Johnny Ryan and James Owens in running to ref All-Ireland final

Johnny Ryan is in line to referee next month’s All-Ireland senior hurling final. The Tipperary man is understood to face competition from Wexford’s James Owens.

That Ryan hails from a province neutral to Kilkenny and Galway is expected to fall in his favour when the appointments committee make their decision this week.

It would be the Boherlahan-Dualla man’s first senior decider. Should he or Owens be given the nod, it would also mark the first final refereed by an official other than Brian Gavin, Barry Kelly and James McGrath since 2010 when Waterford’s Michael Wadding took charge of Tipperary v Kilkenny. In that time, Kelly and Gavin have each officiated three final games and McGrath two.