Tipperary set to opt for Doyle

Tipperary are expected to confirm Michael Doyle as their new senior hurling manager within the next week.

The former under-21 manager and son of Tipperary great John Doyle - with Christy Ring, the only men to have played and won eight All-Ireland senior medals - has emerged as the preferred choice of the county board's selection sub-committee and his name will go forward for ratification at the next full meeting of the board.

The county has spent several weeks searching for a replacement to Nicky English, who stepped down after four years in charge. Three representatives of the county board carried out the interviews and have now put the name of Doyle, their preferred candidate, back to the board. The next county board meeting is provisionally set for next Tuesday.

A number of other strong candidates for the position had already dropped out of contention, having stated their inability to give full commitment to the post, including Michael Cleary, the current Tipperary camogie manager, and former selector Ken Hogan.

The other leading candidate was another former Tipperary player and former Offaly manager, John McIntyre, who led Galway club side Clarinbridge to the All-Ireland club final against Birr last March.

There were many factors, however, in Doyle's favour. The team he led to All-Ireland under-21 success in 1995 included several members of the current panel, including goalkeeper Brendan Cummins, as well as Tomás Dunne and Eddie Enright.

Doyle himself captained the Tipperary under-21 side that won the All-Ireland title in 1979, playing at full forward. He also played a memorable part in Tipperary's Munster final senior success in Killarney in 1987, when the county won their first provincial title for 26 years.

As well as coaching underage county teams, Doyle has been involved with a number of clubs in the county, most recently the Éire Óg, Nenagh club.

Speculation now centres around Doyle's likely selectors. Among those being mentioned are former players Pat Fox, Bobby Ryan and Liam Sheedy, who also managed the county's intermediate team this year, former under-21 selector Kevin Fox, brother of Pat, and this year's under-21 manager and former senior full back Noel Sheehy.

Meanwhile, the Leinster Council were last night deciding on the exact format for next summer's preliminary round of the hurling championship, the winners of which will play Kilkenny in the provincial semi-final.

Seven counties will contest the round - Dublin, Laois, Meath, Wicklow, Carlow, Westmeath and Kildare - with the format due to be similar to last year in that the counties would be divided into two groups, with Laois and Dublin kept apart.

Details of the draw will not now be announced until next week.Only the two teams that reach the preliminary final (in last year's case Dublin and Meath) will get a second chance through the All-Ireland qualifiers.