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From my limited understanding cartilage damage is normally a wear and tear injury.

[To me, the whole blame lies with Derek McGrath]

To me, the whole blame lies with Derek McGrath.

Spiritof1915 while there is alot of validity to a lot of the points you are making...


Again while agree that parents shouldn't be involved with development squads, it is extremely difficult to get any coaches/mentors to take over development squads in Laois. I'm pretty sure Mike Henchy really struggled to find someone for one of the football development squads this year.

To be fair to the County Board, this was not their choice of minor management. This was almost forced on them with the addition of Derek McGrath, as has been mentioned earlier.


Zooming Around, a man with a Harty Cup, Waterford county title, National League title and was a couple of points away from winning an All-Ireland is the sole reason Laois Minors didn't beat Offaly in a first round game??? Are you having a laugh?

Camross out. Superb performance from Rosenallis. Thoroughly deserved.  Camross couldn't handle their pace

A very hypothetical question but one that maybe shows our pool of players and the quality that we have produced over 20 years but here goes....

Would any of those teams picked above, with everyone in their prime, have definitely won an All-Ireland?

               Rowland
Cyril Cuddy Brian Campion Mick Mc
Niall Rigney Paul Cuddy Joe Fitz
   James Young Cahir Healy
Cha Dwyer Zane Keenan Willie Hyland
Tommy Fitz Liam Tynan Ross King

There was a motion passed at convention this week. All amalgamations and entries will have to be finalised by 14th January and there won't be any exceptions to that.

There's a very important county committee meeting next Monday night to decide what will and won't be allowed in terms of Gaels teams etc.

Doesn't come in until January 2020

A lot of things can and have been debated on here to death. Who is at fault, what should have happened, was it on purpose etc.
However, wether on purpose or not what happened to Ross King in the melee was a red card offence and the fact that Camross as a club appealed or sought a hearing for this is nothing short of a disgrace.

The alternative is to use your U15s?

Are you seriously telling me that there are only 5 players in this huge area between the ages of 15 & 17 who are not involved in Development squads. (if the poster above is correct with his/her info?)

But they are using there u15s. 6 in total on the panel, 3 starters from Ballacolla. There is probably 2 more u15s that could be involved plus the 11 Ballacolla players on the panel is 13.

This is it exactly. Fewer clubs will bother trying to standalone. Which is fewer clubs bothering their arse to work hard at juvenile level, we can't afford this. As far as I can see, The Harps have done everything right with this group. They don't deserve to lose a showpiece final to a thrown together combo.
The next time The Harps aren't capable of competing at 'A' Level on their own, this makes it easier for them to decide to jump in with someone.

In the interest of bias, I can also remember The Harps/Clough Ballacolla hurling together one year in the Minor or U21 B!!!!!

For clarity Keyser this combo was not thrown together because they couldn't compete at B, without this combo the club's in question would not have been able to field teams. There was only 20 players on the panel combined. Last year Ballacolla won the B with a panel of just 17. What is the alternative if a club hasn't simply got the numbers to fulfil a team in one particular year???

I think it's actually a very good example of why amalgamations are allowed. Between the three clubs they only have 20 players. Ballacolla have a strong tradition of fielding teams on their own and this just happens to be an age group they are shy players for, as can happen with rural club's. It also gives Mountrath and trumera players a chance to play A hurling which they might otherwise not have had.

S & C expert C O' N as you put it Don had a very bad car accident a few years ago and had two discs removed from his back. I would imagine that would impact on his ability to exercise

Brilliant discussion.

From what I have heard regarding the CBS is that school management have very little interest in sport and that the teachers have struggled for cover and support from management. I heard one story about them being asked which teams had a chance of winning something and looking to pull out the teams that had no hope.

The other factor to consider is that sport is extra curricular and you are depending on teachers to prepare, train and take teams on a completely voluntary basis. With croke park hours, reduced pay and union issues sport can suffer. How management approach sport can also play a huge role.

Mountraths management would appear to support sport as they seem to enter teams in every sport possible. Christy Coughlan and Eddie Kirwan plus a few new teachers are doing great work for hurling over there.

The CBS have Mick Scully, Jimmy walsh and Brian Carroll (new offaly director of hurling) but I'm not sure if Brian is involved with hurling there.

It's a pity, on another point we have someone like Darren Maher in Portlaoise College but no hurlers in there to train.