In fairness to Laois county board the cost of running teams has become astronomical. in 2018 over 3/4 million euro spent on our intercounty teams. With hurlers going further this year I imagine that figure could be higher again for 2019. While managers are right to look for best of resources, it is unrealistic for a smaller county like Laois to be able to compete with resources that a county like Dublin, Kerry or Mayo can pump into their teams. These counties can tap into wealthy business people both here and abroad who see potential returns (All-Ireland success) for their significant contributions. We do not have that luxury. It is next to impossible for smaller dual counties to adequately provide for both hurling and football teams. While our county board often comes in for a bashing here, they can only operate within the confines of a set budget.