Joe McDonagh Cup 2025

[Blow-in]

Seemingly, only one player missed training on Tuesday night after the players went out drinking Sunday and Monday. And do you know who it was exile, Duggan. But why should he be given a free pass and not everyone else?
Obviously we dont know what goes on in training full time and hhaving only attended a handful in recent weeks, I think peoples perceptions of certain players would be changed in the few I saw.

Some of the play was really impressive at times yesterday but something isnt right but it cant always be the managers issue.

[Joeythelips]

The players are the ones who take to the field at the end of the day, of course we all know that and when things are going bad you will get levels at training declining, players opting off the panel and the like when the people in charge have lost control.

But really the buck stops at the managers door, it is an incredibly difficult task being an inter-county manager and its vital you get in a top coaching team with you. You have to have a game plan that the players buy into and suits their attributes as your job ultimately is to get the best out of the players. You also need a plan B and C drilled into players of what to do in certain situations, so if you take a quick puck out to the corner back and the opposition forwards push up if that player continually tries to burst out through the press it would indicate this was not worked on properly in training. How many times did that very thing happen this season?
Even basic things like sideline balls, it often looked like there was not plan or understanding amongst the players, on a well coached side every player knows what they are doing. Limerick most certainly have a panel of top class hurlers but put them under a poor coaching set up and even they would struggle.

I remember reading Ger Loughnane's biography "Raising the banner" and there is a bit near the end about his plan to have Sean Stack replace him. Stack was a well respected coach at the time at club level so Loughnane brought him in as part of the coaching team and let him take a few sessions at the start of the year, after a few months numbers at sessions were down as Stacks training methods were not up to the standard the players were used to and could see they were wasting their time. Loughnane took the reins again and eventually got rid of Stack.

Tommy Fitzgerald is clearly a passionate Laois and GAA mean, fair play to him for taking on the role and he was not helped by coming in after Darren Gleeson stepped down. But you have to say Laois have clearly regressed this year under his management, no question about it. They beat Westmeath, Down and Kerry this year along with a last puck goal to get the win over Carlow. They were beating by Antrim, Kildare (twice) and Carlow. Relegated from the league and failed to win the Joe McDonagh cup which was a lower standard from last year.

Unlike the footballers Laois seem to have some very good hurlers at u-20 and minor so its up to the county board to ensure we have a top coaching team and senior level to get the very best out of our players as they come through to senior level. They should also have a plan to develop coaches within Laois to learn from the very best.

[The infidel in exile]

Thanks blow-in and Joey, I won't apologise for living in Nottingham, thus missing games, but training sessions ( Harsh). I previously thought and stated that young Duggan deserved to start in Croke Park. Forgive me if I don't return the favour and say something personal back.

I have my own subjective opinion regarding our senior hurlers.

Secondly, I'm getting rather sick of repetition, but I never ever attacked Tommy, all I said, has actually been penned by Joey. THE LAOIS SENIOR HURLING PANEL OF 2025 HAS REGRESSED SINCE 2024.

I Don't think that many would disagree regarding that. Not that it matters Blow-in, or anyone else that reads this, but due to geographical circumstances, I payed just under £1.200 watching those few games you mentioned, which is of course my business.

Dublin who are not as good as Tipperary, almost beat Kildare by as much as Tipp beat us.

We were beaten by 10 points, and if we are all honest, we were blessed beyond reason to have beaten Carlow on score difference.

Carlow Senior hurlers have an average of 29 years of age, with little or nobody coming behind the group, and that great St Mullins team, Carlow will go seriously back in the next few years, Westmeath are similar. It is not just me that you should single out brother, as most of the contributers on the platform have pointed out that all year, Laois are probably the most predictable team iv watched. THAT'S DOWN TO THE MANAGEMENT TEAM, you can say what you want about myself or Duggan or whomever, as it is your right to. But I agree with EIGHT PEOPLE ON HERE, that basically said similar. Under the current management team, Laois are as predictable as the Sun shining. I bare no-one ill will but yes I would like to see the County bring in a coach that can make us harder to play against, harder to gauge, harder to score against, and more like 2019, because we know that we have some food hurlers both in their prime ( 26/28) and young lad's coming. I shall leave it there, and wish you all the best

[Laoisred]

Some on here keep referencing the 2019 coaching. The 2019 coach is the current coach, just so everyone is clear.

[The infidel in exile]

In theory you may have a point Laoisred. But he was part of the coaching team. Everyone knows that Eddie Brennan had the his ideas all through that team. I get your point, but he wasnt THE COACH.

Anyway you will all be happy to know that I won't be bringing it up again, as iv given my observations. So we shall see what will happen.

On the flip side our underage are definitely improving. I spent the afternoon watching the minors play Wexford. And young phelan of Mountrath. I think? Masonry and a few others have got serious promise if they are looked after, I personally believe that at least those two and maybe young O'keefe, should be brought in to train with the seniors, as the extended panel, mahoney looks really good, in 2 years they will be pushing on big time.

[Laoisred]

Unfortunately, you are incorrect again. He was the head coach in 2019 - set the team up, ran all the sessions, the one who was in charge on the training pitch. The very same as this year.

