Award winners

[ollie12]

Just wondering does anyone know who or how  the football/hurler of the year in each grade is selected or in some instances is it just based on a how good someone was in a final.

[blueandwhite1]

It is usually someone who plays in and wins the final but usually they have been a big player across the championship.

John Purcell is a good example. Immense in every game including the final. If RE hadn't won the final though someone else would probably have been picked (Joe Campion or PJ Scully probably).

[ollie12]

Yeah but who picks that player? For example who goes to see all the junior or minor matches in the championship and then picks the best overall player? Or does  the club have any input and they say who their best player was. Just cos someone has an outstanding final might not make him the best player in the overall championship.

[Laois Rising]

Of course it should be based on performances across the whole championship but that isn't realistic to do. No one is going to be too put out who gets the award especially at underage level as it normally comes from the championship winning team and one of their stronger players/captain.

[blueandwhite1]

Yeah but who picks that player? For example who goes to see all the junior or minor matches in the championship and then picks the best overall player? Or does  the club have any input and they say who their best player was. Just cos someone has an outstanding final might not make him the best player in the overall championship.

I don't know who picks the player but having seen who gets picked at underage, junior, intermediate and senior hurling for the last few years they seem to measure it fairly well. You could ask 10 hurling people in Laois who the most impressive junior, intermediate or minor player was in a given year and it usually comes down to one or two, one of which will be the person who ends up with the award. At senior level one trend you often see is that the hurler / footballer of the year is often not a current county player. This has been the case for the last 2 years in hurling.

Do you have examples of where you think they got it very wrong?

[Ogie]

Laois PRO, Laois Hurling Board Chairman & members of the local media pick each category winner according to the Laois Today podcast

[ollie12]

Didn't say they got it wrong at all. It's pretty much good every year. I was just wondering who the selection commitee is or do the club's have an imput.

[Neutralobserver]

its a fair point but i do think it comes down to how a person performs in a final as the selection committee is normally present at a final.  all award winners i think come from the county champions in that grade which would leave me to believe it is based on the final alone

[blueandwhite1]

its a fair point but i do think it comes down to how a person performs in a final as the selection committee is normally present at a final.  all award winners i think come from the county champions in that grade which would leave me to believe it is based on the final alone

Not sure that is fair. Looking back on hurling award winners for the last few years they are players who played well in the final AND played well all year AND were on the winning side.