Ireland v Australia, Rules Test 1, Breffni Park, Saturday 19 October 2013

[deiseach]

They don't get to meet Larry Reilly, they get to share a time zone with him. It's more than enough.

[orangeman]

Irish international Rules manager Paul Earley has confirmed his provisional panel for the upcoming International Rules series with Australia.

In total 15 counties are represented on a panel of 29 that is expected to be cut back next week ahead of the opening Test at Kingspan Breffni Park on 19 October.

Michael Murphy will captain the team and Cork's Aidan Walsh has been confirmed as the vice-captain.

Mayo have the largest single representation on the panel with four players followed by Cork, Donegal, Laois and All-Ireland champions Dublin, who all have three each.

Galway, Tyrone and Monaghan have two each selected while Kildare, Derry, Westmeath, Armagh, Louth, Meath and Wexford are also represented.

Zach Tuohy (Carlton/Laois) is the only AFL-based player in the panel.

Team manager Paul Earley said: "We are delighted to be able to confirm our training panel for the upcoming series and training has really stepped up in recent weeks with the inclusion of players from both of the All-Ireland finalists.

"We have a great response from players both in coming to join the panel and in training and we are pleased with the progress made to date.

"Injury has prevented a number of players from making this panel but we are very pleased with the group of players we are working with and very much looking forward to the two games."

The Irish manager confirmed that Kevin McKernan will not be involved despite featuring in the training panel.

The Irish medical team advised that bruising to his knee was likely to be exacerbated by training for both his club and the Irish team.

Provisional Ireland squad: Michael Murphy (c) (Donegal), Aidan Walsh (vc), (Cork), Paddy O' Rourke (Meath), Colm Begley (Laois), Colm Boyle (Mayo), Ciaran Byrne (Louth), Sean Cavanagh (Tyrone), Paul Conroy (Galway), John Doyle (Kildare), Paul Flynn (Dublin), Finian Hanley (Galway), John Heslin (Westmeath), Darren Hughes (Monaghan), Lee Keegan (Mayo), Ciaran Kilkenny (Dublin), Paddy McBrearty (Donegal), Jack McCaffrey (Dublin), Niall Morgan (Tyrone), Neil McGee (Donegal), Chrissy McKaigue (Derry), Ciaran McKeever (Armagh), Kevin McLoughlin (Mayo), Conor McManus (Monaghan), Ross Munnelly (Laois), Aidan Ó Shea (Mayo), Ciaran Sheehan (Cork), Michael Sheilds (Cork), Zach Tuohy (Carlton & Laois), Daithi Waters (Wexford).

[rodney trotter]

Thought Cavan would have 1 player on it. First test in breffni it would have generated more interest to see a local player involved. I'll be going anyways.

[Fear ón Srath Bán]

Niall Morgan has been the beneficiary of some great remedial therapy on the anti-gravity treadmill in Garvaghey -- must be some machine!

[CD]

Quite surprised to see Paul Conroy there. Had a fairly poor season for Galway. I heard him receive some pretty serious abuse form the Galway fans during the Cork QF. Is he that player the fans love to hate??

[muppet]

They don't get to meet Larry Reilly, they get to share a time zone with him. It's more than enough.

One has an audience with Larry.....

[johnneycool]

Thought Cavan would have 1 player on it. First test in breffni it would have generated more interest to see a local player involved. I'll be going anyways.

Seany Johnston has asked for a transfer to Australia as all he wants to do is play futball, he's got an address in Melbourne and a solicitor is looking into his lineage to see if there's any aboriginal blood there.

Would that count?

[muppet]

Thought Cavan would have 1 player on it. First test in breffni it would have generated more interest to see a local player involved. I'll be going anyways.

Seany Johnston has asked for a transfer to Australia as all he wants to do is play futball, he's got an address in Melbourne and a solicitor is looking into his lineage to see if there's any aboriginal blood there.

Would that count?

Has he played hurling for Australia yet?

[weareros]

Well Paul can't accused of county bias anyway.

[Glensman]

Thought Cavan would have 1 player on it. First test in breffni it would have generated more interest to see a local player involved. I'll be going anyways.

Think Mackey was in the training panel alright but must not have made it.

Have said it before and it may come with Saffron tinted glasses but I am always mystified why James Loughrey is not on these panels. He is one of the best athletes in Ulster (now Munster), has super handling skills from basketball and can evade tackles very well.

[GaillimhIarthair]

Quite surprised to see Paul Conroy there. Had a fairly poor season for Galway. I heard him receive some pretty serious abuse form the Galway fans during the Cork QF. Is he that player the fans love to hate??

He was our best player all year by a country mile and he is an All-Star nominee!  You must surely be confusing him with someone else?

[rodney trotter]

Thought Cavan would have 1 player on it. First test in breffni it would have generated more interest to see a local player involved. I'll be going anyways.

Think Mackey was in the training panel alright but must not have made it.

Have said it before and it may come with Saffron tinted glasses but I am always mystified why James Loughrey is not on these panels. He is one of the best athletes in Ulster (now Munster), has super handling skills from basketball and can evade tackles very well.

Yeah himself and Givney were in the training panel. Mackey got a knock 2 weeks ago against Cavan Gaels in the championship so I presume that's why he is out. Though I thought he would have recovered by the 19th.

Loughrey is a quality player

[GalwayBayBoy]

Quite surprised to see Paul Conroy there. Had a fairly poor season for Galway. I heard him receive some pretty serious abuse form the Galway fans during the Cork QF. Is he that player the fans love to hate??

Paul Conroy was Galway's best player this year. By an absolute mile. Apart from the Mayo game (which was a bit of a disaster all round) he was superb in pretty much every other game.

Against Waterford when everyone else was struggling he more or else won them the game on his own. Was excellent then against both Armagh and Cork.

[Rossfan]

Well Paul can't accused of county bias anyway.

I don't think he had much choice 

[From the Bunker]

Have to say I'm disgusted to see there are four lads from Mayo playing in this rubbish. We've had enough problems with injuries last season without putting our lads through another couple of meaningless games. 

I notice there is nobody from Kerry? First time there has not been a representative? They know what is important.