Joe McDonagh Cup 2025

[Laois man]

Disgraceful display

[Laoisred]

Well done Kildare, deserved winners. But a poor Laois performance on the day. Wouldn't be overly critical of the group, once momentum goes against you it can be difficult ty o wrestle it back.
Too wedded to a very rigid system in my view. Little or no variation to the plus ones to get puckouts away. Kildare who are well drilled would have worked on that non stop for last few weeks. A few unusual calls too with Fennell and Walshe clear targets for Kildare puckouts. Unfortunately Aaron not ready for a game like that. Would have tried Mossy inside too. But I suppose it's easy from up in the stand. I hope for a better performance  v Tipp and we just have a cut and mix it up a bit....

[G@@]

Dejected - but the writing was on the wall, particularly after the Carlow game which we were steeped in luck to win. To be honest, another year of JMD is probably just rewards. We are not ready for the LSHC at the current rate and we will have to blood a fair few more players. Let's hope there is an effort to have alot of younger players in the League next year and rest up some of our long-serving warriors. The game today was lost on the line - too late making changes and we made the wrong changes.

[Karate kid]

Sadly if you were to see the pubs last night you would've thought we won something. Bandwagoners are happy with the day out and don't care for the result at all. Seems like the county board are the same. Something needs to change fast.

[Giovanni]

You might get unlucky once but that is twice this year Kildare have beaten us comfortably with 10 points to spare in both games. I know myself and others here called out The infidel in exile for his posts about our management team but after watching Laois in the Joe McDonagh you would have to say he was spot on, it has not been good enough at all.

I get we may not have the best hurlers in the world but we seem to be very poorly coached, the amount of mistakes we make you would wonder what sort of training is been done at all. The lack of a plan B also when things are not working all indicates a poorly prepared side. Simply not good enough. Tipp will put a cricket score on us by half time going on that.

After a disastrous season in both codes the county board also need to take a look at themselves, Laois GAA is in a bad place that is for sure but with some good underage hurlers coming through we need a plan to ensure we get the best out the pool of talent we have.

Fair play to Kildare, they have shown what can be done. Christy Ring winners to Joe McDonagh winners is a serious achievement. Who would have thought that after the Kerry defeat. Its a big step up to take on the Dubs but they certainly wont be find wanting and will learn loads to help their step up to Leinster next year.

Might as well end the post on a bright note, although it was an awful weekend for Laois GAA one player can  hold their head up high after producing one of the greatest saves I have ever seen at Croke Park. Incredible double save from Cathal Dunne.

Would agree 100% with this. The team did not seem well prepared and there was no reaction from the sideline at all when things were clearly going wrong. I can't get my head around the idea of giving the ball to a corner back  who runs 20 yards into trouble and puts the entire team under pressure. Mad stuff. Some of the changes, when they did finally happen, were very odd. It's a shame because I think they're better than that.

[Blueforever]

County board knows the outrage will only last a week all they have to do is keep there heads down for the week and it will return to business as usual clubs have to take some responsibility for the state of hurling and football in the county my own club for instance hire a outside manager ever year we all have to do massive fundraising to pay these fly by mights and when a question is asked about this we are told that is what the players want meanwhile our underage players are Benn coached by willing but limited parents I assume the same practice goes on in lots of other clubs  I do depair I'm 67 years of age I I'm losing hope perhaps that's a good thing because it's hope that's killing me

[Sideline12]

County board knows the outrage will only last a week all they have to do is keep there heads down for the week and it will return to business as usual clubs have to take some responsibility for the state of hurling and football in the county my own club for instance hire a outside manager ever year we all have to do massive fundraising to pay these fly by mights and when a question is asked about this we are told that is what the players want meanwhile our underage players are Benn coached by willing but limited parents I assume the same practice goes on in lots of other clubs  I do depair I'm 67 years of age I I'm losing hope perhaps that's a good thing because it's hope that's killing me

[Laois Rising]

Fair play to Kildare. In the last twenty minutes they showed huge fitness, skill, determination and confidence in what their gameplan. We were the opposite. Gave away two goals from turnovers which was down to a complete lack of composure when Kildare started to get the upper hand on us. The All-Ireland series needs to change. Let the two fourth place teams in the Munster and Leinster championships play off to play the third place finishing team. Having Laois turn around to face a Tipp team with three weeks rest and chomping at the bit is madness. I'd be fearful that the margin of defeat could reach close to 30 points. How do you pick a team up after that performance yesterday?

We also have too many physically small, stick men in our team. Carrying a couple is perfectly fine but not enough ball winners or players with the physicality to win 50/50 ball and put in the hard tackles. Kildare dominated in that department in the last twenty. They won the majority of puck outs in that time period and it was wave after wave of attack. Next year, a rejuvenated Antrim and a Carlow team that is our equal will prove a stern test to get back to a Joe McDonagh Final.

Perhaps it might work in our favour to not go up to Leinster next year as we are miles off the standard. Tommy now has a two year building block- next year get the team to a standard where they can hopefully win the Joe McD and the following year progress the team to a point where they can challenge to stay in the Leinster championship and be competitive. We have some decent young talent. I'm optimistic that in 24 months time we will be in a far better and healthier position to where we are at present. After the unfortunate Offaly loss last year I was full sure Laois would be able to kick on this year. Sadly, we went in reverse but things can equally as quickly turnaround again.
 

