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Yes I believe Shane is a good man at the top..but still everything will take time to get right
This year minor hurling management group are a prime example of what is so wrong. Look these guys give up there time to help out where they can but at what gain to the county.
Look at the results of this year minor hurling team lost to kildare barely bet Kerry and a useless Carlow team at home. Lost to a bad Offaly team.

Talk to the parents of the kids involved some have said they will never let there kids play with Laois again after that experience.
There level of communication was unbelievable .
There level of a game plan was so basic and lacked any vision .
Practice game ended in melees with laois game played on with mentors filling in the job of ref because he has walked off the field and refused to let the game go ahead. Players injury in mellers and not covered by any insurance.
The selection of players was all down to who you played your club hurling with better players walked away. Left with half the team being 15-16 years old.

I think I have demonstrated the issue.as I said I am not posting this to run down the individual efforts but simply to demonstrate that everything has to be right .
Shane has a big task ahead.

Let hope for better to come

I was hugely vocal on this issue a few years ago. It seems nothing has changed and unlikely it will if that's the current example.
I remember a fabulous laois development team when current senior David Dooley and peers where u14.
They beat offaly by over 20 points in a game in Rosenallis.
Roll on to 2023 when that offaly group are contesting all ireland finals and laois are getting beat by westmeath.
Indeed that was one of the most successful development teams ever if I remember correctly beating kilkenny in Tony Forristal and winning honours in the Arrabawn.

Where was the planning and vision for that group of players.
A couple of parents were over the team which I again repeat should never happen at any inter county level. Nothing but parochial bullshite took over along with parents trying to make their sons inter County stars.
A lack of vision is the problem. With all the money the county board has its time to renumerate ex county player's from both inside and outside the county to get involved. It's not the sole answer but it's a start.
We only have David Dooley from that group that is up to inter county standard which is a real real shame.

Our neighbours in Offaly are beginning to play 'Laois only have to turn up to win card' across their forum.
Seems they didn't like the press they got last year for fielding their 2nd team against Carlow and waiting breathlessly to see what Laois team fields away to Westmeath this year.
The final is a 50 50 game. Just hoping the laois boys don't fall into that trap being set across the border. Sur don't they have the best u20 hurling team of all time.

Did we sack our Hurling coach?

He was in flying form this evening.
Good intensity training before an important game on Saturday

Strong cork team. Had most of them

Disagreement over money for training the team

The harps had 8 lads on colaiste mhuire Johnstown panel with 4 starters for their A qf final against Kilkenny CBS.
A fair standard of hurling to be exposed to albeit the result didn't go johnstowns way.
No doubt its a big help to their underage success over the last couple of years.

You have to be happy with the effort and the application within the squad after the offaly game. Work rate was excellent for a walsh game in January. The trick is to keep that going in Division 2 games where laois will be overwhelming favourites for most games.

I was talking to an offaly man who tells me there is genuine concern that for all the young, nippy talented hurlers coming through a lot of them are small in statute. Maybe lacking the physical
Presence to make it at the top level of inter County hurling.
In fairness that was evident on Thursday evening. Laois boys were towering over a lot of the offaly players. Mark dowlings goal, one example.

A good start but that's all it is.

Shane keegan is the right man for the job and hopefully gets everything he needs from the county board.
My only concern is that he commits to the job for the foreseeable future. Its will take several years to get the underage squads moving again.

Mick mc evoy and willie Hyland taking over clough ballacolla I'm hearing.
Portlaoise the same
Harps the same
John Walsh leaving colt shanahoe to manage ballinakill apparently.

Any update on new managers with any of our club teams?

Looks like 10 team format for senior championship from 2025 onwards. Vote this evening at County board meeting
U17 championships to stay the same for another 3 years.
Not sure what the story is with the format for rest of adult championships.

Talking to a person in the know who tells me that the 8 team format will be abandoned from 2025. It will be a 10 or 12 team format to be decided by the ccc next week.

A strong proposal was put to the county board on the night for a slight tweak to the 8 team championship.
Top team in each group straight thru to semi
2nd teams straight thru to Qf
3rd and 4th teams play each other in a preliminary Qf with winners obviously thru to Qf against 2nd placed teams.
Losers playing off in relegation final.
I think it's the best proposal. Teams will have 2 chances to avoid relegation if that's not enough the relevant teams deserves to go down.
Hope the county board considers it seriously.

Does this not virtually make the groups pointless as nobody is knocked out. Lose all 3 games and you still in it? Is a semi final (more than likely 6 weeks away) a good reward for topping group? You could be playing a team with 2 extra knock matches under their belt.

I disagree.  If you finish in top 2,no risk of relegation and the confidence of performing well to date.
Finish 3rd or 4th, relegation or a chance to get back into the championship means hopefully do or die hurling. No dead rubbers as we've seen in last few years with
3rd round championship group games.
This structure will, in my opinion keep the championship hugely competitive from start to finish.

Did anyone really forsee B/K getting relegated this year.

i agree its a double chance for a team to avoid relegation but
If you bring in the 10 team and indeed the 12 team structure the possibility of bullshite dead rubbers increase.
Have we enough teams to support 10 and 12 at senior level and the knock effect of diluting the lower tiers.
There's no perfect solution to any championship structure.  Its an evolving process where teams come and go. I suggested a 10 team structure before, but in hindsight I think we just don't have enough teams to make it work. 

A strong proposal was put to the county board on the night for a slight tweak to the 8 team championship.
Top team in each group straight thru to semi
2nd teams straight thru to Qf
3rd and 4th teams play each other in a preliminary Qf with winners obviously thru to Qf against 2nd placed teams.
Losers playing off in relegation final.
I think it's the best proposal. Teams will have 2 chances to avoid relegation if that's not enough the relevant teams deserves to go down.
Hope the county board considers it seriously.

Some win for The Harps this evening in the u20.. serious crop of talented hurlers coming through. Surely next year they will be competing at the business end of the senior championship. 
Hard luck to abbeyleix.  3 tough losses but they too have plenty of top talent to work with.

Positive steps with laois entering teams in senior A hurling and football schools competitions.

Exposure to hurling at that level
will do no harm and will be good preparation for minor and u20 championships.