Mark Schutte says he and his Cuala team mates won't be paying much attention to their favourites' tag for next Sunday week's Leinster club SHC final against O'Loughlin Gaels.

The Dublin champions are currently ranked as 10/11 favourites for the clash at Portlaoise, having defeated their Kilkenny counterparts on route to last year's final, but Schutte says they're facing into "a huge challenge" at the beginning of next month.

"Kilkenny hurling is going to be the standard bearer in Leinster championships but we are not going to pay too much attention to who is favourites," Schutte told the Irish Independent.

"We'll just focus on ourselves, review this game and then over the next few weeks prepare for O'Loughlin Gaels.

"O'Loughlin Gaels are a quality team, it's a Leinster final so you are not going to play an easy team there. We have looked at ourselves more than anyone else to this point and it was the same in the (Dublin) championship final.

"People were saying it was a big local rivalry against Kilmacud but we just focused on ourselves and getting the best from ourselves. O'Loughlin Gaels are a huge challenge and we'll have to prepare adequately for that."

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