Messages

Over 10k expected? Whoa, that'll be lively.

Anywhere I've went they can scan the barcode off a phone screen, so there shouldn't be an issue.

Best of luck tonight to the lads. Hopefully we'll pull off a win. Breezy and sunny, so could be a game where one chases the other's lead.

2-36 to 0-21.
Not bad in conceded goals, but a hammering otherwise.
Cha off injured along with Dowling.
Hopefully they'll be back for Westmeath.
We'll need them and then some.

Galway at home tonight at 5pm.
Going to be a tough slog for the lads.

Looking over the fence: http://www.uibhfhaili.com/phpbb3/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=7508

Home leinster final next Monday night great news. County board should try encourage all clubs to bring there juvenile teams to it for support and show the juvenile teams they can be there down the line. Surely we could do some deal on tickets for the underage teams.

All U16s free, €15 otherwise - no concessions for students/OAPs. Online sales only: https://www.universe.com/events/electric-ireland-leinster-mhc-final-2022-laois-v-offaly-tickets-XGWL5Q

Couldn't agree more

There's a full program of u13 hurling and u17 hurling games for next Monday night

They should be all rescheduled and a plan put in place now to get every juvenile in the county into OMP next Monday nigh

Yes, those U13 games should be rescheduled, I'd imagine the U17 games are a given to be rescheduled anyways?

Think it's tonight the coin toss is

Having the final on a Monday evening probably doesn't help the profile very much.

To be honest I think it's better, many folks would have planned their weekend days well ahead and not at all factored in a Leinster Minor Hurling Final featuring Laois. A few folk I know who wouldn't be known for going to matches very much are going to the final because the day and time is convenient for them.

Eddie Brennans coaching career hasn't exactly progressed the way that was maybe expected after his Laois exit . Ran out of Cuala after an uninspiring year by all accounts.
Not sure he's the guy we want back Involved.

He got the best out of Laois in those two years and we were an exciting team to watch.

Some managers don't suit some counties/clubs, others do. I think EB would be great to have back on board.

Wexford 6-21 v 0-12 Laois.
A 27pt hammering.
This is woeful.
I think Cheddar may just call it a day, while I admire everything he has given to Laois hurling, he obviously isn't up to the task in this modern game.
We need Eddie Brennan back. Urgently.

Fantastic win. It's hugely important that we are able to grab a win like that from the jaws of defeat. After leading the whole game it would have been criminal to lose it.

Kilkenny next for the minors in Portlaoise next Saturday 7th May at midday if the Leinster GAA website is telling the truth!

County hurlers V Wexford this afternoon at 2.30pm.

From: https://www.laoistoday.ie/2022/05/01/your-guide-to-the-game-as-laois-hurlers-host-wexford-in-omoore-park/

The Laois team in full is: Enda Rowland; Donnacha Hartnett, Ciaran McEvoy, Sean Downey; Jack Kelly, Liam O'Connell, Ryan Mullaney; Paddy Purcell, Fiachra C-Fennell; Ciaran Byrne, Cha Dwyer, James Keyes; Mark Dowling, PJ Scully, Ben Conroy

Hopefully the lads can make amends for the no-show against Kilkenny last week.

Laois play Wexford in both Minor and Senior hurling at Portlaoise this weekend...
Minors at 1pm Saturday
Seniors at 2.30pm Sunday

Are the GAA trying to piss people off? The travel costs are putting fans off going to matches as it stands, asking them to travel twice on a Bank Holiday Weekend is madness.

Surely somebody in the GAA can rectify this and put it on as a double-header.

Indeed, our defence wasn't bad tonight - forcing Kilkenny to take longer range points, however they're fairly clinical in that approach as evident by the 34 white flags.

Tonight we seemed to stand off Kilkenny and give them space - allowing their defence to launch long ball after long ball into our 21yd area. We're not able to catch a ball in the air at all when marked. Kilkenny are masters in the air, even this pale shadow of their former selves of a team are a joy to watch plucking ball out of the sky.

Secondly, the overlap running - Kilkenny built their game and thus their confidence level on this approach and after 20min knew that this strategy was going to deliver for them. We had no answer. At that point we were goosed.

