2018 Joe McDonagh Cup

Started by Mossy Bruce, March 20, 2018, 11:24:55 PM

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blueandwhite1

Quote from: redsetanta on May 08, 2018, 11:10:01 AM
blueandwhite1 I wouldn't agree that Westmeath have more better players than us. They had as much difficulty at times rising the ball or holding onto possession. It was hunger and tactics for me. The extra man at the back allowed them time to get the ball to the forwards whereas we pumped balls down on top of those same backs.
Yes Westmeath have performed better at U21 level but many of our players performed better at minor level than them. Ok you can say there's a difference and U21 level has been disasterous from a Laois point of view but I don't agree that Westmeath are that much better player wise.
Anyhow there are 4 games left to get things right and maybe this result will push them on.

I wouldn't say they are head and shoulders better or anything, but certainly over the 70 minutes they were better in the air and on the ground in the 1 to 1 battles. Yes, size and age has a lot to do with it but they had plenty of very young players too.

Dave like the tv channel

Huge game today. Could decide the rest of the season. Laois must win this one, especially with Antrim away coming up too.

burdizzo

Gettin' pummelled in Kerry.

redsetanta

Absolute disaster down there. Man off and other two full backs off injured.
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. VinceLombardi

blueandwhite1

That's the end of any Croke park ambition. Soundly spanked.

Trip to Antrim next to avoid possible relegation to Christy Ring with no full back line.

Disaster of a year.

G@@

"In order to reduce the number of teams in the Joe McDonagh Cup to five in 2019, at least one team will be relegated and will not be replaced. The bottom-placed team in the Joe McDonagh Cup is automatically relegated to the following year's Christy Ring Cup. The team that finishes second last in the 2018 Joe McDonagh Cup plays off against the 2018 Christy Ring Cup champions. The winner of that game plays in the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2019 and the losing team plays in the Christy Ring Cup."

From: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2018_Joe_McDonagh_Cup


We could be in serious sh1t now. As of today, we're playing Christy Ring Cup winners unless we pick up at least two wins and a draw.
"I can't get over you - 'till you come out from under him" - Pat Shortt - Class!

burdizzo

Jesus, the Carlow/ Antrim game looked saucy enough. Both sides will be down a good few between suspensions and injuries over the coming weeks, so maybe all is not lost. However, we're obviously in the same boat, and with a shallow panel, to boot. You really have to wonder about all these high-stakes matches in quick succession.

Mossy Bruce

Earlier, after looking at the relegation structure for this year (as G@@ posted), I found myself looking at the fixtures and results of the Christy Ring teams--my god I never thought I'd be doing that. :'(

I followed today's match on the twitter feed. The score says a lot but what was going on? Was there a lack of fitness, hunger, skills, strategy, or what?
LAOIS! LAOIS! LAOIS!

Tobias

We really haven't recovered from the retirements over the past two years. We lost some real hard men from the team and the have been replaced with young skillful 'nice' hurlers. Enda Lyons is correct in what he says, Laois over the years might not have been great but by god you would know you were in a match with them. That real toughness/intensity is lost on this group, they don't have or don't show that raw aggression that we used to associate with Laois teams. They are probably the most talented group of hurlers we have ever had but that doesn't win the dirty ball and burst through the tackles. Granted most of these lads are young but its not a good enough excuse for me. Along with having all the skills you must have all the other qualities too to make a county hurler. A lot of our guys are small too which doesn't help.

The current management team must take some blame for this, when Cheddar was there we played at a much higher intensity (granted we had better players). The management also must take blame for the way/tactics we are playing, there seems to be no real pattern. Its looks like 15 guys are picked to play in their positions and it a 'go out and hurl' attitude, the game has evolved a lot since those days.

Since the retirements of two/three years ago we haven't blooded any new players of real quality. We have had reasonably decent minor teams over the past few years. We got to one minor leinster final and one U21 leinster final which we hadn't been doing previously and we consistently beat Offaly at minor level. However Offaly look to have got more players from their teams than we have. The question must be asked why that is happening?



