Doran, Stephen Nolan and Barry Goff already ruled out with hamstring problems. Neither Darragh Ryan or Paul Codd, both of whom recently returned to the panel, are expected to be fit enough to start.

CORK (SH v Limerick): D Cusack; P Mulcahy, D O'Sullivan, B Murphy; J Gardiner, R Curran, S Óg Ó hAilpin; T Kenny, J O'Connor; T McCarthy, N McCarthy, N Ronan; B O'Connor, B Corcoran, J Deane.

LIMERICK (SH v Cork): B Murray; D Reale, S Lucey, S Hickey; O Moran, B Geary, M Foley; B Foley, D Ryan; N Moran, M O'Brien, TJ Ryan; A O'Shaughnessy, B Begley, C Fitzgerald.

TIPPERARY (SH v Waterford): B Cummins; D Fanning, P Curran, P Ormonde; E Corcoran, C O'Mahoney, H Moloney; P Kelly, S McGrath; J Carroll, F Devaney, J O'Brien; L Corbett, D Fitzgerald, E Kelly.

• Kilmallock GAA club in Co Limerick have rejected an offer of €2.5 million from a local property developer for their six-acre site in the centre of the town.

At a meeting of club members on Monday night, the proposal to sell their ground was defeated by 109 votes to 54.