No surprises on Offaly hurling team as key players return to subs bench

THE Offaly hurling team announced for Saturday's crunch Leinster Senior Hurling Championship opener against Dublin in O'Connor Park is more or less as anticipated.

The team is similar to the team that lined out in their last game, a heavy National Hurling League defeat in Cork – we also have to treat the announced team with a degree of suspicion as managers regularly make late changes to announced line-ups and this can't be ruled out in this case but you would expect that the vast majority of the named players will start as selected.

The big change from that is that outstanding defender Donal Shirley is out after doing his cruciate at a training weekend in Cork. There are just two personnel changes from the team that started that day with Patrick Taaffe and Shane Rigney coming into the starting line-up in place of Shirley and Lusmagh's Eimhin Kelly, who has not been named on the subs bench.

The big news is that two long term absentees have been named on the subs bench. Charlie Mitchell and Ciaran Burke missed the entire National Hurling League campaign with Mitchell standing down to receive tests and recover after a heart scare while Burke got an ankle injury. Mitchell has since received the all-clear but it remains to be seen if he is used at this stage or is given another couple of weeks. Burke has resumed training and his availability provides a great defensive option.

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Clara's Conor Doyle and St Rynagh's Shane Rigney make their championship debut on the half forward line while the other important change is a positional one with Cathal King going from corner back to his best position at midfield.

Speech merchant Ter Guinan started on the half forward line in Cork but goes back to wing half back to fill Shirley's role with St Rynagh's Shane Rigney plays his first competitive game for Offaly in the number 10 jersey.

Saturday's game is preceded by a Leinster Senior Camogie clash between Offaly and Dublin. Offaly are making their return to senior after winning the All-Ireland intermediate camogie title last year and are hoping that Offaly GAA supporters make the effort to come in early before the senior hurling game. The camogie has a 4pm throw in as it is winner on the day for this knockout clash – the provincial championship is completed first before a separate All-Ireland championship takes place in a few weeks time.

The Offaly hurling team is: Liam Hoare (Carrig-Riverstown); Patrick Taaffe (Belmont), Ben Conneely (St Rynagh's), Brecon Kavanagh (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Ross Ravenhill (Durrow), Killian Sampson (Shinrone), Ter Guinan (Kilcormac-Killoughey); Dan Ravenhill (Durrow), Cathal King (Carrig-Riverstown); Shane Rigney (St Rynagh's), Dan Bourke (Durrow), Conor Doyle (Clara); Oisin Kelly (Belmont), Brian Duignan (Durrow), Adam Screeney (Kilcormac-Killoughey). Subs – Mark Troy (Durrow), Colin Spain (Kilcormac-Killoughey), Luke Watkins (Shinrone), Eoghan Cahill (Birr), David Nally (Belmont), Ciaran Cleary (Shinrone), Jack Clancy (Belmont), Sam Bourke (Durrow), Ciaran Burke (Durrow), Charlie Mitchell (Kilcormac-Killoughey).