Cork hurling boss Gerald McCarthy has named John Gardiner as his new team captain and picked three newcomers to start in the Rebels' long-awaited return to action after their controversial players' strike. Former U-21 football star Eoin Cadogan, Brian Corry and Patrick Horgan will make their league debuts against Dublin in their opening NHL game of the season, in a team whose big-name injury absentees include Joe Deane and Sean Og O hAilpin. Elsewhere, Antrim's hurling woes continued when Waterford included defensive ace Ken McGrath in his first game of the season to face them on Sunday. Kevin Moran (De La Salle) takes over at full-back for Waterford and Declan Prendergast moves from centre-back to full-forward. Tipp show five changes from the undefeated side who beat Limerick last time out and now take on Galway in one of this weekend's big clashes.

Ronan Curran and Tom Kenny form the shortlist for the captaincy of the Cork hurling team in 2008. Under new protocol passed by Cork Co Board on the same night as their first controversial vote on changing the format for choosing team selectors, the right of the Cork champions to nominate a captain was taken away. Instead, the management have that choice now and Curran, the team's centre-back, and Kenny are understood to be the favourites. Originally it was thought that Donal Og Cusack or Diarmuid O'Sullivan, who have missed out on the honour in recent years because of Cloyne's failure to get across the line in Cork, would be chosen once the new rule was agreed. A decision on the captaincy is expected to be confirmed this week.

Cork attacking ace James Masters maintains the fact that the county players stuck to their guns during their recent dispute with the county board served to unite them. Masters, preparing for his club Nemo Rangers’ All-Ireland club final on March 17th, says there is solidarity now in the Rebel camp which augurs well for 2008: "The big thing is that everyone stuck together," says Masters. We are a united front and that always helps. "The fact we all stayed in it together can only benefit us really. The fitness will come. Everyone working together is what takes you to an All-Ireland final.

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Cork showed no signs of rustiness as they came, saw and conquered at Kiltoom to get their NFL Division Two campaign up and running on the back of a 1-14 to 0-15 win over hosts Roscommon. Wind-backed Cork were lively in the early exchanges and led by the odd point in seven after 15 minutes despite playing against the breeze. Conor McCarthy grabbed a fine point in the 4th minute for the Munstermen and another gem of a score from Donnacha O’Connor had the Rebels’ tails up. Roscommon worked hard to chisel their way into the game and a brace of points from Jonathon Dunning kept the homesters very much in the running.

After all the drama that has gone in the past few months, a Cork team has finally been named to play in a competitive fixture. New Rebels football boss Conor Counihan has named a strong XV for his side’s meeting with Roscommon in Kiltoom as the All-Ireland runners-up look to get their Allianz National Football League Division Two season up and running, having lost the points from their cancelled games against Meath and Dublin. The most notable absentee from the side that were well beaten by Kerry at Croke Park in December is ace marksman James Masters, who along with last year’s Cork captain Derek Kavangh, is still involved in club action with All-Ireland finalists Nemo Rangers. Michael Shields has moved to The AFL with Carlton Blues, while wing forward Conor McCarthy is the fourth player to drop out of the All-Ireland final side.

Graham Canty has been appointed the new captain of the Cork football team ahead of their opening league clash of the season against Roscommon. Canty has plenty of experience as a captain as he led the county’s U21 footballers to Munster success in 2001 and also led his country in the International Rules Series against Australia. Conor Counihan chose Canty as his captain in succession to Derek Kavanagh. This is the first year that the county champions won’t pick the Cork captain after delegates voted last year to remove the rule which previously indicated that the senior winners automatically picked the county captain and were also able to nominate a selector.