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Messages - ottoman

#1
Laois / Re: 2024 Allianz Hurling League
January 29, 2024, 08:11:27 PM
Quote from: Mossy Bruce on January 28, 2024, 06:09:47 PM
Quote from: burdizzo on January 28, 2024, 06:04:20 PMDown should be a cakewalk for Laois.

Yeah, I hope so. A couple of weeks ago, I decided to start looking at upcoming fixtures and saw Laois was paired up against Down. That's when I realized that things have really changed since I last followed Laois hurling back in 2019.

Do you have any ideas on following this match against Down? I used to follow matches on Twitter (without an account) but now Twitter/X requires an account to see any postings.


I use the Score Beo app for all GAA score updates. Its good as it gives you the line ups, who scored etc. Id try download that.
#2
Laois / Re: The future of laois hurling
December 21, 2023, 01:53:46 PM
Quote from: Spiritof1915 on December 19, 2023, 06:00:27 PMShane keegan is the right man for the job and hopefully gets everything he needs from the county board.
My only concern is that he commits to the job for the foreseeable future. Its will take several years to get the underage squads moving again.

Shane is a smart, shrew operator who if given time and support will implement a top class system. My main concern would be, will he get the time and support from those at the upper level?

I've dealt with Shane on a few items through work and team related issues down through the years, and he doesn't strike me a someone who will be taking for a fool. So I'd imagine if things are moving along to his liking, he might move on elsewhere.
#3
Laois / Re: The future of laois hurling
November 22, 2023, 01:37:30 PM
Quote from: Laois Rising on November 21, 2023, 11:56:00 PMFor novelty I'd love to see the following system in place (obviously I know it will never pass in reality as a proposal).

8 senior teams play off with a first round do or die game (open draw as to who faces who). 4 teams progress to the next round with an open draw again. The two winning teams from these encounters proceed to play one another with the winner progressing to the final. The two losing teams then play off in a quarter final with the winner of that game facing the losing team of the two winning teams encounter in the semi-final.

The losing 8 teams play off in a senior B style competition as currently in use in the football championship.

What I like about this proposal is that it takes away the safety nets and the dead rubbers that the group games are currently throwing up. It also brings back cut-throat first round encounters that should add intensity and excitement to the championship. 

I wouldn't fancy that at all. No1, you would find it very hard to get managers, players, selectors etc to properly commit for a year for potentially 1 game of hurling. Imagine C/B and Camross or the like drawing each other in the first round. You would have to play the rest of the hurling championship with comfortably 1 of the best 4 teams in the county not in it. We don't have near enough top sides as it is, never mind eliminating 1 of them at the first round!!

Systems like this worked at county level and within some county club systems back in the day, but with the level of training and commitment required these days. Players want to be rewarded with matches and plenty of them.
#4
Laois / Re: The future of laois hurling
July 24, 2023, 02:25:42 PM
Quote from: Hurling123 on July 23, 2023, 07:55:52 AM
Great win for the u15 hurling team in the arawbawn today in Galway v Galway first team.
It about time we stopped bitching about this management and team and row in to help

I don't think that was Galway's first team. I think we were in the B division of the tournament this year.
#5
Laois / Re: Laois GAA needs urgent help
June 21, 2023, 09:49:22 AM
Quote from: SCFC on June 20, 2023, 09:39:06 AM
https://laoisgaa.ie/shane-keegan-appointed-head-of-games-development-at-clg-laois/

The guy seems to be vey highly qualified. If he gets a few years in the post, you'd be hopeful he could get things moving in the right direction.

This could be a very good appointment, Keegan is driven and very well connected within the coaching world. My only concern is, would he get feed up dealing with the County Board? Ambitious people don't tend do well with Laois County board.
#6
Laois / Re: The future of laois hurling
June 02, 2023, 03:37:03 PM
Quote from: clonadmad on June 02, 2023, 01:42:06 PM
Quote from: Giovanni on June 01, 2023, 03:41:12 PM
Roughly how much do you think it would cost for a really decent coach for these lads?

