Rhode will be without county ace Anton O'Sullivan and Jake Kavanagh for Sunday's Leinster club SFC final as the pair continue to serve overseas, team mate Niall McNamee has confirmed.

Speculation had mounted during the weekend that the Defence Forces duo could be making a surprise return from their UN tour of duty in Lebanon to line-out against St Vincent's.

However, star forward McNamee has outlined that they will not be available for the game in Portlaoise.

"It's not looking good, no," McNamee is quoted saying in today's Irish Independent. "The lads have been working hard to get them back, but no. Reports came back at the weekend that it's not going to happen.

"The fact that Ian Kilbride was away, he's in the Lebanon as well, and he wasn't back for last weekend (to play for St Brigid's against Corofin). . . I think that's after counting against them, which is a disaster. . . well it's not a disaster.

"The fact they've only recently gone, they probably weren't going to let them back that early. Before the semi-final no, absolutely not, but with a hope they might be able to get them for the final. But that's come up short.

"They were devastated going. There was that bit of hope that they were going to be back but word came through to say, 'no they won't be coming'."

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