Lyons and Cody lead Allstars

CYRIL LYONS and Brian Cody will manage the 2002 and 2003 Vodafone Hurling Allstar teams scheduled to travel to Phoenix, Arizona and Las Vegas, Nevada next January.

The party will depart from Dublin on Wednesday, January 21, arriving back in Dublin on January 29. They will play an exhibition game in Phoenix on Saturday, January 24.

Meanwhile, All-Ireland football champions Tyrone are set to gain their biggest number of Allstars in the 32 years history of the event when the 2003 Vodafone awards are presented in Dublin this weekend. And, there is every probability that Laois will receive their first award in 17 years.

Both teams will be chosen today, with the hurling team announced tomorrow and the football team revealed live on RTÉ on Friday evening.

Tyrone and Kilkenny will gain the lion's share of awards. Tyrone have 14 players nominated, Kilkenny 12 - DJ Carey being a notable omission, along with James Ryall and Paddy Mullally.

Since the first presentation of awards in 1971, Laois have had only two footballers honoured both in 1986, Colm Browne at wing-back and midfielder Liam Irwin.

Meanwhile, it has been a hectic 24 hours of management news. Former Waterford hurler Humphrey Kelleher has been confirmed as the new Dublin senior hurling manager. He succeeds Marty Morris, who stepped down after only 10 months.

Kelleher has managed Dublin side Naomh Mearnog and his first game in charge of the county team will be against Wexford in the Walsh Cup, on January 25.

Former Laois star Pat Roe has been named as Wexford football manager. He takes up his post immediately, replacing Dom Twomey who resigned after just one year in charge due to work commitments.

Wexford defender Liam Dunne is yet to decide on his inter-county hurling future.

Dunne has enjoyed 15 years in the colours of the Model County in career which included the 1996 All-Ireland triumph but was blighted by a number of controversial sending-offs.

However, while he admitted yesterday that he had his mind 'pretty much made up' to retire, he revealed that he was coming under a lot of pressure from manager John Conran to continue.

Dunne made his debut as a midfielder as far back as 1988 when he partnered Conran and recently picked up a second Railway Cup medal in Rome, ten years after his first.

The training regime to achieve that last accolade was horrendous. Late last year, he ran seven mornings a week and four evenings during November and December, having taken advice from Liam Griffin.

"I had met Liam on the first weekend in November and he told me that if I was prepared to put in a massive effort, I could possibly get one more year out of it. So I started then," he explained.

"The Railway Cup final in Rome was great. I had to wait ten years to win my second medal. I honestly didn't think I would ever get another one that was why the trip was great. And, it was equally good to get the medal."

And it was a fitting end to a remarkable season, and perhaps hurling career.

"I suppose I got a lot of satisfaction from the way I hurled. I knew I was after putting in the work and, at 34 going on 35, there aren't too many of us left. I used to say to Sean Collier who trained us, that I wasn't even tired out there I was after working so hard.

"I knew myself I was after putting in the effort. It was just a matter of changing a few little things. Discipline was a big thing, but that started from the first weekend of November when I began training myself. I had to be disciplined to go and do that.

"I knew going out every day that I was under a little bit of pressure because if I 'stirred' at all I was going to be in trouble. I always felt that if I got out in front and got the ball that the rest would follow."

Predictably, taking account of how the last two seasons ended on such a sour note, he was delighted to receive an Allstar nomination. The holder of three awards already won in 1990, 1993 and 1996 he was last nominated in 1997.