€60k-€100k a year

It costs to run a successful intercounty minor hurling team

I asked 2 people in 2 separate counties that would have been involved with teams that played in minor all ireland very recently and that's what they came back with

When those 2 teams were u15 you were looking at costs of €40k-50k that year

Its crazy money to be competitive at underage level. I live in Dublin these days and I know from chatting to fellas out and about at underage club games that to the money involved in running things in Dublin for u13 development squads to the u17 panel is about 170/200k a year. Obviously, we wouldn't compare to Dublin as they are trying to coach/manager a much larger playing pool, but we would be looking at over a 100k a year if we were to have a similar operation in place from u13 level through to u17.
#7
Laois / Re: Laois GAA needs urgent help
May 19, 2023, 01:42:59 PM
Quote from: Jd on May 19, 2023, 11:57:12 AM
We have one of the wealthiest men in the world living in laois. Now I'm not sure if he is Gaa orientated but surely he could be approached. We also have a laois multi billionaire who while based abroad has a house not 10 miles from O Moore pk surely these people could be approached and told that any money donated would be ring fenced for juvenile development then get a juvenile director of hurling and 1for football and run the setup independent of Co board. Not without oversight obviously but with budgets that will get the best young fellas in and look after them properly RE gear and food and gyms etc

People like that get hundreds of organisations approaching them for funds on a yearly basis, between charity's, non profits groups, start ups etc...for them to even touch someone like Laois GAA they would want to be either a) hugely invested and interested in the future of Laois hurling and football and b) get sold a vision/plan of what their investment would mean and where it would put the fortunes of Laois GAA teams within the next 10 years. Its been awhile since I lived at home, but is there anyone within the current set up who could come up with a serious 10 year plan on what would be involved, so they the  could approach some of the money men just mentioned.

The difference with Lowry in Offaly and JP in Limerick is they already fell into category a, so as soon as the right men came to them with correct vision they were willing to open their wallets!
#8
Laois / Re: Laois GAA needs urgent help
May 15, 2023, 02:09:36 PM
Quote from: clonadmad on May 15, 2023, 09:02:42 AM
Theres an onus in everyone in the clubs to step up too and sort out their coaching

A friend of mine from a traditional football county was involved in a football development squad here recently.

He was shocked at the standard of young lads that were being sent for trials and also being included on Panels

He said he could name the 4/5 clubs that were doing their coaching right based on the lads arriving in, the rest he said he was wondering what the hell they were doing in training

A complete lack of even the basics skills for that age group and level.

He described it a being like a first year maths teacher and lads coming in from the national schools, not being able to add or subtract.

The inequality in coaching is massive and I don't know how you address it. I don't like having a go at coaches either as, 90% of the time it comes down to parents giving up their spare time to try and drive things on, especially at club level. I'm also a Laois exile in faraway lands so I probably have even less grounds to give an opinion on this, but  I'll give a small example of what I witnessed. I was home visiting my sister a few weeks back and it coincided with an u7 and u9 hurling blitz that my nephew was playing in. Our home club is Clough Ballacolla and we were taking on a neighboring team of similar size. There was no scoreboard or score keeping, but if there was it would have been a similar case to that Tipp u17 match and it would have been turned off. The Clough/Ballacolla young lads were just so far ahead in every aspect of early stage hurling development that you couldn't even try make a competitive affair out of things. I couldn't get my head around it, there was no big lads who were walking through players as you often see at that level, it was just the very basic stuff that had them worlds apart. The whole thing was demoralising affair for all involved by the end and it does nobody any use. There should be no reason why there's such a massive chasm between a group of 7 and 9 year olds who live no more than 10 miles apart!
#9
Laois / Re: The future of laois hurling
February 20, 2023, 09:06:01 AM
Quote from: clonadmad on February 19, 2023, 01:09:37 PM
Quote from: burdizzo on February 19, 2023, 08:49:21 AM
Think they already beat Offaly in a similar game a couple of weeks ago.

Galway probably the team to beat now in the Leinster minor championship,dished out a bit of trimming to Offaly in the last fortnight

Apparently there won't be a minor team in Ireland within 10 points of this Galway team. The future heir to Joe Cannings crown is among this group. A young lad from Clarenbridge. 
#10
Laois / Re: Laois Senior Hurling Championship 2022
October 03, 2022, 07:58:21 PM
Quote from: Silkyskillssunshinee on October 03, 2022, 07:29:17 PM
CB away to Dublin champions in 1st round of Leinster. Very difficult to see them having a similar run to last season and they won't be underestimated this time around. Wish them the best of luck though.

