Geraghty's expected return to Meath fails to materialise

Graham Geraghty's expected return to the Meath football panel now looks unlikely to materialise after the 1999 All-Ireland winning captain did not attend training last night.

The Meath management of Colm Coyle, Tommy Dowd and Dudley Farrell met with a seemingly contrite Geraghty on Monday, but a definitive decision on his future was stalled until the players could be briefed.

Geraghty was expected to attend last night's session and make an apology. However, several players contacted the management yesterday expressing concern about the 34-year-old's return.

Until this development, it seemed likely that Geraghty would be accepted back into the fold just 10 days after his inter-county career was deemed over following a physical altercation with teenage panelist Stephen Sheppard at a training session in Simonstown.

The two-time All Star recipient missed last week's first-round qualifier victory over Down in Newry, but post-match comments by manager Colm Coyle were widely interpreted as an olive branch.

No official statement was made, but the final decision to reinstate Geraghty rests with the football management, two of which, Coyle and Dowd, are former team-mates.

Sources within the county confirmed the players were split on his return, at least ahead of next Saturday night's qualifier against Fermanagh in Navan.

Meanwhile, attendances at GAA championship matches are expected to break the one million mark this weekend. The 2007 figures currently stand at 940,000, but the expected full houses at Croke Park for the Leinster final and Clones for the Ulster final should make the record of 1.9 million, set in 2003, a realistic target by this September.

The RTÉ Sunday Game Live viewing figures have also increased by five per cent on this stage last year, while the Sunday night highlights show has gone up 12 per cent since 2006.

In hurling news, the Tipperary manager, Michael 'Babs' Keating, is facing an anxious wait to avoid sending out a patched-up team against Cork in Saturday's final qualifier game, which will decide both teams' All-Ireland quarter-final opponents.

The winners play Wexford, while the losers face the Munster champions, Waterford.

"It won't be a B team, but look at the players that may be out," said Keating. "Diarmuid Fitzgerald is a physio so he knows better than anyone how he is progressing himself. He won't be togging out.

"Eoin Kelly is sore, but has been getting treatment over in Wexford (at the cryotherapy clinic in Whites hotel). At the moment he is 50-50. John Carroll and Shane McGrath? We still don't know."

Kelly stated in his Tipperary Voice column this week he expected to have recovered sufficiently from a groin injury to play but would leave the decision up to the management.

There are further absentees. Paul Curran is out for the season after sustaining a broken jaw, while Paul Ormond has quit the panel.

"Paul came to me after training last night to say he couldn't keep doing it," explained Keating. "He's had a difficult time, what with breaking a few ribs.

"He is a lovely guy and I've been with him for a number of years, including my time in UCD. It's very sad to see such a special guy having to walk away."

A starting XV will be selected tonight with several players from the under-21s (who were beaten by Cork last night) expected to be elevated to the senior panel.

"There are one or two of those players we haven't contemplated up until now because of the under-21 campaign," said Keating.