Laoiseabu

Eamonn Kelly get out of my beautiful county

finbar o tool

Quote from: Laoiseabu on May 14, 2018, 10:32:22 AM
Eamonn Kelly get out of my beautiful county

Agreed.
Theres no cohesion or teamwork, decision making is terrible, cant take a score under pressure, for podge to do what he did shows the heads are not right. Hard to point to anything good about what Kelly has done since his arrival. Fu*king laughing stock again. I refuse to blame the players though, they are putting in the effort but not being managed or coached it seems.
An amateur requires a personal commitment that money cannot buy

blueandwhite1

Quote from: finbar o tool on May 14, 2018, 12:36:35 PM
Quote from: Laoiseabu on May 14, 2018, 10:32:22 AM
Eamonn Kelly get out of my beautiful county

Agreed.
Theres no cohesion or teamwork, decision making is terrible, cant take a score under pressure, for podge to do what he did shows the heads are not right. Hard to point to anything good about what Kelly has done since his arrival. Fu*king laughing stock again. I refuse to blame the players though, they are putting in the effort but not being managed or coached it seems.

The problem with calling for the head of the manager is that it lets too many off the hook. While I completely agree that Kelly must take responsibility for the performance of the senior team yesterday and last week, he is not the reason we are looking at avoiding the drop to the Christy Ring.

What about the other lithany of issues in Laois that contribute to so few senior standard hurlers in the county?

- Low representation from major clubs such as our county champions, Portlaoise, Abbeyleix and the Harps
- The general death of hurling in Portlaoise.
- The gap between skill levels of our underage teams vs top counties

You can blame Kelly and all the retirements of 2 years ago but the biggest problem is the pipeline. Who other than the county board, the clubs and the GAA hierarchy are responsible for this?

finbar o tool

Absolutely blueandwhite, there are plenty of other issues. But i think the players we have are good enough to beat westmeath and kerry if managed and coached correctly. Im not saying we should be beating them out the gate, but we are better than what we are currently showing IMO.
An amateur requires a personal commitment that money cannot buy

portlaoisekid

Disastrous times for Laois hurling, but this is coming since the day the county board in their wisdom decided not to back Cheddars plans for Laois hurling and let him go.

Laois hurling is only but a mere inconvenience to our county board.

Dave like the tv channel

Quote from: Tobias on May 14, 2018, 04:38:29 AM
We really haven't recovered from the retirements over the past two years. We lost some real hard men from the team and the have been replaced with young skillful 'nice' hurlers. Enda Lyons is correct in what he says, Laois over the years might not have been great but by god you would know you were in a match with them. That real toughness/intensity is lost on this group, they don't have or don't show that raw aggression that we used to associate with Laois teams. They are probably the most talented group of hurlers we have ever had but that doesn't win the dirty ball and burst through the tackles. Granted most of these lads are young but its not a good enough excuse for me. Along with having all the skills you must have all the other qualities too to make a county hurler. A lot of our guys are small too which doesn't help.

The current management team must take some blame for this, when Cheddar was there we played at a much higher intensity (granted we had better players). The management also must take blame for the way/tactics we are playing, there seems to be no real pattern. Its looks like 15 guys are picked to play in their positions and it a 'go out and hurl' attitude, the game has evolved a lot since those days.

Since the retirements of two/three years ago we haven't blooded any new players of real quality. We have had reasonably decent minor teams over the past few years. We got to one minor leinster final and one U21 leinster final which we hadn't been doing previously and we consistently beat Offaly at minor level. However Offaly look to have got more players from their teams than we have. The question must be asked why that is happening?

Our clubs hurling isn't tough enough. Our U13s played in KK a few years back and our lads were calling for frees from the outset. The ref (a young lad) said that it's a "man's game" and told them to get on with it. Their choices were to crumble or stand up and fight. They chose to fight and started giving as good as they got.

Plus, we're trying to be a dual county, when we don't have the resources. We should pick one and essentially drop the other code.

Finally, it's not over. We've a few tough games to come, but Westmeath have to play Antrim, Kerry & Westmeath. Carlow have to play Westmeath. Kerry have to play Antrim.

Teams are beating each other, so we have a chance. Going away to Antrim on a low ebb will be very tough, but we're not out of this yet.