Messages

Interesting to see if Rigney gets another year. I wonder would they go bak to McNulty again?

Intresting to see Rigney bend the knee and bring on Broady, Thoughts? He's obviously miles ahead of the very capable Mick Nolan. He surely has to start the next day?

Now that the dust has settled on the Laois SHC. Id like to give a quick summary of the champo; team by team.

R/E: Deserved champions, inter county quality in every line. Achilles heel is still their goalkeeper. Came through the "soft" group with ease. Had a scare and a bit of fortune vs camross but blew B/KK away in the final.

B/KK: They have an awful flaw of peaking oo early in the group stages. In crunch games they rely too heavily on PJ to score every free and a few from play. Joe campion was immense. Need to find 2 or 3 more over the winter if they are to win Bob O Keefe again. One championship for this crop would be an underachievement.

C/ballacolla
A resurgence of sorts under Canice Coonan. Topped a very tough group. Injuries to Picky and Lee Cleere really hurt them. Saved their worst performance for the biggest game of the year.

Camross
Took several steps back this year and never looked like a 3 in a row team. There wasnt any toughness or steel you would associate with a Camross team. Will have to blood 5/6 of that intermediete team in and say goodbye to some great servants.

Castletown
Made great strides this year and several hurlers coming of age. definitely the best of the rest. Need to find a few more forwards and get a big scalp next year to progress.   

Ballinakill
Plodded along. Not much more expected of them. Like Arles Kilcruise in the football they do have to be admired for extracting everything on such limited resources. Rumours of Cha leaving for Austrailia could cripple them next year and leave them in a dogfight.

Abbeyleix
Very poor showing from Abbeyleix who have stagnated the last 2/3 years. Drawn in a bad group but never threatended in the group games,Will need to turn underage sucess into adult hurlers soon to avoid the drop in the next few years.

Portlaoise
What a fall from grace it has been for this former superpower. Key injuries to Tommy Fitz and Cahir didnt help but they have to find some hurlers QUICK or risk turning into a football town. 27000 population should equal a senior team. Will struggle to get back up.

Thoughts from the group?

Ballyroan have gone back to Clancy for next year, didn't see that coming. Timahoe mustn't be worth the hassle if he is leaving after just one year. Any thoughts on this?

A very whistle happy referee picked for the final, hope it doesnt spoil what should be a cracker.

Mick Dempsey set to be named Joesphs manager next year. Big appointment, will surely add a bit of steel thats missing

I heard John Taylor was back in talks with the Harps, although they are keen on Deegan to stay another year. I wonder will Danny Owens return to Camross? Given all the negative publicity etc. By all accounts it was Mattie Collier who trained them to the SHC it seems.They might move to give him the Bainisteoir bib and save a few pound while they're at it.

Darren Strong has opted out of the panel it seems.

Any more amalgamation talks now that the Gaels are effectively dead? Colt and Clonad tie the knot? Trumera and Mountrath?

The two Comerfords for the record are from the Slieve Margy area and not Durrow/Culahill.. It is on this basis I thought Ballyroan might tap them up.

I was just wondering if they could transfer over. Rathneska and Colt also have football teams I think but Ballyroan benefits from their players. Ballyroan has always been known as the "Hurlers" football team and much of their sucess was always built on getting in good footballers from hurling areas. Just a thought anyways....

BA Can I ask why the two Comerfords dont kick football with ballyroan, such wasted talent in Junior Football.

Killeen and Kilcruise looked very old last year, I fear they will both eventually wilt away if they dont sew up old wounds.

The big winners in all of this would be the Castletowns, portlaoise, Harps, Rosenalis, Balyfin, Shanahoe etc as it would free up another spot in the 8 Senior teams. It would shake up Laois Hurling, also as the big 4 of Camross, R/E, C/Ballacolla and B/Kilcotton have dominated for a decade. Adding a 5th "Powerhouse" if you will has its pros and cons. For everyone saying that it will destroy small rural clubs, I ask do the likes of Kyle or Balipickas really worry about a Camross or Ballacollas first team ever??? So what difference should this make? I've no affiliation with either club and am actually from one of the Big 4 but I think it would improve the competition. If only the Arles Kileen/Kilcruise of this world would swallow their  pride also and maybe the football wouldn't be the foregone conclusion it has become over the last decade.

Are these coaching courses free of charge or expensive? Maybe some lads are put off by high pricing as in other counties. What is the breakdown of these costs?