No truth in Loughnane rumours, says Holmes

LIMERICK County board chairman Denis Holmes has emphatically denied a Sunday newspaper report that former Clare hurling supremo Ger Loughnane was being lined up to take over as manager of Limerick in 2006.

“There has been a lot of talk, innuendo and newspaper speculation that Ger was approached by us. It is simply not true. As a board we have had no contact with him, and neither has he been in communication with us.

“Joe McKenna is the manager and he has two selectors in Declan Nash and Liam Lenihan. That’s how it stands. We have made good progress this season and this sort of talk can be unsettling.”

Holmes assured delegates at this week’s board meeting that team management had not come up for discussion.

Meanwhile, centre-forward David Forde and defenders Liam Hodgins and Andy Coen are Galway’s main injury concerns ahead of Saturday’s All-Ireland qualifier against Laois.

Galway boss Conor Hayes will definitely be without attackers Eugene Cloonan and Kevin Broderick, and will be hoping that no one else is ruled out.

Hodgins is bothered by a hamstring injury, while Forde has a muscular problem which saw him come off in a challenge against Cork on Saturday and which forced him to pull out of training in Ballinasloe on Tuesday night.

The Galway team will be announced after a training session at Pearse Stadium this evening.