Messages

Watching the match today, I'm sure Mickey Harte will have learned a lot about Laois' strengths and weaknesses. However, win lose or draw tomorrow week, it seems to me that Billy Sheehan has Laois on the right path.

Time to start worrying? Forgive the pessimist in me but Laois doing well in the O'Byrne Cup doesn't augur well for a good year

Although Laois have used 34 players in the O'Byrne Cup thus far, we still haven't seen seven or eight who were also said to be part of the 40 plus panel in pre season training. Amongst those we have not seen tog out yet are the two Bennetts and Jake Foster of Portarlington. Another we have not seen is Donie Kingston. Does anyone know why we have not seen these guys yet? Are they still part of the panel? Might we see them against Kildare?

I was very impressed by the hard work displayed by the Laois team against Mesth last night. A lot of guys have not committed this year, but if Billy and company can continue to get his team to play in that manner, this may be a decent year and the long term future may be bright. Its early days, but continue to play like this and those not committing may come back eventually and the supporters should also come back.

Who would be a Laois GAA supporter? 

I think the core mid 20s are turning down the opportunity to play under Billy en masse.

The best of the mid 20's aged lads are in with Laois. Trevor Collins, Eoin Buggie, Paddy O'Sullivan, Brian Byrne, Colm Murphy, Brian Daly, Eoin Lowry, Dicey Reilly, all 25 or 26. Evan O'Carroll, Paul Kingston, Alan Farrell a little bit older.

It seems to be a few good players aged 21, 22 who are not taking up the chance to play.

I'm not so sure about Colm Murphy. I think he might be travelling next year.

Are some of the Portarlington lads going travelling next year? There is speculation that Colm Murphy, Ronan Coffey and Robbie Piggott may be.

Although he is very young, Cathal Bennett is showing that he would be a very welcome addition to a Laois panel.

Congratulations to Portarlington. Although I would love to see them do well in Leinster, I'm not sure they have the quality to do so. Clearly, there is no one to match them in Laois, but competing against the best from other counties is a different story. Let's see how they get on against the Westmeath champions for a start. Hopefully, they can get the better of them, but it won't be easy.

Anyone know what players from Portarlington have excluded themselves from committing to Laois next year? And, overall, how is Billy Sheehan progressing with creating a panel for 2022?

We should be taking a leaf out of Clare GAA's book and adopting their root and branch overhaul of their structues..........

https://www.independent.ie/sport/gaelic-games/clare-gaa-may-move-quickly-to-implement-blueprint-for-radical-revamp-41011818.html

Don't rule it out. Local derby, players know each other well. Anything can happen.

If Chris Conway and Beano are involved, as far as I'm concerned, that's a good thing. Good luck to them.

I'd like to see them bringing in young guys like Gary Saunders, Frank Flanagan, Eoin Dunne, Niall Dunne, Ronan Coffey, Padraig Kirwan, just to mention a few.

I understand that performing well in the local championship doesn't mean that they can do well at inter County level, but it's a start.

Foe me, success next year would be staying in Div 3 and
seeing new young faces holding down places in the team.

Hopefully the GAA will base the championship around the league which would guarantee a set number of games for each county. This would be a big boost for the likes of Laois.

Good luck to him. If he brings the energy and enthusiasm he displayed as a player with Laois, then he may do well.

Very interesting read and, I think, very welcome. It points out that lack of leadership is a major factor.That point has been made repeatedly on this forum.

I have no agenda against any of the people who 'run' Laois GAA, however, under their leadership, an apathy has developed which is killing the games in the county. These people must step aside and allow progressive people take over the reins so that the review committee's recommendations are implemented.
This report must not be allowed to gather dust on some shelf in OMP.

Would love to see Sean Moore given and taking another opportunity with Lsois.