Wednesday's GAA In The Papers

Catch up on all the latest news, views and GAA-related rumours in www.gaa.ie's latest daily feature, GAA In the Papers.

The Irish Examiner reports that Kerry are thinking about playing the relatively unknown forward Paddy Curtin in their forward line for Saturday night’s Allianz Football League opener against Dublin in Croke Park.

The Moyvane clubman has been playing well in training and challenge matches and manager Jack O’Connor is said to be considering playing him at full-forward, with Kieran Donaghy starting on the wing.

Cork’s Fintan Goold has backed his brother, David, to make a full recovery from the cruciate knee injury he has just had an operation on.

David is the third Cork player to damage cruciate knee ligaments over a 12-month period and may look to his team-mates Ciarán Sheehan and Colm O’Neill for support in his rehabilitation.

"He’d his surgery now during the week so I guess he’s on the road to recovery now," said Fintan in the Irish Examiner.

"It’ll definitely help David having seen a guy like Colm (O’Neill) come back from it and Ciarán (Sheehan) to be on the way back from it. When we were down training during last summer, we could see those guys working hard in the gym. It’s a long and lonely road I guess.”

Meanwhile, the Seanie Johnston transfer row continues to rumble on, with Cavan PRO Declan Woods explaining why the county’s executive has cast doubt on the player’s residency claims.

"We're not the body who decides whether Seanie Johnston can transfer or not. That's for the CCCC to determine and eradicate that doubt we have cast about his private principal residence," said Woods in the Irish Independent.

"We respect his right to seek a transfer and we'd be very disappointed to see him go if the transfer request is approved.

"But what we are saying is that we have concerns about where the player is living. As far as we know, he is living in Cavan town and we have no knowledge to say that is not the case.”

Meanwhile, in an interview with the Irish Times the chairman of the Kildare club Johnston has requested a transfer to from Cavan Gaels, St Kevin’s, Stapletown, insists the 27-year-old is committed to playing with the club.

“Seanie is committed to playing football with Kevin’s and Kildare and we at Kevin’s are committed to taking him on” said Murray. “Cavan county board have pulled something out of the hat and we’ll have to go down the Croke Park route now.

“But Seanie wants to play inter-county football and he’s not wanted by Cavan. There’s nothing to say that he’ll get into the Kildare team and to do so, he’d have to work very hard. We know what Kieran McGeeney will demand.”

Also speaking to the Irish Times was Cork football manager Conor Counihan, who stressed that he was never tempted to follow the lead of Dublin manager Pat Gilroy by scheduling 6am training sessions.

“No, and we need to have a serious word with Pat Gilroy about that, at the next managers’ forum, so we will. It’s a bit early for me. But then I wouldn’t rule anything out, and I can understand where some people are coming from. And I suppose it might be easier to get fellas together in the city at that hour than it would be other places.”