Senior Hurlers 2022

[G@@]

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.

[Giovanni]

I would agree with all of the above.

I have to admit that Kilkenny were better than I thought they would be so it was always going to be a struggle.

Having said that, I just don't get this consistent strategy of giving the ball to a corner back who seems to be instructed to "break tackles" but who 6 or 7 times out of 10 coughs up possession. Kilkenny were playing the ball to their corner backs but they were using the space to find a man 50 or 60 yards down the field rather than running into opponents. I'm looking at this for 2 years now and I just don't get it.

Someone mentioned the negative set up and I fully agree. But it seems that everyone was in the middle third of the field. Despite the negative set up, we always seemed to end up one-on-one with the Kilkenny full forward line, whereas our full-forwards were swamped every time the ball went in. This is very frustrating to watch.

The other thing was the decision-making. Some of our players are really very poor decision-makers. There are too many hail mary efforts when people are in better positions, too many passes to people in bad positions, too many bad positions taken up. It should be possible to work on this in the training ground. In my opinion Walter Walsh is a poor enough hurler skill-wise but he knows his function and he plays it perfectly. He's extremely valuable to the team and will make the right decision nine times out of ten.

On the plus side, they did stay going to the end and there were a few decent performances from the likes of Jack Kelly, Hartnett and Downey. Still, I thought we could have been closer with a more positive set-up and a more positive attitude.

[G@@]

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.

[Laois Rising]

Now that Laois footballers won't be playing Meath as part of a double header with hurlers game with Wexford you think some common sense would prevail and switch the minor to be the curtain raiser.

[LaoisAbu20]

From being at the match in Nowlan park, I got an awful sense of dejavu. Seems like Cheddar is falling into the same trap as last year. There is no game plan. It seems Cheddar has lost the confidence of the team with a number of players leaving the panel before the championship even started. This was clearly shown in Nolan park with only 24 lads fit to play, not even filling the match day 26. Regardless of injuries this is shocking.

The lack of work ethic from the forwards is contagious. There are no ball winners. It's time to try something new, Limerick repurposed Kyle Hayes, we should be looking at trying something similar with the likes of Mullaney.

The half back line and mid fielders seem lost. The scoreline reflected this with the Kilkenny midfielders getting 10 points between them and the half forwards getting approx 12 points under absolutely no pressure. The plan of letting these teams score from out the field is not working, the likes of Kilkenny, Galway, Wexford and Dublin (although we ran them close did hit 18 awful wides) can all score from long distance. We are just giving them free range target practice.

I know the lads are better than this they have shown it before. The only thing that salvaged last year was when the players took control and went 15 on 15 and stopped retreating and stopped listening to Cheddar's game plan.


Fair play to Cheddar for all the years he's given to Laois. But the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again!

Just hope we stay up this year after Saturday's performance. I'm very worried. Hope they can get over the line against Westmeath!

[mcwregor]

A lot of talk on the football forum after the humiliation yesterday in Aughrim. It will be interesting to see will there be any action from the co board. Lots of calls for overhaul of co board and underage structures. They better not forget hurling in any actions given the fact that its been neglected for the past 30 years.

[zoner]

Now that Laois footballers won't be playing Meath as part of a double header with hurlers game with Wexford you think some common sense would prevail and switch the minor to be the curtain raiser.

It was the same two weeks ago. Laois played Kildare in minor/U20 hurling on the same day in different venues. Both should have in just in Newbridge. GAA really don't do themselves favours with promoting the game.

[redsetanta]

At least they are starting the Setanta program again this summer.

[Zooming around]

At least they are starting the Setanta program again this summer.

It must be 3 or 4 years since Setanta was ran.

[Lost soul 2]

Great to see setanta program back and hopefully big buy in.agree with laoisabu20 our hurlers look lost.vibe isn't great coming out of camp.i do think we need a change hopefully we stay up firstly

[Laois man]

Any update how meeting went last night about setanta restarting? Or who is driving this on hopefully it goes ahead.

[Spiritof86]

Brendan Phelan is the coordinator of the program by all accounts .

[Keyser Söze]

Who is Brendan Phelan ?

[Robbo]

I think hes a GDA up in Dublin. Might be castleknock club.
But originally from the Harps.

If I'm thinking of the right person he was one of the setanta coaches back when it was at its best.

Hopefully county board take this seriously. Not ideal having the launch night on same day as one of their big fundraisers up in puncherstown.

[Spiritof1915]

Who is Brendan Phelan ?

School teacher and was previously involved with Laois camogie.  GDA experience in dublin and with relevant qualifications . Currently involved with the Harps underage set up.  A person whose had enough mediocrity and has taken it upon himself to try and implement sound underage structures. Fair play to him.