Friday'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.

Dublin manager Anthony Daly says that players who return to hurling from football have an extra physically which helps them in their game, according to the Irish independent.

The Clare native says that the return of Conal Keaney from football has improved his hurling and he was not the only one to benefit from it.

"Footballers tend to be more physical anyway," reflects Daly. "Their body shape is different. They're more used to giving and taking hits. And when they come back to hurling they have an advantage. I saw it with Shane Ryan last year. They can ride the tackles, they can make their space with their physical presence."

Laois hurling manager Brendan Fennelly has told the Irish Independent that the first six months he is in charge has not been what he expected.

Fennelly highlighted that the number of players dropping off from panel is hard to contend with and he believes that this does not happen with other counties.

"It has been frustrating really," he said. "You're working off a small pool of clubs and a small pool of players.

"You have some players who won't make themselves available and others who come in for a year and then are out the next year.

"Others have dropped off the panel during the league because they are not getting a game. It's difficult."You don't have that in the bigger counties."

According to the Irish Times, John Brennan thinks his Derry side are suffering from a mental block when it comes to playing in the Ulster Football Championship.

The Oak Leaf County have not won an Ulster title since 1998 and have only managed to beat their weekend opponents, Armagh, once out of the last five meetings.

"It is a psychological thing," said Brennan, "a bit of a mental block, reinforced by the fact they're constantly reminded of it. If we can get over this, I think it could make a fantastic difference to these players' mental ability."

The Irish Independent believes that wrapping up intercounty players in cotton wool and not having them play in local club fixtures is pointless, as there is the same high risk of them getting injured in training as there is in a match.

They highlighted the fact that Richie Foley was a last minute withdrawal for Waterford in their game against Limerick last weekend because he twisted his ankle while practising the night before the big game.

In an interview with the Irish Examiner, Oisín McConville believes that working at both ends of football is not as difficult as it may seem.

The former Armagh danger man is now helping out Paddy O'Rourke and the Orchard County on the coaching side of things but still manages to fit in punditry work along the way.

"I don't find it awkward at all. I enjoy the punditry stuff because it brings you to matches you might not necessarily have been bothered going to. It's very easy to sit and watch a match on TV. Both things complement each other. You're seeing other teams and how they play first hand."

The postponement of the Waterford club football Championship till after the weekend of July 10 has been warmly welcomed by Waterford hurlers and selectors, according to the Irish Examiner.

Three players, along with Davy Fitzgerald pleaded the case to have the matches moved from the weekend of June 26 and 27 until after their Munster Final against either Clare or Tipperary.

Fitzgerald failed last year in the same bid to move the matches before their Munster final clash with Cork.