Leinster Senior Hurling Championship 2020

[thegreeenandgold]

Today's Clare result put it in sharp perspective,how close we actually are to becoming a top 6 team

Brennan sees it

The panel sees it

And so do most of the Laois gaa public

My wish for 2021

That Eddie commits and that every player that he deems fit to serve the cause of laois hurling does likewise.

Kilkenny
Limerick
Galway
Cork
Tipperary
Waterford
Dublin
Clare
That leaves us and Wexford possibly we are 8/10 more like 10/10.   How's the Wexford project going,  all going well keep sending more Money.  We are basically where we always are but the delusional want to play out fairy tales.  Fair enough stick money into Minor & U20 get results build on them then start to push it into Senior.  Eddie gets to pontificate but don't doubt the excuses are ready for when the plan doesn't work out. 

[Laois Rising]

When you see that list you realise how much Laois as a county is over achieving at the moment. Only ourselves and Dublin could be classed as predominantly footballing counties who completing at the elite level in hurling. The remaining 8 would all have bigger populations to us and hurling dominated.

Wexford is a great example tonight of why pumping in an extra couple 100,000 grand is not going to dramatically improve fortunes of county team. The best and only way is to strengthen our senior team  is to prioritise the development of our juveniles. Limerick, Clares and Waterford's successful teams of the last decade were all backboned by younger players filtering through after being successfully managed, coached and developed from u14 right through to u20/21. The sooner we cop onto this and refocus on getting our setanta programmes etc back up and running correctly with renewed rigour and purpose everything else is immaterial. For the last number of years Carlow have been there or there abouts with us at minor and u21. If we were doing things right this shouldn't be the case.

If I was giving serious money to Laois GAA the last thing I would want to see is for it being thrown into the black hole that is a county senior team-by all means it is important that team is adequately funded and looked after but the real and meaningful investment is to build strong foundations within the county with a coherent and realistic short, medium and long term strategy to improve hurling within the county. As some other poster noted-getting people like Cheddar involved with proper backing and a proper team of Games Development Officers this time around and money ringfenced towards that for the next decade is what is needed.

[clonadmad]

Today's Clare result put it in sharp perspective,how close we actually are to becoming a top 6 team

Brennan sees it

The panel sees it

And so do most of the Laois gaa public

My wish for 2021

That Eddie commits and that every player that he deems fit to serve the cause of laois hurling does likewise.

Kilkenny
Limerick
Galway
Cork
Tipperary
Waterford
Dublin
Clare
That leaves us and Wexford possibly we are 8/10 more like 10/10.   How's the Wexford project going,  all going well keep sending more Money.  We are basically where we always are but the delusional want to play out fairy tales.  Fair enough stick money into Minor & U20 get results build on them then start to push it into Senior.  Eddie gets to pontificate but don't doubt the excuses are ready for when the plan doesn't work out.

Did you read any of my previous posts with regards to juvenile development?

Every piece of the plan needs to be linked up and that includes the senior set up too

We should have beaten Clare last weekend,that's the reality

It probably takes the likes of an outsider like Brennan to see the potential.

[High Fielder]

Money does not equal success, and quite frankly, some of you are pointing out the obvious. But if Eddie Brennan is right, and he was told that we couldn't afford two physios on the same evening, then that's just pathetic. I want the lads who go in there to be looked after property at least. Eddie Brennan has never promised X if he got Y, so quite what some of you are discussing is beyond me. He just wants his players to be looked after. That seems to me to be his main concern. Comparing us to the top teams in the country whilst simultaneously referencing finances is going off on a tangent. Start by treating these lads like inter county players and they might take more interest.

[Giovanni]

I think this is exactly the point he was making. He tried to make this point at one stage during the interview but Parkinson decided that they were "separate issues". In fact they are not. If you don't look after players properly, you're less likely to get them to commit. It doesn't sound to me like a huge extra step to make - a few more physios, better video analysis and the like. I'd imagine there are clubs in Dublin with this kind of support.

The specific suggestions on youth development that Clonad put forward attracted no comment for some reason but those suggestions are no less important (and no less feasible) than looking after the senior team properly.

[High Fielder]

100% agree Giovanni. In fairness to clonad, Keyser and one or two others, they regularly contribute with specific plans and ideas. We're probably in fire fighting mode at the moment though. We have this managerial issue to look after, and then we need to get our players what they need, if that's as big an issue as Brennan intimated

[Keyser Söze]

Green&Gold
A specific question for you (and I believe you are in a position to answer truthfully should you chose to do so).

You rightly point out that the CB can't go pumping excess funds into the senior set up (and you hint into the senior managers pocket) willy nilly to the detriment of other teams & facilities.
That's fair.

BUT
From 2013-16 Cheddar certainly wasn't lining his pocket. In fact the exact opposite. Yet he was constantly having to work around issues and obstacles put in front of him by the CB.
His final move was to present a plan to improve Laois hurling at underage level into the future. This was flatly rejected.
This wasn't that black hole you speak of. It was ground up/linked up stuff.

We are basically where we always are

....I'd wonder is that where certain elements of the CB (past & present) would prefer we remain?

but the delusional want to play out fairy tales.

....No, some people (definitely including Cheddar and most likely including Eddie) would like to make a genuine attempt to change that. You pass this way once, you may as well try to leave your mark etc etc.

I feel I have taken a reasonable stance on this entire matter, but your message is clear in my opinion, "pipe down hurling fraternity".
Worryingly I fear you may be in a position of influence that is only likely to increase over the coming years. This is blatant propaganda stuff. EB is ultimately responsible for what happened on the radio show (my opinion). This sort of stuff shouldn't be needed on the side of the "wronged party".
God help us all.

