Galway monitor Healy fitness

Team newsGalway will await a fitness update on Fergal Healy before deciding the midfield partnership for Sunday's National Hurling League final. The team named last night to face Waterford shows a vacancy in the number eight position, which Healy held in the last-round match against Limerick before retiring shortly before the end with a rib injury.

That injury has improved only slowly in the 10 days since and although Healy did attend training last night, it's still causing enough problems for manager Conor Hayes to adopt the cautious approach. If it improves any way significantly by tomorrow night then it's likely he will start.

Rory Gantley, who replaced Healy the last day, is one of several possible alternatives. David Tierney is also back in contention after missing several weeks with a broken thumb, although Hayes is clearly intent on giving Healy as much time as possible to make the cut.

In the meantime he has also stuck with exactly the same starting line-up that put 3-15 past Limerick in Pearse Stadium last Sunday week. Tony Óg Regan holds down the other midfield place and David Forde stays at centre forward ahead of Mark Kerins, who took over the position after 48 minutes the last day.

The full-forward line of Damien Hayes, Eugene Cloonan and Kevin Broderick - who between them collected 3-10 against Limerick - was never expected to be altered.

Waterford will announce their starting line-up after training tomorrow evening but with manager Justin McCarthy reporting a clean bill of health, few if any changes are expected from the team that drew with Tipperary last time out.

In football, All-Ireland champions Tyrone have delayed the naming of their team to face Derry in Clones in the first stage of their title defence as manager Mickey Harte last night found himself with a couple more injury problems than he'd expected.

Owen Mulligan is said to be still "a little shaken" after being involved in a minor car accident at the weekend, and with fellow forward Ger Cavlan suffering from a hamstring strain, Harte felt a little more time was needed before he could decide on his selection.

It's possible Stephen O'Neill will return to the starting line-up despite missing the two games against Galway through suspension having been sent off in the match against Kerry in the last round proper.

It has also been confirmed Laois midfielder Pádraig Clancy won't be fit for his team's Leinster championship opener against either Longford or Carlow on May 30th.

Clancy recently suffered a hand injury and that has left him racing against time to make the semi-final, should Laois progress that far.

The Timahoe clubman injured his thumb in a work accident and, according to manager Mick O'Dwyer, may be forced to sit out the expected provincial semi-final against Meath.

Meanwhile, initial interest in the second Underdogs television series has already exceeded that of last year.

Entries for the first provincial trial in Leinster close at the end of next week, with the trial itself taking place at Parnell Park on May 29th.

Unlike last year, applications can only be made online, by accessing the TG4 website (www.tg4.ie) and clicking on the Underdogs logo.

Successful applicants will be notified of their selection ahead of the trial date.

Dates for the other three provincial trials are as follows: Ulster - Saturday, June 12th, Oliver Plunkett Park, Crossmaglen; Connacht - Saturday, June 19th, Hyde Park, Roscommon; Munster - Saturday, June 26th, Austin Stack Park, Tralee.

Kerry, as distinct from Dublin, will provide this year's opposition.

GALWAY (SH v Waterford): L Donoghue; D Joyce, D Cloonan, O Canning; D Hardiman, D Hayes, D Collins; AN Other, T Óg Regan; A Cullinane, D Forde, A Kerins; D Hayes, E Cloonan, K Broderick.