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Almost full........no Hill 16 that year!

http://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/gaelic-football/how-the-most-dominant-minor-crop-in-20-years-fell-short-of-winning-a-senior-allireland-34762303.html

We won't be seeing anything potentially close to this again in our lifetime i'd say.

Any word from the camp lads? What's training going like and any idea of a starting 15? Is it taking shape.

https://soundcloud.com/midlandssport/well-be-sticking-to-our-guns-mick-lillis

That's for sure.

The fact that Carlow beat us last year in O'Moore Park tells you that Carlow couldn't be taken lightly however given how the minor team did 3 years ago and knowing the threat Carlow posed it was doubly frustrating to lose. Also, it's a game that we had enough chances to win. Since that win over Dublin in 2012 that The GG mentioned we have not won a game in this competition. Beaten by Offaly in 13, Dublin in 2014 and Carlow last year.

They had desire but not REAL desire

Good posts lads but you'd swear there were no decent hurlers in Laois. We do have some very good hurlers and the 15 last night were good enough skillwise to beat Carlow. What's needed is emphasis on teamwork and headwork.
The attitude has to change that we are good enough. The one thing about Cheddar is that he's always telling his teams they are good enough and is forever trying to drill that home. We need to have lads consistantly showing the desire and will to win instead of the odd time.
Regarding the skills of the game the one place where I feel we fall down particularly at senior level is primary possession. There's very few aside from Willie Hyland who can take a ball from the sky. Watch Clare v Waterford next week and count how many times it's done by players all over the pitch. It's almost a rarity with Laois!

This was the minor team that reached a minor final 3 years ago beating Wexford along the way. WTF happened this evening. How the f**k can Westmeath beat the cats because we sure as hell wouldn't. It has to be all in the psyche. There is something in the DNA. As the GG says a real opportunity falls lamely down before it even gets started. I was half afraid to look for the final result and jaysus now i know why.

Laois Under-21 Hurling team to play Carlow this evening has been named

1. Enda Rowland
2. Dwane Palmer
3. Conor Phelan
4. Ronan Broderick
5. Ciaran McEvoy
6 Leigh Bergin
7 Ryan Mullaney
8 Gavin Dunne
9 Sean Downey
10 Kevin Duggan
11 Stephen Bergin
12 Aidan Corby
13 Mark Kavanagh
14 John Lennon
15 Eoghan Fennelly

This is the minor team that played Wexford back in 2013.

Enda Rowland (St Lazerian's Abbeyleix); Gavin Dunne (The Harps), Ryan Mullaney (Castletown Slieve Bloom), Evan Cuddy (Castletown Slieve Bloom); Dwayne Palmer (Camross), Ciaran McEvoy (Portlaoise), Colm Stapleton (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton); Leigh Bergin (Shanahoe), Ronan Delahunty (The Harps), John Lennon (Rosenallis), Ciaran Collier (Camross), Aidan Corby (Clough Ballacolla); Darragh Cripps (Shanahoe), Joe Campion (Borris-in-Ossory-Kilcotton), Stephen Bergin (Clough Ballacolla)

TheGG are Collier and Stapleton out for a long stretch or is it a short term injury? I am assuming they are injured.

I suppose they will have to play to their strengths so no point in pumping high balls into small forwards. This group were decent minors and with the favourable draw as TGG says they should be targeting a Leinster Final appearance.

Westmeath may not beat Galway but they will give them a right game like they have in the past. Laois beat Westmeath in the relegation playoff a month ago and i would think Ryan didn't really mind who he got although he would have had a preference for Laois if given the choice.
Laois nearly caught Galway twice coming out of the qualifiers and there's no reason Westmeath can't do similar on a tight pitch in Mullingar.

Laois Offaly games are hard call the best of times. You'd think the sight of a Laois jersey would be enough for Offaly added to LAois' awful record in Tullamore where we rarely win. Overall Laois are probably in a better position than Offaly however it's a 50/50 game on paper and very hard to predict what will happen on the day. We'd hope to contain Dooley and Bergin and with a bitta luck our forwards, Dwyer and Hyland particularly, will do enough for the win.
I wouldn't be putting any cash on it though.

In fairness it is the best outcome for Laois. If we manage to beat Offaly, our nearest and dearest rivals, in Tullamore it will be great preparation for the semi final. We will have to raise our game for them and it would be good to get some consistency so beating Offaly for a second year in a row would lay down a marker.
Laois have to start getting victories particularly at grounds like Tullamore if we're going to improve and become more than a 'home' team. The last decent win in O'Connor Park in either code, that I remember is the replay win for the footballers in 2003.

When did we last beat Offaly in Tullamore in hurling championship?