Sligo All Star Eamonn O'Hara is facing suspension after being sent off in a club match last Sunday. O'Hara wasn't playing for Tourlestrane against Curry but became involved in a sideline altercation during which referee Damien McGovern showed him a red card.
McGovern's report hasn't been received but will be considered by the Sligo County Games Committee at its next meeting, probably next Monday. Depending on the reported offence, O'Hara could either be free to play against London in the county's first championship outing on May 25th, or miss both it and the Connacht semi-final, assuming Sligo advance to meet Mayo.
The matter is complicated by rule changes at the GAA's recent congress. In future, club and county suspensions will be served separately - depending on the nature of the offence. Although the convention is that rule changes do not come into force until four weeks after congress, Sligo county secretary Tommy Kilcoyne says O'Hara will be dealt with under the new provisions.
"Seán Kelly has requested that this provision apply to all championship matches from this coming weekend," he said, "so that everyone would be dealt with consistently."
This will be good news for O'Hara should he receive a minimum, one-month suspension, but as Kilcoyne pointed out: "It only relates to suspensions of a month or less".
Were the player to be reported for verbally abusing the referee he would face an eight-week suspension. A further disciplinary change is that any commuting of a charge or suspension must be authorised by the provincial council.
In team news, ahead of next Sunday's NFL finals at Croke Park, Tyrone make three changes for the Division One decider against Laois. Cormac McAnallen returns from suspension to partner Sean Cavanagh at centre field with Kevin Hughes reverting to the bench.
John Devine takes over from Paschal McConnell in goal as part of manager Mickey Harte's panel rotation system, and Brian McGuigan is back after injury in place of Gerard Cavlan.
Opponents Laois make just one change with goalkeeper Fergal Byron, who missed the semi-final win over Armagh because of flu, coming in for Mick Nolan. Stephen Kelly is named despite a hamstring concern and came through training last night. In the one tactical switch he swaps positions with Damien Delaney in the full forward line.
Meanwhile, the GAA has been criticised by the Vocational Schools committee over their failing to stage this weekend's intercounty finals at Croke Park. Traditionally the Vocational Schools played their football and hurling finals as curtain-raisers to the respective National League finals, yet were told last week that the games would have to be played elsewhere this year as Croke Park, which stages the league finals next Sunday and Monday, couldn't accommodate them.
Those games have been fixed for Athlone and Birr respectively, and Paudie Palmer, the Vocational Schools PRO, believes the decision marks a significant setback to the competition.
"For the past 40 years these finals were played along with the league finals, and that's been a huge part of the success of the competition. It's a huge disappointment for the teams involved, but to be told that Croke Park wouldn't be available with such short notice is very unsatisfactory."
Ahead of next Sunday's championship opener against Meath, Carlow hurling selectors are considering the position of three players who played for their local soccer team last Sunday rather than line out for the county against Antrim in the league campaign.
Mount Leinster Rangers trio, brothers James and Willie Hickey, along with club-mate Sean Michael Murphy, declined to line out for the county senior team in order to assist Ballymurphy in a local cup final.
TYRONE: J Devine; R McMenamin, C Holmes, M McGee; C Gormley, G Devlin, P Jordan; C McAnallen, S Cavanagh; B Dooher, B McGuigan, S O'Neill; E McGinley, P Canavan, O Mulligan.
LAOIS: F Byron; T Kelly, C Byrne, J Higgins; D Rooney, K Fitzpatrick, D Conroy; P Clancy, N Garvan; C Parkinson, I Fitzgerald, M Lawlor; B McDonald, S Kelly, D Delaney.