[Laois man]

Phelan on the minor team is Ctown not mrath.

[Laois Rising]

Eddie Brennan gained instant respect from the squad because of his name as a multi All-Ireland winner with Kilkenny. He is also a good character and players liked him. It created a real feel good factor within the squad and players bought in as a result. We gained momentum as they year progressed and that year we didn't suffer hugely with injuries and had as strong a side as Laois have had many years with a number of key players at their peak in mid twenties. Right time right place for Eddie. He was the figurehead (the John Kiely role) but players will tell you that Tommy was the head coach (Kinnerk role) to that team and dictated a lot in how we played and set up.

Tommy is trying to build something and its going to take time. Lads giving out that we are at our worst but we have developed some decent underage sides the last few years and there is a pool of very decent players who will hopefully step in over the next few years and help to drive Laois hurling onwards and upwards.   

[The infidel in exile]

Thanks for that, young phelan is a fine big hurler

[Joeythelips]

I have no gripe against Tommy Fitzgerald, like everyone else on here I just want Laois to be successful regardless of who is in charge. I have not seen Laois train and can only comment on games i have seen. In my opinion based on what i have seen, Laois looked a poorly prepared side in terms of having a game plan/implementing the plan correctly, and a plan B when Plan A was not working.

What I saw from Laois in 2019 is worlds apart from what I saw this year, granted players are older with some coming to the end of their careers and the camp might not have been as united this year. Its also a fair point by Laois Rising that Eddie Brennan was the figurehead  that united the players to get everyone pulling in the one direction (Micko had this same effect in football).

All teams are judged on their results at the end of the day and whatever the cause (both management and players share the blame here) those result were not good enough. We played 13 games this year between league and championship winning 4 (Westmeath twice, Kerry & Down) drew once and lost 8.

All I would say is for people to look back at the Carlow game in the Joe McDonagh cup. This game to me illustrates our failings this year. It was our 11th competitive game from that list so lots of work done at training leading up to this game, we had been beaten by Kildare so we knew the importance of the game and we knew Carlow after been beaten by them in the league to effectively relegate us. So we had no real excuses going into this game in terms of time for management team and squad to be ready for it.

If you watch that game you would have to be critical of Laois, they seemed all over the place for a lot of that game and were poor in execution of the basic skills of the game along with aimless game play. So many handling errors, players picking wrong passes or not supporting each other at times. There were at least two side line cuts that went astray and one in particular in the 2nd half we fouled and gave Carlow a great lift. An we nicked a draw in the end with a goal at the death.

It simply looked to me that Laois were 2nd best in all aspects of the game in that match, and again looked poorly prepared in most aspects of gameplay. Something you might expect of a team that playing in its first few games but not its 11th and most important. As you rightly say Laois have some talented hurlers coming through in the next few years so it is vital we have a good set up in place, if Tommy is to be the man to do this he has to take serious stock of what went wrong this year.

[Laoisred]

Apologies, I should have made myself more clear. Niall Corcoran ran the show for Eddie in 2019. He was his head coach - ran the sessions, set the team up etc. Niall Corcoran ran the show for Tommy this year year - ran the sessions, set the team up, style of play etc etc. I know that they are six years apart but we had the same head coach working with the players both years.

[The PRO]

Eddie Brennan was 6 years ago. There's not much point in harking back to those days, great and all as they were. Another thing is we were a lot stronger in 2019. Purcell was at his peak and Roddy, Mark Kavanagh, Willie Dunphy and Picky were all top class forwards.
Jack Kelly was excellent that year too and despite how excellent Cathal Dunne has been, the biggest loss of all is Rowland.
Yes, you can blame management, county board etc but at the end of the day, the quality of hurling in the Carlow and Kildare games has simply not been good enough. Maybe that's 100% the fault of management but I doubt it. 

[Laoisred]

Yes I completely agree. Theres no point in looking backwards. There was a narrative emerging from the comments that we should be more like the 2019 /2020 set up.
I was merely pointing out that we had the same head coach this year as 2019.
And by the way Eddie and the group had a pretty awful 2020 which often gets lost in the blue tinted glasses.
There should be a review and I hope there is. I also hope the entire group gets a chance to put things right themselves. That includes Rowland, O'Connell who stepped away during the year. Maybe another player or two will choose to commit next year and that the championship unearths one or two as well. Here's hoping for an improved Laois in 2026.

[Laois man]

I believe our coach is moving on we need to get everyone on board for next year if possible and try push on there's 5 or 6 lads our there that would be a big help to the panel.

[Spiritof1915]

If they can keep the majority of this years panel and from the older players off hand i feel
Rowland
Jack Kelly
James Ryan
Ian Shanahan
John Foley would be serious additions/re-additions to the cause for 2026

Throw in younger players like
Eoghan Murphy
Jack Breen
Rory Kelly
Justin Duggan
Cormac Byrne to name a few, i think they would be clear favourites to make another final with Antrim.

As with the majority of contributers on here, the puck out strategy this year did not suit. At least not all of the time, so if Tommy stays or a new team comes in, a Plan B is essential for our own puck outs.