Leinster hit by several injury worries

Leinster will be fielding a slightly weakened side for Saturday's interprovincial football final against Ulster.

Manager Val Andrews has found his preparations hampered this week, firstly by the weather and secondly by injury.

A training session was planned for UCD on Monday night, but that was called off when the pitches became unplayable in the heavy rain. Andrews has arranged another training session for tomorrow night, but is still a little unsure about what players will be available.

"We've called up three players from the International Rules team in Australia - Dessie Dolan, Matty Forde and Tom Kelly," said Andrews. "Other players on that trip such as Ross Munnelly, Ciarán McManus and Bryan Cullen still weren't available. So it will be another while before we finalise our starting line-up."

Andrews may also lose the services of several players that took part in the semi-final win over Connacht because of injury - including Damien Healy (Westmeath), Darren Rooney (Laois), and Karl Slattery (Offaly). And Daithí Regan (Meath) and Michael Ennis (Westmeath) are on club duty.

"It's a pity because we had a great squad for the last match, and that win was totally down to the attitude of the players. They worked very hard and deserved the win. But we're looking forward to Saturday. I think the floodlight setting worked very well the last day, and hopefully another good crowd will come out on the night."

On the county managerial front, meanwhile, the last unfilled post should be decided in the coming days as the Louth county committee close in on their list of candidates. International Rules manager Pete McGrath, whose two-year term with Ireland ended with last month's defeat to Australia in Melbourne, has emerged as the front runner to succeed Andrews, who resigned at the end of the summer.

Down's All-Ireland-winning manager had been working with Louth's Cooley Kickhams for the past two years but stepped down from that position at the weekend.

County board chairman Paddy Oliver admitted the position was to be finalised within days and a final recommendation would probably go before the county board meeting next Tuesday.

Paddy Clarke, the former Louth manager and present manager of the current Louth champions, Mattock Rangers, and Dublin's John O'Leary are among the other names being mentioned.

Meanwhile, former Clare manager John Kennedy, who stepped down at the end of this year's championship, made a swift return to the business when named as the new manager of the Kerry minors, his native county.

Elsewhere, the Laois county board have defended the heavy suspensions handed to members of Castletown and Camross.

Castletown goalkeeper Ger Cuddy received a 96-week suspension for striking with the hurl relating to the fracas that hospitalised 15-year-old Camross substitute Dean Delaney at the county hurling final replay on October 31st.

Further suspensions were given to Castletown mentor Brendan Cuddy, a brother of Ger, who received 72 weeks, and Camross selector Tommy Delaney, the father of Dean, who received 48 weeks.

"No one should tolerate this kind of behaviour," explained Laois secretary Niall Handy. "And we would hope this would send out the desired message. But these were the suspensions that we saw fit, and were based solely on the referee's report, and relate to clear striking with the hurl."