A round-up of today's other GAA news in brief.
Who gets a golden ticket
For anyone still seeking the answer to the annual question of "where to all the All-Ireland final tickets go?" the following breakdown may be of interest.
Croke Park capacity82,300
Tickets not available for circulation
Long Term (on Cusack Stand)4,143
Premium and box tickets10,528
Miscellaneous122
Total14,793
Available for general circulation
County allocations24,422
Competing county allocations26,028
Extra for competing counties5,676
Ard-Chomhairle786
Former presidents641
Provincial councils385
Handball162
Camogie120
Women's football140
Overseas520
Schools and educational bodies2,586
Public representatives132
Staff and subcommittees1,496
Sponsors671
Ard-Stiúrthóir326
Media245
Minor teams (on day of game)70
Jubilee teams + CLG/INTO313
Player's tickets (competing counties)540
Intercounty panels1,920
Páirc an Chrócaigh teoranta220
Match officials66
National referees panel42
Total67,507 Shefflin 14/1 for hat-trick
In their last All-Ireland final meeting back in 1963, Kilkenny beat Waterford on the very impressive score line of 4-17 to 6-8. Ladbrokes are thus offering odds of 16/1 on Kilkenny once again achieving a points total of 29, and once again defeating the Deise.
They also have Kilkenny priced at 50/1 to score exactly 4-17 against Waterford in lifting the MacCarthy Cup for the 31st time. Meanwhile, Waterford are priced at 66/1 to put six goals past Kilkenny once again.
On another Ladbrokes special, last year's winning captain Henry Sheflin is priced at even money to be top scorer in the final with odds of 14/1 to score a hat-trick of goals.
To score a goal at any time
Henry Shefflin11-10
Aidan Fogarty13-8
Eddie Brennan13-8
Eoin Kelly13-8
John Mullane2/1
Eoin McGrath2/1
Dan Shanahan2/1
Eoin Larkin9-4
Michael Comerford9-4
Richie Power5-2
Paul Flynn5/2
Kelly favourite to scoop award
The matter of who is named Vodafone All Star Hurler of the Year may well be decided by the outcome of Sunday's final, but in the meantime, Paddy Power are making Waterford forward Eoin Kelly the firm favourite.
Kelly has been backed in from odds as big as 66/1 earlier in this season to 9/4 favourite. Kilkenny's main contenders are forwards Eoin Larkin and Eddie Brennan, who are second and third favourite at odds of 5/2 and 15/2 respectively.
The candidates
Eoin Kelly (Waterford)9/4
Eoin Larkin5/2
Eddie Brennan15/2
John Mullane8/1
Ken McGrath10/1
James Fitzpatrick10/1
JJ Delaney12/1
Henry Shefflin14/1
Tommy Walsh16/1
Tony Browne33/1
Shane McGrath40/1
Joe Canning50/1
Throwing shapes at Dublin Castle
A hurling competition of a slightly different shape and format will also be decided this weekend with the play-offs of the Guinness Hurling Cubed competition.
After various regional qualifiers around the country, 24 teams, including four from Kilkenny and four from Waterford, will enter Saturday's final at Dublin Castle.
Hurling Cubed involved teams of three players competing for either three minutes, or until three goals were scored, in a blitz format at six venues around the country over the course of the summer months.
The game was played in specially built 3D perspex cubes, with 21-inch hurleys and a soft-touch sliotar.
The regional qualifiers from tournaments in Galway, Cork, Limerick, Kilkenny, Waterford and Dublin go head to head in Dublin Castle, competing for the honour of the being named champion for 2008, as well as a €1,000 per player, and a VIP trip to the All-Ireland hurling final the next day.
Throw in is at 7pm on Saturday and supporters over the age of 18 are welcome to come along.
