Joe McDonagh Cup 2025

[Joeythelips]

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.

I wonder how many will be in O'Moore park on Saturday?

I feel sorry for our players as the scoreboard could get very ugly. If Kildare can beat us by 10 points Tipp could really go to town on us. 

[Leixman]

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

Games Development in both codes is a major issue

[Joeythelips]

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.
 

I totally agree with the point about Joe McD runners up getting through to a pre-lim AI quarter final.

Its great that the winners get a taste of the higher tier given they will be at that level next season and you will occasionally get them causing an upset as Laois memorably did in 2019, but the losers dont really deserve that slot.  I know tradition will demand we cling onto the Munster championship but the AI should be run as an entirely separate competition with proper seeding so you dont get imbalances like you currently have with All Ireland champions Clare gone out while Dublin and Galway are still in it.

A proper seeded All Ireland would be far better (and fairer)

[Hurling123]

I did see this coming a mile away,as i said in my last post . i still believe we have the better group of hurlers but the type of game plan we are playing  is ridiculous,as i stated previously i dont want to be seen as a criticising the management team. but some of the blame has to now be with them ? hurling has moved on so far , the type of hurling we played Sunday leaves so much room for the Opposition forwards it is just madness.

[G@@]

Saturday 14 June
Laois v Tipperary, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 1.45pm - GAA+
Roscommon v Cork, Laois Hire O'Moore Park, 4.15pm - GAA+

Seriously. Who in the name of Christ thinks that 1.45pm this Saturday is the perfect time to have Laois V Tipperary on at?
The GAA don't give a continental fook.

[Verbal]

How did the County Board meeting go last night?

[G@@]

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

Anything come of this meeting afterwards? Or was it just the usual hur hur shur.

[Zooming around]

Is everyone still on board for Saturday? Hopefully nobody left the panel.

[Leixman]

How did the County Board meeting go last night?

I believe it was very quiet

[mcwregor]

Theres a lot of opinion on how laois played, set up, game plan, style of play, team selection and substitutions on sunday. Its all easy say now the game is over. But you all have an opportunity now to give your opinion on what way laois should set up BEFORE the match on saturday.
Love to hear your team selections, game plans, style of play etc

[The infidel in exile]

With the upmost respect mcwegor, there has been differing opinions regarding the management of out senior, since early on in the league, multiple people gave multiple opinions on this matter for 3 months at least. From the person who has originally given the job, to the person who eventually got the Job. I made my feelings clear from day one regarding my reservations about the manager.

I don't remember you stating an opinion ( humbly).

I shall finish off by honestly saying that there needs to be a new manager found from a strong hurling county, with good credentials and a holder of an all Ireland medal, with hunger to bring the team together and win the Joe Mc next season.

I have absolutely no issue with Tommy as a person, but he WILL NOT IMPROVE THE SENIORS. I believe that we have clearly regressed since 2024 against Offaly.

I expect one or two personal attacks be People from the Town, but to be honest I truly don't care.

The county board's real reason for upping the Senior hurling championship from 8 to 10 Teams, was brought forward by Portlaoise, because they didn't want relegation as an option.

No other club in Laois would be treated with preferential treatment.

It is quite simply not right that one Club, who at School level, put almost nothing into hurling or even football anymore should have the power and influence to rule the roost over the County.

[Voice of tReason]

With the upmost respect mcwegor, there has been differing opinions regarding the management of out senior, since early on in the league, multiple people gave multiple opinions on this matter for 3 months at least. From the person who has originally given the job, to the person who eventually got the Job. I made my feelings clear from day one regarding my reservations about the manager.

I don't remember you stating an opinion ( humbly).

I shall finish off by honestly saying that there needs to be a new manager found from a strong hurling county, with good credentials and a holder of an all Ireland medal, with hunger to bring the team together and win the Joe Mc next season.

I have absolutely no issue with Tommy as a person, but he WILL NOT IMPROVE THE SENIORS. I believe that we have clearly regressed since 2024 against Offaly.

I expect one or two personal attacks be People from the Town, but to be honest I truly don't care.

The county board's real reason for upping the Senior hurling championship from 8 to 10 Teams, was brought forward by Portlaoise, because they didn't want relegation as an option.

No other club in Laois would be treated with preferential treatment.

It is quite simply not right that one Club, who at School level, put almost nothing into hurling or even football anymore should have the power and influence to rule the roost over the County.

We disagree on Tommy Fitz, Infidel. That's subjective, each to their own and I'll even concede that my confidence in the management group as a whole was shaken by last Sunday's performance.

But I'm reasonably certain you're factually incorrect about Portlaoise Club proposing the championship format change. I believe Ballinakill made the proposal with Castletown, Portlaoise and The Harps strongly in favour.

[Joeythelips]

Theres a lot of opinion on how laois played, set up, game plan, style of play, team selection and substitutions on sunday. Its all easy say now the game is over. But you all have an opportunity now to give your opinion on what way laois should set up BEFORE the match on saturday.
Love to hear your team selections, game plans, style of play etc

Laois should park the bus as given how poorly prepared they have been this year it could be a massacre on Saturday in all honesty. I know what Tipp should do, watch the Kildare game as we do not learn our lessosn from game to game. So allow Laois to take short puck outs, then push up as we try and work the ball out and put pressure on our backs and go from there as we make basic mistakes under pressure each game, a clear sign of a poorly prepared team in my opinion.

Like the rest of us on here we all want Laois to do well, I hope to God they beat Tipperary but I am just calling it as I see it, no disrespect meant to anyone.

[Joeythelips]

I shall finish off by honestly saying that there needs to be a new manager found from a strong hurling county, with good credentials and a holder of an all Ireland medal, with hunger to bring the team together and win the Joe Mc next season.

I have absolutely no issue with Tommy as a person, but he WILL NOT IMPROVE THE SENIORS. I believe that we have clearly regressed since 2024 against Offaly.

I don't think a good coach necessarily has to come from a strong hurling county, Willie Maher would fit that bill and Im not sure he got the best out of the panel in my opinion either.

[Laoisred]

I would like to see us play 3 at midfield - making a 4 half backs when we don't have it (giving help so our 6 can drop a bit), and allowing Paddy Purcell to go forward when we do have it. Possibly Fennell or Lennon along with Dooley and Purcell. We should also consider swapping Podge and Lee Cleere in my view with Podge possibly better suited to John McGrath and Cleere possibly better to hold the middle and graft hard there. He brings plenty of physicality to half back line when he is there - It was absent the last day. Mullaney should come back in as our wing backs are too much of a target in the air- we must be the smallest inter county team in Ireland. In terms of match ups I'd go with Conway on McCarthy and Comerford on Forde. We must mix up or puckouts, over-reliant on the plus one in the full back line. If we are going to persist with it we must mix it up with plenty of long deliveries from the first receiver. Here I'd like to see our half-forward move towards the play to allow for balls in behind. I'd like to see Mossy inside with Dowling, and Ben further out as an option for puckouts and as a runner to support the inside two. It is going to be a tall order as by all accounts Tipp are flying in training but we have to try and help ourselves be as competitive as possible.