The future of laois hurling

[The PRO]

Best team won but I'd be disappointed with our tactics. Handed them 4 points (2 bad puck outs and two pulls on the ground to free Offaly men).
We'll have to regroup quickly now for All-Ireland series.
Yer man Joe Troy on Radio Tullamore is a ferocious dose. Neutral commentary is needed.

[Blow-in]

Radio Tullamore is right. Laois barely got a mention

[Keyser Söze]

Possibly shouldn't say it, but you'd have to be disappointed with the set up.
Use of the wind in the first half really poor.
Attempts to find the forward line in the second against it also poor.
Hard to know if it was tactical decisions re set up, or things just not working out on the day.
If it was the latter, then no harm, these things happen.

Maybe being harsh, but it really was the opportunity of a generation. When you see the crowds and witnessed the atmosphere. When will get such a PR opportunity to boost numbers ever again.

Having said all that, Offaly are a very good side.

[blueandwhite1]

Set up was shocking in first half with the breeze.

However, we were not really at the races. Offaly skill level and pace was far superior to ours.

[Robbo]

No shame in losing to the better team. Offaly were excellent, worth winners and couldn't begrudge them. Hard luck to laois. Fought until the end and that's all we can ask.

Feel like we didn't really go for it. Set-up got us to the final so don't want to be over critical but when we got it back to 15-12 we should have had a lash. Wasn't to be and I think to be fair; different tactics wasn't going to deny offaly a deserved win.

Games against Galway and clare to come. Still plenty of hurling left.

Finally, what a crowd. Well done to everyone. Pleasure to see.

[burdizzo]

Decent game with plenty of physicality, I thought - and you couldn't exactly accuse the ref. of being 'whistle-happy'!
But, yes - Offaly were better. However, we had enough chances to be ahead at half-time.
Still, a good year for them. Hopefully they can perform in the round-robin now.

[Smellyball]

I wasn't there tonight but it seems like the usual sh!te was going on. Oh look there's a match on and the crowd has caught us by surprise, was there a decent amount of turnstiles open or what caused the delay?
As for the match - poor use of the ball with the wind (although the same could be said of offaly at times), lofting balls into offalys half back line against the wind. Can't complain really though as the better team won.
Fingers crossed for decent performances in the round Robin.

[LOVEGAA]

Very disorganised considering tickets were bought online , so had a fair idea of crowd numbers

Awful tactics used last night and would have to feel sorry for the young lads

[clonadmad]

Whilst it's easy to blame the tactics

Offaly had the same tactics as Laois in the second half with the breeze

The difference was that they were a lot more accurate from distance


The were sharper,had a better first touch and were more assured in their passing.

The team with the better hurlers normally wins and that's what happens last night

Clare are as good as Offaly and Tipp,be interesting to see what Galway are like,not as strong as previous years,a win against them could see us into an All ireland semifinal v Tipperary

[blueandwhite1]

Whilst it's easy to blame the tactics

Offaly had the same tactics as Laois in the second half with the breeze

The difference was that they were a lot more accurate from distance


The were sharper,had a better first touch and were more assured in their passing.

The team with the better hurlers normally wins and that's what happens last night

Clare are as good as Offaly and Tipp,be interesting to see what Galway are like,not as strong as previous years,a win against them could see us into an All ireland semifinal v Tipperary

I agree fully. No doubting that this team should be very proud of beating Wexford and Kilkenny and how they fought during the match. No problem with physicality and heart.

I was more disappointed at the quality of our play than the result last night. I remember when we lost the 2013 final, Pat Critchley made some comments after the match that I was reminded of again last night. If you are not better at the basics, you can't expect to win. And the basics need to be thought and perfected well before a player is minor. I think Zoom said u12 is when the skills are fully formed. I see it with all Laois teams that our touch, ability to catch high balls and win rucks is well behind the top teams. Offaly were just a level up as were KK in 2013. What do we need to do to get the standards to that level, early in a players development? When we work that out we will start winning these matches. Offaly have a similar sized hurling population as us. If they can do it so can we.

[Giovanni]

I would agree with most of the above.

However, apart from the basic skill levels, I think Offaly simply worked harder than us (which explains all the cramping in the last 15 minutes). If you work harder than your opposition, you can make the opponents' skill levels look inferior.

The other thing that should be remembered is that most of these lads are 16 or 17 and I think the occasion might have been a lot to absorb for one or two of them. This is understandable and the experience will stand to them.

Having said that, I really find it frustrating looking at high balls going into a one or two man full-forward line that is surrounded by 4 or 5 Offaly backs.

Thanks to Clonadmad for the heads up about the number of tickets being sold. It allowed me to make it on time. Couldn't get over the size of the crowd but it was great to see.

[Laois man]

Great crowd great occasion very proud of our lads but 2 forwards again 4 backs won't get many scores.

[Smellyball]

I wasn't there tonight but it seems like the usual sh!te was going on. Oh look there's a match on and the crowd has caught us by surprise, was there a decent amount of turnstiles open or what caused the delay?
As for the match - poor use of the ball with the wind (although the same could be said of offaly at times), lofting balls into offalys half back line against the wind. Can't complain really though as the better team won.
Fingers crossed for decent performances in the round Robin.

It was held up 10 minutes and everybody had a good time, with no trouble. Stop trying to make something of it.

I'll say whatever I want.
It's the same story any time a reasonable crowd turns up in OMP, a couple of turnstiles open for a crowd of 3000, or the genius - funnel everyone through the one gate at the far end of the ground whilst making announcements to social distance in the stand.

[Laois man]

I was there early last night no issues in getting in.

[Smellyball]

I was there early last night no issues in getting in.

Yeah but obviously some people did, or they wouldn't have delayed throw in citing "crowd congestion"