Trio comes through injury to start for Dublin's hurlers

David 'Dotsy' O'Callaghan is set to start against Laois in tomorrow's Leinster SHC quarter-final clash at Nowlan Park (throw-in 3.30pm).

O'Callaghan's hamstring injury was a cause for concern for Dublin manager Anthony Daly, but the corner forward has been passed fit for the Championship opener.

Full-back Tomas Brady and wing forward Peter Kelly are also back from injury lay-offs, but David Treacy, whom Daly rates as 'one of the best young forwards in the country', misses out with a hamstring injury.

County champions Ballyboden St. Enda's supply five players to the selected Dubs side, including wing forward Paul Ryan who will be making his first Championship start.

Daly's men are favoured to see off the Laois challenge and set up a mouth-watering semi-final duel with reigning Leinster and All-Ireland champions Kilkenny at Croke Park on Sunday, June 20.

This is the first Dublin v Laois Championship encounter since 2005 when the O'Moore men, helped by a 1-9 contribution from James Young, took a 4-14 to 0-14 Leinster quarter-final win at Nowlan Park.

Dublin are hoping to build on their 2009 summer odyssey when they reached the Leinster final for the first time in 18 years and made it through to the All-Ireland quarter-finals.

Their team captain Stephen Hiney said: "We really felt we did have a great Leinster campaign last year and in the Leinster final we went out to beat Kilkenny. I know we were against the All-Ireland champions but we really felt we could push them that day.

"We did push them well, and I don't want to say we were satisfied with the result but it was a good performance from ourselves.

"And then, against Limerick (in the All-Ireland quarter-final), maybe a lackadaisical approach did come into it. That game was certainly there for the taking and we just let it slip.

"Maybe it was because it was an All-Ireland quarter-final. This year, we really want to progress from that and move on."

Centre-forward Liam Rushe has described Daly as a 'charismatic' and 'inspirational' leader, but Hiney insists that the Clare man can only do so much - the players need to take up the reins and that starts with tomorrow's trip to Kilkenny.

"You can't come in with the same freshness the second year. But he's (Daly) still driving us on. I think at this stage, it's up to the players," he added.

"The manager can't come on the pitch and puck the ball for you. We're really looking to drive ourselves on.

"I think what we need to do is not get ahead of ourselves. We need to focus in on the basics and not be looking at Leinster or All-Ireland titles. We just have to break it down and focus in on each game."

DUBLIN (SHC v Laois): G Maguire; N Corcoran, T Brady, O Gough; S Hiney (capt), J Boland, M O'Brien; J McCaffrey, S Durkin; P Kelly, L Rushe, P Ryan; D O'Callaghan, S Lambert, A McCrabbe.