Ethan Rafferty remains in goal for Armagh for their Ulster SFC opener against Antrim but it looks like Stephen Cluxton will be wearing number 16 for Dublin as Evan Comerford is recalled for the Boys in Blue's trip to Wicklow in Leinster.
The FRC’s reshaping of the 'three-up/three-back’ rule – which means teams in possession must now keep four players in their own half (effectively making it the ‘three-up/four-back’ rule) – had led to some minor speculation that Orchard County boss Kieran McGeeney might toy with the idea of giving Blaine Hughes an unlikely recall as the championship season kicks into gear.
Hughes, of course, is considered the more ‘specialist’ goalkeeper of the pair while the preference for Rafferty is largely seen as being prompted by his capabilities further out the pitch for the reigning All-Ireland champions.
Rafferty keeps his place for now, however, and should be ‘in nets’ for Saturday’s 12.30 throw-in at Corrigan Park, Belfast. Stefan Campbell – who has long owned the dreaded ‘super-sub’ reputation – gets a welcome start at top of the right.
Of course, all the usual disclaimers surrounding 'dummy teams' etc apply, but we can say for sure that Cluxton has been named on the bench for Dublin’s trip to the Garden County.
The nine-time All-Ireland winner returned to the fray for the closing games of the league, but he makes way for Ballymun Kickhams stopper Comerford – on the nominated starting 15 at least.
Echelon Park, Aughrim, is the scene for that Leinster quarter-final tussle between Wicklow and Dublin where new Dubs captain Con O’Callaghan will lead out a side that includes Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne and Tom Lahiff in midfield along with the vastly experienced half-forward line of Niall Scully, Ciarán Kilkenny and the in-form Seán Bugler.
There is no room for Ruairí Canavan in the Tyrone team which takes on Cavan in front of the RTÉ Sport cameras in Ulster on Sunday – despite his fine National League form – but the Red Hands can still boast a full-forward line of Darren McCurry, Peter Harte and Darragh Canavan.
ARMAGH (v Antrim): Ethan Rafferty; Paddy Burns, Barry McCambridge, Tomás McCormack; Ross McQuillan, Greg McCabe, Connaire Mackin; Callum O’Neill, Ciaran Mackin; Darragh McMullan, Rory Grugan, Peter McGrane; Tiernan Kelly, Andrew Murnin, Stefan Campbell.
TYRONE (v Cavan): Niall Morgan; Aidan Clarke, Peter Teague, Niall Devlin; Michael McKernan, Rory Brennan, Kieran McGeary; Brian Kennedy, Conn Kilpatrick; Aodhan Donaghy, Mattie Donnelly. Ciarán Daly; Darren McCurry, Peter Harte, Darragh Canavan.
CAVAN: Gary O’Rourke; Cian Reilly, Brian O’Connell, Jason McLoughlin; Padraig Faulkner, Ciarán Brady, Niall Carolan; James Smith, Gerard Smith; Gearoid McKiernan, Oisin Kiernan, Dara McVeety; Barry Donnelly, Cormac Reilly, Sean McEvoy.
KILDARE (v Westmeath): Cian Burke; Harry O’Neill, Mark Dempsey, Brian Byrne; Kevin Flynn, David Hyland, James McGrath; Kevin Feely, Callum Bolton; Colm Dalton, Alex Beirne, Ben McCormack; Niall Kelly, Darragh Kirwan, Brian McLoughlin.
WESTMEATH: Conor McCormack; Jamie Gonoud, David Giles, Conor Dillon; Nigel Harte, Ronan Wallace, Sam McCartan; Ray Connellan, Fionn O’Hara; Kevin O’Sullivan, Danny McCartan, Matthew Whittaker; Robbie Forde, Luke Loughlin, Brian Cooney.
DUBLIN (v Wicklow): Evan Comerford; David Byrne, Theo Clancy, Conor Tyrrell; Brian Howard, Cian Murphy, Seán MacMahon; Peadar Ó Cofaigh Byrne, Tom Lahiff; Niall Scully, Seán Bugler, Ciarán Kilkenny; Ross McGarry, Con O’Callaghan (c), Colm Basquel.
MEATH (v Offaly): Billy Hogan; Seamus Lavin, Seán Rafferty, Brian O’Halloran; Eoin Harkin, Donal Keogan, Ciarán Caulfield; Jack Flynn, Bryan Menton; Conor Duke, Ruairí Kinsella, Keith Curtis; Aaron Lynch, Mathew Costello, Eoghan Frayne (c).
OFFALY: Paddy Dunican; Lee Pearson (c), Aoden Bracken, Daire McDaid; Rory Egan, John Furlong, Cormac Egan; Jack McEvoy, Jordan Hayes; Kyle Higgins, Cathal Flynn, Keith O’Neill; Dylan Hyland, Jack Bryant, Shane Tierney.
LOUTH (v Laois): Niall McDonnell; Emmet Carolan, Dermot Campbell, Donal McKenny; Daire Nally, Peter Lynch, Conall McKeever; Tommy Durnin (c), Fearghal Malone; Paul Matthews, Ciaran Downey, Andy McDonnell; Conor Grimes, Kieran McArdle, Ryan Burns.
Watch Tyrone v Cavan in the Ulster Football Championship on Sunday from 3.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app and listen to Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
Watch The Sunday Game from 9.30pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player. Follow a live blog on all matches on rte.ie/sport and the RTÉ News app. Listen to updates from around the country on Sunday Sport on RTÉ Radio 1
