Messages

Yes mistake of course.

Not sure any of those three would be starting. I still expect a big game out of Antrim, hopefully we can match there enthusiasm and have a little bit of extra class to finish them off. Any ideas on the starting team?? I think Mathew, Neil F are doubtful and I'd imagine picky is out of this one.
I'd go with this...
E Rowland
B Stapleton
C Healy
J Delaney
J Fitz
M Whelan(if fit)
J Walsh
P Purcell
P Whelan/J Campion
W Hyland
Z Keenan
T Fitz
PJ Scully
R King

Plenty of options with Reilly,T Delaney, D Palmer, N Foyle, Campion/Whelan, C Dunne, J Purcell, B Reddin to come in.
Have I left anyone obvious out?

Liam O Connell played there last year, Lee Cleere would be well able, Conor Phelan, Stephen Phelan, Robbie Phelan and Dinny Cahill are other viable options. Personally I would put Stephen or Robbie there and leave the rest of the back line intact. While both Stephen and Robbie are good forwards they don't posess the same lethal threat that Aaron does. Either way that team will be hard bet.

Like other posts, I wouldn't be reading too much into that game. I would 100% disagree with playing Aaron Dunphy at centre back. He is the most exciting prospect in the county and our best forward with ball in hand. He has the ability to destroy any full back and has a serious goal threat. Real top class forwards are hard to come by and cannot be manufactured. I think we have options for centre back but moving Aaron back there is a mistake. Anyway this team is back on track and hopefully they can fulfil there potential.

Bizarre selection in my opinion, I will be shocked if the team lines out as as selected. If it is a dummy team I really don't see the point, especially against the likes of Meath.

Anyone hear how the lads got on in Spain, it's groundbreaking stuff the fact that they went there in the first place.
It's all down to Cheddar and regardless of the results this year I think he has been incredible in every facet of preparing our county team. I don't think there is another man on the planet that would go to such lengths to ensure everything is in order including supposedly investing his own money into the setup.
Anyway I believe when Cheddar took over the aim was that Laois would be in a Leinster final in 2015, 100 years after our All Ireland win. It's a big ask for the lads but you must have a goal and believe you can reach it. Having said that I'm sure the team will be taking it one game at a time and looking no further than Antrim in two weeks, this is a massive game for this group of players and if we were to lose it, it would be a major setback. However they will go to Antrim with great confidence having already beaten them twice this year. Antrim are not going well but be under in illusions this will be a tough game and any sort of a win would gladly be taken. The two remaining games are also potential banana skins but games I'd expect us to win. If we top the group it could set us up for a very exciting summer as these lads proved in the last two years against galway that they are not afraid to take on the big guns. What better way to start than to take on Offaly, they will not want to play laois and I think our lads would be well positioned to cause an upset.
As regards the team selection and formation I'm sure it will change as the year goes on, I presume the management will have something up their sleeve for Antrim too but I expect them to go 15 on 15 and take the game to them. The goalkeeping position is very much up for grabs with both lads playing very well at different times but also conceding soft goals too which simply cannot happen from here on in. The back line is also one of concern, when we play 15 on 15 there are big gaps in our defence and against better opposition we have been exposed. Our forward line has been doing quite well especially our half forward. We need to be getting a bit more from our inside line in terms of creating goal chances. The trouble of playing a sweeper lessens our chances of getting goals bit I guess you can't have it every way.
I'm really looking forward to following the team this year, they deserve huge credit for the effort and sacrifices they have made and the least they deserve is a big cheer when the enter the field to play in the championship, so pull out yer hats, flags and headbands and support our team.
Laois ABU.

Id agree with merman, thats about the size of it.
The few things we need to improve on are 1) cut out the simple mistakes, 2) get tighter in defence, its obvious we are leaking too many goals. In the round robin I think we have to go man for man and try to win our battles...against better opposition we may be better off reverting to a sweeper. 3) Our midfield and half forward line are doing quite well which lays a platform for us but our inside line needs to be more ruthless, the three places are up for grabs and I dont think any of them are nailed on to start. 4)Stop getting lads sent off, once we go to 14 we're in big trouble(waterford game), aggressive in the tackle...yes, but it must be controlled.
Cha has been outstanding so far and if we can get one more forward to really step up in a similar fashion it would really make us a threat. Willie and Zane will do their bit with both potentially game changers or game winners. Id like to see picky getting back to full fitness as he is a guy with real potential, he hasnt really pushed on in the last year or two but he is a young lad that can be a big player for us. PJ Scully is showing well and Roddy King showed the last day he's capable of more, Neil Foyle, Tommy Fitz and Joe Campion are also in the mix. Its great to see that we have such competition for places with plenty of options. John Purcell, Dwane Palmer, Tom Delaney, Patrick Whelan have all came in and done a job for us. A win in Ballycastle would set us up for the year.
#risingtide

Congrats to Mountrath CS on making it to the all Ireland final. Best of luck to all involved. Is see Aaron Dunphy is only a sub..I presume he is injured??

Any word on how this years minors are getting on? I see the first match in the Leinster championship is in four weeks against Wexford in Wexford park. It's always a very hard place to go but this laois them has real potential, hopefully they can fulfil it.
They have quiet a number of lads off last years panel, to my mind d hartnett, c phelan, l o Connell, l Cleere, m Kavanagh, a Dunphy, a Mortimer, r phelan are still there off the starting team. Anyone else?

Huge confidence boost to the lads by winning yesterday. The Wexford game will be huge, the win yesterday sets us up nicely for it. A win and we have a chance of quarter final but more importantly we avoid relegation. A relegation final is still likely though as the bottom two play off, we could wel meet Antrim again in a relegation battle a couple of weeks before we play them in the championship. Let's hope yesterday kick starts our year...it could be a very good one yet!

I think Cha could be suspended for a month now having been sent off twice in a week? How long will picky be out for?