Rowland while solid enough and pulled off two stunning saves, was guilty of poor puckouts at times. I think three in the second half led directly to Kilkenny line balls. Our lads seemed to drift collectively under the big stand for several of these puckouts, each one lost too.

Finally, we hadn't one f**king ounce of luck this evening, not one scuttery breaking ball ended up with a Laois player - half blocked sliothars somehow wobbled and bounced straight to a stripey man. Every. single. f**king. time.

In other good news though - our minors won today with a pull-away 4pt win in Mullingar. Coupled that with our U20 performance the other night -I know they lost, but they were the better hurlers and in contrast to the seniors tonight (those guys knew how to win the aerial battle) we can look forward to a few good additions to the panel in the coming seasons.

Very poor showing against KK tonight. 2-34 to 1-14 is a horrendous result.
Our wides were woeful. Only positive was our ability to hold off most of the KK goal chances, we were decent enough at snuffing those out.
I cannot understand the approach played by management - our line out and positioning was awful. In addition, the lads seemed to stand off.
Wexford bet tonight means they'll come to Portlaoise next Saturday with a sting in their tail. With our injury list and no doubt a morale that's deflated after tonight's result I fear another rout.

[LAOIS: Enda Rowland; Fiachra C Fennell, Sean Downey, Donnchadh Hartnett; Ciaran McEvoy, Liam O'Connell, Ryan Mullaney; Aidan Corby, Jack Kelly; Cha Dwyer, Paddy Purcell, James Keyes; PJ Scully, Jordan Walshe, Mark DowlingKILKENNY: Eoin Murphy; Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh; Michael Carey, Paddy Deegan, Conor Browne; James Maher, Adrian Mullen, Walter Walsh, Padraig Walsh, John Donnelly; Billy Ryan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody.]

Kilkenny tomorrow evening in Nolan Park - 5.30pm throw-in.
There doesn't seem to be any online stream of the game - neither GAAgo or TG4 have it listed.

Teams named as follows: (from: https://www.laoistoday.ie/2022/04/22/laois-hurling-team-named-for-leinster-championship-clash-with-kilkenny/ )

LAOIS: Enda Rowland;
Fiachra C Fennell, Sean Downey, Donnchadh Hartnett;
Ciaran McEvoy, Liam O'Connell, Ryan Mullaney;
Aidan Corby, Jack Kelly;
Cha Dwyer, Paddy Purcell, James Keyes;
PJ Scully, Jordan Walshe, Mark Dowling

KILKENNY: Eoin Murphy;
Mikey Butler, Huw Lawlor, Tommy Walsh;
Michael Carey, Paddy Deegan, Conor Browne;
James Maher, Adrian Mullen,
Walter Walsh, Padraig Walsh, John Donnelly;
Billy Ryan, TJ Reid, Eoin Cody.


Jordan Walshe at full forward making his debut. I thought he looked the part in our last league game - not afraid to take on a score.
Fennell, Downey and Hartnett will have a tough evening marking Ryan, Reid and Cody. Billy Ryan looked lively against us in the league.

Our half forward line certainly packs a punch. Cha and Purcell are well able to fire over points from distance and angles, they also can burst through on goal also which we will need to do. This KK defence is not the of the same rearguard quality we were accustomed to over the years - so we will have to run at them to test them.

Kelly and Corby at midfield is an interesting pairing. I'd rather Jack back at 5 personally - it is IMHO where he has played his best hurling for Laois at. Eitherways, the two lads will have their hands full containing Mullen who is a sharp and quick operator.

I hope Rowland brings his A game tomorrow night - the last time in Nolan Park he seemed to have a rare off-day with unusual short puckouts at times that seemed off-script.

Looking forward to this - while Kilkenny's stock has fallen in recent years, they are still a force to be reckoned with and I hope we can test them all the way. Not conceding goals - which is hard against Reid and co. is vital for us to live with Kilkenny. Best of luck to the lads and a speedy recovery to Podge and Ross. Hopefully all the lads make it through this week without knocks.