I fancy Abbeyleix to have a real run at the Leinster intermediate though. They've a good draw and have a pathway through to the final as I think they avoid KK/Dublin/Wexford side. Hopefully they give a good account of themselves at Senior next year as well.

Just looked at the fixtures there, looks like CB will have the harder run in Leinster again like last year. Dublin champs, Wexford champs and you assume BHS would be awaiting them in the final if they were to get through those ties. It would be very hard to take all those scalps again this year.
#11
Laois / Re: Laois Senior Hurling Championship 2022
October 03, 2022, 11:15:40 AM
I'm fairly sure Clough or Ballacolla were never separate clubs and have always hurled together. They have hurled under different names throughout their life time alright. From memory they have been called Ballygeehan, St Canices, Ballacolla and then Clough Ballacolla. But always represent and drew their players from the parash of Aghaboe.

On the topic of Ballacolla. Myself growing up and hurling for Portlaoise in the 90's, if you had to tell me then that Clough Ballacolla would be winning 3 in a row within the next 25 years I'd have sent you to get checked out. I don't know what started the revival but surely it could be seen as inspiration to other clubs  who have always sat on the periphery that it can be achieved.
#12
Laois / Re: Laois Senior Hurling Championship 2022
September 28, 2022, 12:54:28 PM
Quote from: Laois man on September 28, 2022, 12:42:59 PM
I don't believe Cbolla were in second gear in the Sfinal they got a good test until the Ref decided to give them every thing going in the second half.

From what I seen they didn't look anywhere near the team they can be in the 1st half. Went up the level required in the 2nd and got the job done, they never looked in danger of losing that once the 2nd half got under way. I don't remember the ref doing anything outrageous that would have suggested the result going any other way way. They won by 10 odd points pulling up...Anyway Ill stick with what I said previously, Camross to cause an upset against a potentially flat Ballacolla.
#13
Laois / Re: Laois Senior Hurling Championship 2022
September 28, 2022, 12:28:47 PM
Quote from: Laois man on September 28, 2022, 11:14:34 AM
County hurling finals Sunday what's yer views. Cbolla and Aleix one would think. But Camross will be hard to beat.

Abbeyleix to win and Camorss to cause an upset. CB are in a county final without really getting out of 2nd gear and its very hard to just turn it on when required after a summer like that. That semi final win will stand to Camross no end.
#14
Laois / Re: Senior Hurlers 2022
September 13, 2022, 06:11:18 PM
Quote from: mcwregor on September 13, 2022, 08:58:48 AM
Great appointment and I wish Willie Maher all the best as laois manager. Im looking forward to seeing big Dan on the side line with the laois baseball cap turned backwards!! He will bring a bit of blaa buzz to the set up.

Goalkeepers
E Rowland
C Dunne
E Fleming

Backs
D Hartnett
P Delaney
L Cleere
S Downey
P Dunne
R Mullaney
D Conway
J Kelly
C McEvoy

Midfielders
P Purcell
F Fennell
J Keyes
A Corby
C Stapleton

Forwards
P Maher
C Dwyer
R King
A Dunphy
M Keyes
J Duggan
M Kavanagh
E Lyons
B Conroy
PJ Scully
M Dowling
C Collier
J Ryan
B McGinley

I may have left out an obvious one or two by mistake

The panel above would go very close to winning the Joe Mc. I think the incentive is there for these lads to commit. A big day out in a national final in croke park for players and supports alike should be on the cards here with the chance a la 2019 v Dublin also possible.
I do believe the non-committals will regret not doing all they can when they have the opportunity. The summer in America can still be done as the Joe Mc will be over by then so that's not really a valid excuse anymore either.

The only one I think that could consider retiring is Willie Dunphy. Has had plenty of injury issues down the years and certainly owes the county nothing. Very committed player over the past 10-12 years. Of the panel above id say only maybe 1 or 2 are over the 30 mark and all have lots to offer at county level.

Lets hope Willie can convince them this is worth the effort

I'm fairly certain Lee Cleere is off to Australia in December for the year.
#15
Laois / Re: The future of laois hurling
May 28, 2022, 10:48:54 PM
Jasus that ref was absolutely terrible today! His decision making gave Galway at least 5/6 points in the end, awful stuff. Good performance again from the lads, they could have had 5 goals today. Galway keeper pulled off some great saves.