Canning a major doubt

JOE CANNING has emerged as a major doubt for Galway’s Leinster hurling championship opener against Westmeath on Sunday week.

Canning had been carrying a hamstring strain, and aggravated the injury when lining out for his club Portumna over the weekend. Manager John McIntyre won’t be rushing him back into action for the Westmeath game, which has been fixed for Mullingar on Sunday week.

Westmeath booked their date with Galway after a somewhat unexpected win over Carlow on Sunday. Galway’s other main doubt for that game is midfielder Ger Farragher, who is still experiencing problems with a knee injury.

Dublin’s Leinster hurling championship gets underway against Offaly on Sunday as an effectively stand-alone fixture in Croke Park, with a 2pm start.

As expected, the Leinster Council have confirmed that there won’t be any high-profile curtain raiser for that game: instead the warm-up act will be the Leinster club senior hurling league Division Two final between Shamrocks of Offaly and Crumlin of Dublin, which will have a 12.15 start.

Dublin football manager Pat Gilroy has also confirmed that Bryan Cullen will wear the captain’s armband for their championship campaign, which starts with the quarter-final meeting with Laois in Croke Park on Sunday week. Former captain Paul Griffin, who sat out last summer with a cruciate tear, will serve as vice-captain for the year. The 27-year-old Cullen previously captained the Dublin minors and under-21s, and led DCU to their first Sigerson Cup success in 2006.

Meanwhile, Kildare manager Kieran McGeeney isn’t being distracted in any way by the apparent fallout in the backroom team of Meath, their Leinster quarter-final opponents in Croke Park also on Sunday week – and in fact McGeeney suggested the controversy may even bring them closer

“Some things can galvanise a camp, some things can go against it,” said McGeeney. “What you’d think would galvanise it doesn’t, what you think wouldn’t can.

“I always find the teams that we play tend to be in disarray. They seem to be well up for it. Graham (Geraghty) is back and Graham’s on about looking forward to playing Dublin in a semi-final so they’re obviously quite confident of beating us . . . Graham’s very confident and if he plays any part there’s no doubt it’ll be a good part.”