[Keyser Söze]

I think if there was any doubt that the above poster should be ignored/regarded as a WUM...that doubt is well & truly gone.
Poor effort really, not very convincing or believable.
B minus.
Must try harder.

[burdizzo]

It's true that many were clamouring for Cheddar to go around that time, but to call him a 'fake prophet' is unfair. He - along with Critchley - was involved from underage when we HAD good underage set-ups, and a progressive underage plan. I didn't see his plan that was rejected, but I'd imagine a fair component was about bringing on underage structures.
I suppose at the moment we have the nucleus of a really good team who believe in the management, and hurling people don't want to see this squandered. Of course, the ones who don't give a damn about hurling, would quite happily see another generation wilt. I'd guess O'Hara is one of these.

[thegreeenandgold]

Was Cheddar out of pocket ? or is that just a perception.  Of course there is mistakes at County Board level, Clonad has said why not have a GPO for Portlaoise Parish. Which Code, Club does the GPO serve ?  Has any Club in Laois made moves to appoint their own GPO,  there is 50% funding available.  County Senior Teams while they do have to be funded are in most instances a waste of money ( My own opinion) the only people who benefit are the "professional setup".  In 2019 we spent 813,000 on Inter County Teams that's well up the table on Inter County Spending.  I would think there is a certain naivety on the part of County Managers as to what is available money wise.

You can see the argument here if extra money becomes available both Hurling & Football want it.  Senior Managers want it but in all reality the best return on Investment is at Underage but you are unlikely to see the results any time soon.  It also requires consistent investment and strategy.  In my view Cheddar should never appointed himself Laois Manager and should have moved into administration but again that's the dirty work for little or no praise.  But it is where progress can be made,  We would all like the glamour of Eddie Brennan's job but how much can he achieve ?   Progress is slow and time consuming and in reality how far Laois can rise is open to question.

If you look at our spend on Inter County Teams, we would be high mid-table (very much in line with our population size)  the fact we are a dual county is very much against us.  But alot of Counties and Clubs are spending unsustainably and do face problems in the long term. 

[Keyser Söze]

Nice skirting around the issues.
Not too many have suggested a blank cheque for the senior set up (I certainly haven't).

Back to your post.

1) Was Cheddar's back room team funded by the CB in it's entirety?
2) Was Cheddar paid the going rate for his time and involvement (compared to Kelly, Brennan, Creedon, Quirke etc)
3) Was a plan he presented to restructure our approach to juvenile coaching rejected by the CB?
4) The glamour you speak of, hinting that CP and EB went for the limelight. Are you for real? Are you at all familiar with the results, atmosphere, position and perception of the Laois senior hurlers prior to the appointment of both?
5) The attitude of "we are doing ok for our size" and "we are spending roughly the same as similar sized counties" is basically what everybody has been calling out. It's defeatist, short sighted and lacking in ambition. Throwing money is not the answer. Striving to improve is. There is no silver bullet , but lying around the fence of the COE, assembling in the tunnel of OMP, clapping each other on the back, and generally sneering at all and anybody from outside who has an idea or "gets above his station" certainly won't achieve much. You seem desperate for us to remain as we are. So do several CB officials. Recklessness, no. Ambition, yes.

[Keyser Söze]

why would county board....accept plan plan from unelected cheddar in relation to juveniles...when his own clubs juvenile hurling structure are farce?

listen to yourself like, cheddar because he friends with wooly etc, must have all the answers

They certainly shouldn't have to . You are correct. Especially when they already have an excellent plan...oh wait..

[Keyser Söze]

...coaching is club thing, not county...

Wow.

[thegreeenandgold]

As far as I know Cheddar is not owed any money by the County Board.  I presume at times he put his hand in his own pocket for spending not agreed to by the County Board.  But I don't think in the finish up Cheddar was owed any money.  Eddie Brennan is well looked after in relation to any Laois Manager bar Micko. 

It's not defeatist to run a County within Budget allowing for improvements in Infrastructure development & County Teams.  Of course the County can improve Hurling but it takes time and effort.  Cheddar is welcome back anytime to volunteer his time like any other CB member.  What people seem to want here is to run unsustainable deficits to possibly get some improvements in Hurling.

[thegreeenandgold]

Nice skirting around the issues.
Not too many have suggested a blank cheque for the senior set up (I certainly haven't).

Back to your post.

1) Was Cheddar's back room team funded by the CB in it's entirety?
2) Was Cheddar paid the going rate for his time and involvement (compared to Kelly, Brennan, Creedon, Quirke etc)
3) Was a plan he presented to restructure our approach to juvenile coaching rejected by the CB?
4) The glamour you speak of, hinting that CP and EB went for the limelight. Are you for real? Are you at all familiar with the results, atmosphere, position and perception of the Laois senior hurlers prior to the appointment of both?
5) The attitude of "we are doing ok for our size" and "we are spending roughly the same as similar sized counties" is basically what everybody has been calling out. It's defeatist, short sighted and lacking in ambition. Throwing money is not the answer. Striving to improve is. There is no silver bullet , but lying around the fence of the COE, assembling in the tunnel of OMP, clapping each other on the back, and generally sneering at all and anybody from outside who has an idea or "gets above his station" certainly won't achieve much. You seem desperate for us to remain as we are. So do several CB officials. Recklessness, no. Ambition, yes.

To all the above questions has Cheddar ever said that he was messed about by the Laois County Board ?  He may not have been happy that everything he wanted he did not get.  But he won the vast majority of his arguments with the County Board.