Early chance for Galway's forgotten men

Saturday's Connacht Hurling League encounter between the Galway Development squad and Roscommon will afford a chance for a number of the Tribesmen to impress new county boss Ger Loughnane.

Diarmuid Cloonan and Mark Kerins, who have not played for Galway for two seasons, are both expected to play in Ballinasloe. The pair were part of the Connacht squad for October's Interprovincial championship, which was closely monitored by Loughnane.

Greg Kennedy, another man frozen out during the Conor Hayes' era, has also been drafted into the Galway Development panel, while Iarla Tannian and Fergal Moore will expect game-time too.

Players that lined out in last year's championship are ineligible for the Connacht Hurling League which also includes the Sligo, Leitrim and Mayo county sides, GMIT, NUI Galway and Sligo IT.

Former Clare manager Loughnane has been training his Galway charges since November, but will have to make do with the Canning brothers, Ollie and Joe, for the forseeable future.

The Portumna duo have not yet indicated if they will be available for selection for Galway in 2007 after the bitter club row which emerged in the aftermath of last year's county final between Portumna and Loughrea.

Loughnane remains hopefully however that the Cannings could return "when the real championship training starts at the end of April."