[Sideline12]

County board knows the outrage will only last a week all they have to do is keep there heads down for the week and it will return to business as usual clubs have to take some responsibility for the state of hurling and football in the county my own club for instance hire a outside manager ever year we all have to do massive fundraising to pay these fly by mights and when a question is asked about this we are told that is what the players want meanwhile our underage players are Benn coached by willing but limited parents I assume the same practice goes on in lots of other clubs  I do depair I'm 67 years of age I I'm losing hope perhaps that's a good thing because it's hope that's killing me

I agree with you I have been saying it for years the coaching in our clubs and county is not to the level it should be
our senior hurlers and footballer are training 3 or 4 times a week with all their training one would expect their skill levels would a lot better than we saw over the weekend I know all the players are disappointed with their performance but no way should  we be getting beating like that, question must be asked about our two managers it's just not good enough.

[The infidel in exile]

Although I am grateful to one or two of you who vindicated my earlier messages regarding the management team, I am almost 54 years old, hence its OK Joey as I'm thick skinned and I don't really mind when people who have different opinions, argue with respect and integrity.

It's those who personally attack others, using expletives and stupid arguments without understanding the original argument.

Many of us, who love hurling, our County, our Clubs are hurting, and the young men who train so hard, but are let down by decisions on the line, that make no sense
 in the moment. I spoke to a dear friend who is involved with Clonad hurlers and the Heath footballers, yesterday evening whilst waiting for my flight th England.

He pointed out to myself the problem in Portlaoise where he currently lives, his Daughter who is 16, on Laois minor ladies team. He claimed that Portlaoise secondry schools, have boy's and Girls from Ballyfin, Ratheneska, Stradbally, The Heath, Clonad, Emo, as well as the Towm, ( one 3rd of Laois go to School in one town, he named three former hurlers that are teachers in the CBS, James Walsh Laois, and two other former senior county hurlers  ( that I currently forget) but he remembers 20 years ago when Portlaoise CBS were playing A school's football and A or B school's Hurling. Now they are apparently in the C school's. This is a travesty as every County hurlers and Footballer, would say that their improvements in the game was directly the effect of the School that they attended.

Before I finish I want to make it abundantly clear that I have NO ILL WILL TOWARDS TOMMY FITZGERALD. I claimed that I knew Barry through the minors. But when I mentioned Eddie Brennan ( who got hijacked by Wolly parkinson, on the infamous interview) Who in 2019, done unbelievable work with our Hurlers, We finished 4th in Division 1B, only losing by 2 points to Dublin at parnell Park, driving 15 wides in the process. Galway by 9 points in Pearse stadium, beating Offaly by 4, drawing with Carlow, destroying everyone in the Joe Mc, Beating Dublin by 2, And I will never forget the proud I felt, when we went in at half time in the ALL Ireland Quarter finals 2.11 to 1.10 down against the eventual Winners. Seeing thousands of fans shouting LAOIS, LAOIS LAOIS, sitting beside a Kilkenny man, who told we in his own inimitable words ( By Jay's, ye have some lovely hurlers, yere going the right way) Six years on we have gone backwards, regressed. Because our County board are a bunch of may feinners, and dirt birds, who don't give a Shit about developing young hurlers, and our footballers are even worse.

It makes my sad to say, that although Tommy may be a great lad, but is changes for the final didn't work, he left players on that should have gone earlier, and brought of wrong players too early. We were beaten out the gate by a predominantly football County, who send some of their underage teams to Laois to improve, Ard Clough, Clan na gael,  and one other.

Now we go to the Club championship with ten teams. And I'll be shouting for Abbeyleix in the hope that they can finaly get over the line for the first time since 1949.
Godbless you lads, It has been an honour to chat online with all of you, even the young lad, who needs to learn to converse without using filthy words, that are the only words that he spelt correctly.

[Galtee1]

Didn't seem like a team that was pulling together, Cha leaving, Enda leaving, the team being leaked before the final

[Laois man]

Could find it hard yo get everyone on board next year to face into div 2 hurling and Joe mcdonagh again.

[redsetanta]

Anyone listen to the John Doran interview on OTB with Eoin Sheehan last week. He's the games development officer looking after Kildare hurling. Very interesting. One thing that stood out was when he approached the hurling clubs asking them what they wanted to see done etc the main thing they said was they didn't want a plan that would sit on a shelf gathering dust. It didn't sit gathering dust on a shelf and we saw the fruits of it yesterday. How many plans have Laois had in the past gathering dust on a shelf somewhere??

Not sure if it will work but here's a clip from it via facebook.

https://www.facebook.com/offtheball/videos/1073550114641522

[Galtee1]

Kildare have obviously got improved structures in place providing the foundation for their rise but they have also had what looks to be brilliant management teams in place over their senior hurlers the last few years.

David Herity

Brian Dowling

You cant beat when proper standards are being driven from the very top. Similar to Laois under Eddie.

[Ogie]

Monthly County Board meeting on tonight, could not be better timed if used correctly and not just a knocking shop
Should be plenty of energy in the room, but what structure or plans can be put in place to improve across the board.

Don't get tied up or fooled by talk of great work as Kildare underage hurling, their squads are badly organised & run, this victory is based mostly on Naas Gaa club getting their house in order harnessing the massive numbers they have.

Missing all the early chances yesterday cost us dearly, we lacked energy, leading to poor decisions and workrate, turning over huge amount of ball easily,
Going the man marking route left us wid open at the back,
Wrong decisions on picking the team, and too late to change,
I don't agree with this playing / coaching style,

We are still asking for/ looking for a director of hurling in the county, mostly due to the inactivity of our hurling board,

The games development office should not escapee scrutiny either,
What is being done to help secondary schools and streamline academy squads