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It appears as though our options are limited. We seem to have a trusted 15 to 20 players, and nothing outside of that. The stakes are high this year of course, and we have a lot of lads who can't/won't commit. We also have this U20 debate rumbling in the background, and that at least is healthy debate, because it means we're being competitive in that grade. But how many lads are not good enough? Even amongst the subs, there appear to be a number of lads who are not trusted with a starting position.

Outside of the match day panel, how many lads have drifted away or have been deemed not good enough. We have zero cover in midfield despite appearing to have two promising midfielders, and very little cover at the back. I wonder at times what the plan to address these deficiencies is.

A good analysis High Fielder - we were indeed fortunate to be only 5 behind at the end.
If Kildare can get their act together for the championship I think they could put it up to the Dubs.
In fairness our lads did keep their heads up when 8 points down and pulled back a few - score difference could be very important.

Next day out we will see whether Westmeath or Laois can claim to be 4th best in Leinster.

I don't see anything to get excited about witn Kildare. Those backs will get a roasting some time. The Number 2 in particular was panicky and his pulling didn't get the punishment it should have. But we won't beat them any time soon and i think some of that is mental. Kildare get bullied themselves a fair bit, but seem to be able to bully us. That disappoints me

That was a reality check. No complaints. Kildare the better team by more than the 5 points. In fact, credit must go to us for keeping the margin to 5. A small crumb of comfort. Their back line is gettable enough, but Evan was all that they were worried about. They did their homework on that, and the midfield in particular, where they dominated. Feely won't get that sort of freedom against the better teams, but he got it today and was the best player on the pitch.

Our line was slow to react to things that were obviously going wrong. They pushed up on us and forced us to kick long, knowing we rarely compete in the air. I thought Tyrell or Dunne might break through this year, but no sign of it. We need a Feely or Quigley or Clancy for days like today, and if we don't have one, we need to crowd the break.

I agree Joey. I think complacency definitely set in with one or two of them. I have to be honest and say I felt this Division was going to be a real struggle for us. There's still work to be done, but the development of some younger lads has brought about a new energy. Evan has come out of the shadow of Donie and seems to be a different player. Evan could be anything he wants to be. Nobody on the opposing team likes seeing him turn and run straight at them. He can be lethal one on one.

This Division is a bit of a basket case, and at times it's hard to gauge where any team is at on a given day. I think teams like Laois, Westmeath, Fermanagh and Clare are generally doing as much now as they will in the Summer. The other four probably have bigger ambitions, and may have taken some teams for granted. The weather too has turned things into a bit of a lottery. I think Saturday night, assuming it's dry, will give us a good idea of where we're at. Sunday was a great win to get, and I'm enjoying watching the development of some of our younger lads in particular. Port will really benefit from their younger lads getting plenty of game time

We looked a little naive at times. They looked a little more seasoned. Bringing the ball into contact is a problem for us. The tendency to get isolated is another. Our support play and S&C is behind other teams in this division, as is our overall size. For that reason, we need to keep moving as fast as we can. We got taught a couple of lessons yesterday

The pitch wasn't exactly great when we played Armagh Itchy. It took a right battering today and the forecast overnight isn't great. They'll want to get it on because they probably want the whole Under 20 clash/debate to disappear. Just make sure to bring your arm bands

I see your point but I respectfully disagree. There is no way any of us could have envisaged the start to the season the seniors have had. And O'Flynn and Barry were central to everything that was good against Armagh. There's a lot at stake for staying in Division 2 this year, so we should try and make hay while we're in this form. Besides, it shows all the younger lads that there are places up for grabs if you prove yourself. For far too long, we kept knocking on the same old doors and rarely took chances on young lads. You can't beat a hungry young footballer for passion and energy, and O'Flynn in particular is made of that stuff.

I have my own opinion on this, but ultimately it rests with the players themselves. If they want to play, they should probably be let do so. Personally I'd rather see us do everything possible to stay in Division 2.

If he feels that way, he should do what he feels is right. I'm tired saying this on here and elsewhere. Underage football will only go so far to preparing you for Senior. For years now, we have looked at young lads, under developed and not properly tested, and hailed them as the next big thing. I'm guilty of it myself. It rarely happens. If you're good enough to be playing with the Seniors, enjoy it and learn as much as you can.

If you're only on the panel with the Seniors, common sense dictates that you should be allowed to play with the 20s, if only to get game time. A bit like the squad players are allowed to do in the rugby

I have no problem with this if it happens. If Quirke does keep them for the Seniors, they're better off. They'll learn much more playing Senior football than Underage. Kildare slaughter young lads with football at underage and not many of them progress. If anything, it doesn't prepare them for what's coming, as Senior is a different ball game. There's an opportunity there for two other lads now anyway, so let's look at the positives as well. Now if the two lads wanted to play, I'd have sympathy for them, but my guess is they're fairly happy where they are.

It might be a moot point anyway with the weather the way it is.

Good work by Laois GAA. Get the message out as early as possible and save people a wasted journey.

We can all head to the count centre in Portlaoise now to look at the best connected people in the Constituency clap each other on the back for being the best connected people in the Constituency. What a racket

Awful day out there. I'd be amazed if this game goes ahead today, and with people traveling a fair distance, an early update is needed. The pitch wasn't great last Saturday night anyway, and it's due to be a double header too

I agree that last weekend was on a different level in terms of work rate. And I'm not so sure that Donie would fit into that system. But it's important to remember his many contributions to the jersey. He was and is a very fine individual player. Is he a luxury we cannot afford? For the first time ever for me anyway, last weekend suggested that might be the case. I was genuinely surprised at the level of intensity and work we brought to the table. That hasn't been there in the longest time, and it's very welcome back. Long may it last, win lose or draw.

Without wishing to be disrespectful to Brennan or smart to you clonadmad, I would say he's being well looked after. Of course Inter County Managers don't get paid, so I'm assuming he drives a big diesel guzzler. Good luck to him. But he isn't doing this for the good of his own health.

Maybe someone in the CB needs to address this matter properly, rather than leaving it to speculation and bemoaning it in the end of year report. There's a live issue here and we seem to be particularly susceptible. There are good things going on right now in Laois GAA, but none of them matter if some of our best players are not on the pitch. I sincerely believe that it goes way deeper than getting the invite and turning it down.

I think that the Intercounty scene is a bit of a mess. There are benefits, many of them, associated with playing for the bigger counties. Some of these are occupational, which is a roundabout way of offering financial incentives. The biggest incentive though is the opportunity to potentially win something. It's what made those Mayo lads come back every year. We have very little to offer, relatively speaking. Eddie doesn't speak the same language as those who are absent. He played for a team that were competitive every year, and in the current context, he gets rewarded for his work. Good luck to him, but this is Laois, not Kilkenny