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No I'm not taking anything away from the work Ross does to keep himself in top condition/shape, I'm merely pointing out that you can't compare like for like when one player is what 15/16 stone and 6ft 3 and other is well under 6ft and what 12 stone or so.

It would take far longer and requires more time/effort for Donie to stay fit than someone like Ross no question and maybe his body has had enough and simply can't take the demands anymore?

There are club teams in Laois back training already, it's practically a year long season now and I'm not surprised lads in their late 20's are packing in intercounty in their droves.

Something needs to be done asap.

You simply cannot compare Donie and Ross, they are two completely different players with two completely different body types.

Ross is a small, athletic and nimble footballer while Donie is a big imposing man (super footballer to boot) and with that requires a lot more effort to stay fit to play inter county.

We have seen how the modern game has evolved and many inter county (even club players) are retiring a lot earlier due to the demands placed on their bodies especially those who aren't as naturally fit or as slight as others.

Donie would take far greater hardship in a game than Ross imo, while a hard shoulder may hurt Ross more there is absolutely no question that when you're a small athletic footballer you are able to use your pace and cuteness to evade challenges, unlike a less mobile player like Donie in comparison.

Kingston owes nothing to the Laois jersey, a super servant to his county and wish him all the best in the future with whatever he does.

[This Graigue team should not be in this competition.]

Hard to stomach your propaganda Pugwash.

This Graigue team should not be in this competition. Not for the first time the club have pulled a stunt and are getting away with it.

You cannot stand over pulling out of the Junior A championship and blatantly keeping a group of players together for a grade they are far too strong for. Did this Graigue team not reach the Division 4 league final and get promoted to Division 3 for next year. Did Division 4 include Spink and Portlaoise, two Junior A teams.

This Graigue team would have been good enough to beat at least half the teams in Junior A especially if you added 3 or 4 lads who'd be eligible but not on Senior team.

The league fixtures can be tough on every club but St Joseph's, Portarlington and O'Dempseys has no problem fielding numerous teams throughout the divisions.

Graigue shouldn't have been allowed keep a third team in a competition when they pulled out their second team. Ok they mightn't have technically broken any rule but they have certainly broken the spirit of it with by putting a false team into a championship and even screwing their own players to win an aul handy junior C. They should be ashamed of themselves.

Pugwaah might be able to answer this but when ye won the junior c the last time five or six years ago didn't ye do the exact same thing and hammer everyone to win it?

That small mind mentality is a blight on Laois gaa

All of those players that played against Killeshin on Friday night were eligible to play and have broken no rules.

Again, people seem to ignore that the vast majority of the Graiguecullen Junior C team played Junior C last year too and many didn't play Junior A, yet that's being ignored? The simple fact is Graigue would still have won tonight taking out the lads who were playing Junior A last year in my opinion. You still have a whole host of lads there who either played senior for a number of years or good young players which there seems to be plenty of thankfully.

Small minded mentality, that's a good one and as for the club being ashamed of themselves? I would equate shameful behaviour with hitting referees, mass brawls, sending leaflets into neighbouring villages trying to recruit players  bringing the game into disrepute at various levels etc as something to be ashamed of not going out and winning a game fair and square.

We're very fortunate that we have a large catchment area and despite a blip with how the Junior A went this year (I'm sure that will be sorted for next year and Graigue will attempt to run 3 times for the whole year) and have a number of good players to call upon no matter the level.

There is no Junior C Championship won yet by any side, I'm sure the Graiguecullen management and players would say the same.

The rest of the county can have their opinion on the matter, but if Graiguecullen do win the Championship will they care what anyone thinks outside of the panel? I'm sure you all know the answer to that one.

Superb performance tonight from Graigue, scoreline was slightly harsh on Killeshin despite not scoring in the second half. They kicked some very bad wides especially in the first half when they were well in the game.

Killeshin fielded a lot of chaps under the age of 20 tonight from what I could see, I have no doubt the great work being done out there will reap rewards in years to come at Senior level. Games like tonight they will learn a lot from.

Graigue have a side with a lovely blend of youth and experience, their game management this evening and tactics were spot on. They will of course be mindful going into the final, nothing is ever won easy (especially not for Graigue)

In the other semi finals it's Colt or Annanough who play tomorrow evening.

I'm not missing anything, I've backed my argument with cold hard facts.

Have a scan through the fixtures of the Div 1 A league and Div 2 and you will see where certain problems arose in regard to Graiguecullen Junior A's pulling out of the league, having our Junior A team playing a day before or a day after the Seniors play as well as trying to field a Junior C team is fairly rotten in my opinion. Why not give clubs second teams a couple of days apart from the Senior Team's matches?

As you pointed out there are plenty of lads in limbo not getting football and this was a major part of it.

The club had no reason to pull the Junior C team to keep the Junior A going, the Junior C team have huge numbers up with lads who are genuinely happy just to be playing Junior C these include a couple of players who would have played Senior for Graigue for years who could probably still be part of the Senior set up but for numerous reason's aren't.

I do think going forward Graiguecullen need a strong Inter/Junior A side in order to give the fringe players on the senior panel the game time against good opposition to be ready if/when required, but that's for another day.

Funnily enough Killeshin's Junior A's are playing this weekend while their Junior C's are playing Graigue Friday night, due to Killeshins Junior A's getting a walkover in the championship (from Graiguecullen) Killeshin may well use players Friday night capable of playing at a higher grade to try get them into a final even though certain players may then not even been eligible after Fridays match? But we won't kick up a fuss about that as that's football.

I'm sure the game will be a cracker and look forward to attending.

So why not pull their junior C team and compete at junior A as they have a team at that level if they get relegated well thats just natural progression if they felt they had numbers at the start of the year then fine put in your junior C team but if the numbers aren't there then you pull the lower team. They were able to stay Junior A last year so that's where they belong not trying to hover a handy junior C.  Most people have said that they will walk the junior C due to their strength. What happens if they don't happen to win Junior C when they have numbers next year will they put in two C teams. All clubs have problems with county players and soccer etc so Graiugecullen aren't unique in that

Did you not read my post or are you just ignoring the obvious?

The vast majority of Graiguecullen's Junior C team are the same lads playing this year, so where is this whole "hovering up the Junior C" coming from?

You would swear it's the whole Junior A team playing tomorrow night, when in truth it isn't. I would argue 2 or 3 maximum would have started for the Junior A's last year in the championship that will start tomorrow against Killeshin, so your logic is somewhat flawed and baffling.

I would also argue, asking a team (Junior A side) to go and play Championship with one league game under their belt would have been pointless and silly, the club done right by pulling the team imo.

Graiguecullen supplied a list of 34 players to the county board at the start of the year, the same as every club (with 3 teams) and still happen to be rather strong at Junior C level, if Graigue lost in the first round you wouldn't be questioning the club at all.

It's scandalous what Graiguecullen did actually. If you're a one team club kicking at junior c then that's your level. All club competitions should be played from top down and if you can't field a second team at a higher level then I'm sure and certain that you shouldn't field a third in a lesser competition

Perhaps whoever looks after fixtures at the start of every year would have the foresight to not put out the likes of Graiguecullen's junior A side the day before the senior side play in league matches when the league is only getting going again after the winter break?

Just because Graigue have a big pool of players, doesn't mean at times resources can't be stretched to a point that a walkover or two in this case aren't beyond the realms or possibility. Between lads playing soccer or in with Laois, injuries etc.

It smacks of sour grapes to suggest Graigue were doing anything snide also, they're playing Killeshin tomorrow night in the semi final I'm sure if you went to the game you would note that most of the lads playing didn't even play Junior A championship last year but why deal with facts