Hartley and Mullane return for Waterford
Hartley’s return will be especially welcomed, given that he had been seriously contemplating retirement from the inter county scene.
The naming of Mullane in his customary position in attack comes after a traumatic investigation by the GAA’s Games Administration Committee into an alleged incident in a club game involving his own De La Salle and Mooncoin of Kilkenny last year. A final decision on that investigation was to have been announced on Wednesday night but has been deferred until next week.
There’s no place, however, in the starting line up for corner back Brian Flannery who was sent off in the opening league game against Kilkenny after picking up a second yellow card.
Injuries continue to rule out Allstar Eoin Kelly and another of the Mount Sion contingent, Brian Greene, along with two of the side’s most the prolific scoring forwards, Paul Flynn and Seamas Prendergast.
Flynn’s Ballygunner clubmate, Andy Moloney, is another notable absentee. He has resumed training following surgery on a knee injury, but he is at present out of the country on business.
Meanwhile, Laois manager Paudie Butler has made a number of changes. Lar Mahon comes in a corner-back, with Pat Mahon in the left corner. Michael McEvoy is introduced at left half-back, with Brian McCormack at right half-forward while Tommy Fitzgerald slots in at left full-forward.
Dublin manager Martin Morris is forced to plan without Darragh Spain and Tommy Moore, who are struck down with the ‘flu bug, for their home clash with Clare.
WATERFORD (SH v Laois): S. Brenner; D. Prendergast. T. Feeney. J. Murray; E. Murphy. F. Hartley. P. Queally; T. Browne (capt). E. McGrath; P. Fitzgerald. K. McGrath. D. Bennett; P. O’Brien. M. Walsh. J. Mullane.
LAOIS (SH v Waterford): J. Lyons, L. Mahon, Patrick Cuddy, P. Mahon, C. Cuddy, Paul Cuddy, M. McEvoy, J. Young, D. Rooney, B. McCormack, L. Tynan, J. Phelan, D. Culleton, D. Cuddy, T. Fitzgerald.
DUBLIN (SH v Clare): B. McLoughlin, K. Elliott, L. O'Donoghue, K. Ryan, S. Hiney, L. Ryan, K. Wilson, C. Meehan, S. McDonnell, S. Perkins, K. O'Donoghue, C. Keaney, D. Sweeney, S. Martin, K. Flynn.
OFFALY (SH v Derry): S. Byrne; K. Brady, M. O’Hara, B. Teehan; C. Cassidy, J. Brady, D. Franks; G. Oakley, A. Hanrahan; B. Carroll, B. Murphy, N. Coughlan; N. Murphy, K. Kelly, D. Murray.
DERRY (SH v Offaly): K. Stevenson; R. Lynch, G. Brunton, E. McKeever; P. McVeigh, D. Magill, P. O’Kane; A. McCloskey, R. Kennedy; P. Carton, AN Other, D. McGrellis; AN Other, O. Collins, J. O’Dwyer.
LOUTH (SH v Fermanagh): E. McArdle; S. McDonagh, Eddie, A. Carter. M. Myles; D. Callan, P. Dunne, S. Conroy; D. Dunne, P. Murphy; P. Dyas, M. Boland, P. Sharkey; A. Callan, J. Kennedy, S. Byrne.
MEATH (SH v Wicklow): M. Gannon; S. Wallace, D. Fagan, R. Dorran; D. O’Callaghan, C. Sheridan, K. Dowd; P. Gannon, S. Kane; M. Cole, D. Dorran, N. Horan; N. Reilly, K. O’Callaghan.
