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Just looking at the Louth victory Kildare, when you take our performance against Louth where we ran them very close, that would not have carried through to playing Kildare had we got over the line.
I would have had no confidence going up against Kildare and they would likely have beaten us handy, especially in O'Connor Park which has been a bit of a graveyard for Laois in recent times.
Yet against Louth we gave a good account of ourselves. How do you explain that? Mentality?

It was always going to come down to Carlow in Croke Park. I think both counties will be out of site of the other teams and the game in the league stages won't count for much aside from momentum or bragging rights.

Both teams motoring well so should be a great contest.

I see in the minor hurling that if we top our group we play the runners up in the other Tier 2 group. The winners of that game play the 4th placed team in Tier 1 which will likely be Wexford.

Good win by the U20 hurlers last night against Kildare. Next up is Wexford in Q/F.

I see Wexford got a right trimming from the cats at minor level last weekend. Are we out against them also?

I don't remember such a beating at that grade before. Westmeath are decent but still.
Louth seem to be doing something right underage. Into the U20 Leinster final and doing ok at minor too.

Big gap between minor and U20's more so than the old age structure which doesn't help smaller counties. The u20's in both codes struggling but at least the minor grade is showing some promise.

I was surprised with the performance and fair play to the team for running Louth so close. The signs are there that we can compete at a higher level than our league position shows.
Hopefully we can go on a similar run in the Tailteann Cup to last year.

In light of his passing I thought he deserved a thread.

Gave us some of the best days supporting Laois footballers. From a beating by Meath in O'Moore Park in 2002 to Leinster winners in 2003. 3 Leinster finals in a row and arguably could have won 3 in a row. The run through the qualifiers in 2006 and the win against Tyrone in the rain.

More ups than downs.

Thanks Micko.

All the talk of Laois underage coaching etc being the envy of the country in the mid to late nineties and early 2000's was is really down to exceptional coaching and management or was it cyclical and we were blessed to get so many talented players at the same time.

You can't coach talent and we had plenty of it back then. Even our senior team in the late nineties had the likes of Hughie, Mick Lawlor, Goggy and more. Exceptional players that would get into most county team.

Are we overplaying the underage developement side of it? Lots of coaching now but very little natural talent or spark. Maybe we got lucky!

Just putting it out there.

In fairness to the players they had to endure that beating so it can't be easy on them either. None of us would want to be on the end of that. They still have to go out and play again. These days it's hard enough to get fella's to keep committing.

Never saw odds like that with a Laois team before.

Hopefully the work that is being done now will mean we don't suffer a similar fate in future years.

Shocking odds. Kildare 1/40

Kieran Kelly, had them last year as well. We wouldn't be expected to do much this year. Kildare minors got to the Leinster final 3 years ago.

U20 team named for the game with Kildare tomorrow evening.

They wouldn't be as good as last years team.

We lost to Offaly by a score 9 months ago in a tightly fought contest.

New manager in etc so lets see how we get on in the Joe McDonagh.

Division 2 is a disappointment but i'd be surprised if we didn't come straight back up.

Reports of a virus in the Antrim camp with a lot of players getting it.

Game also moved to Corrigan Park which is much handier to get to for anyone travelling up from Laois