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From being at the match in Nowlan park, I got an awful sense of dejavu. Seems like Cheddar is falling into the same trap as last year. There is no game plan. It seems Cheddar has lost the confidence of the team with a number of players leaving the panel before the championship even started. This was clearly shown in Nolan park with only 24 lads fit to play, not even filling the match day 26. Regardless of injuries this is shocking.

The lack of work ethic from the forwards is contagious. There are no ball winners. It's time to try something new, Limerick repurposed Kyle Hayes, we should be looking at trying something similar with the likes of Mullaney.

The half back line and mid fielders seem lost. The scoreline reflected this with the Kilkenny midfielders getting 10 points between them and the half forwards getting approx 12 points under absolutely no pressure. The plan of letting these teams score from out the field is not working, the likes of Kilkenny, Galway, Wexford and Dublin (although we ran them close did hit 18 awful wides) can all score from long distance. We are just giving them free range target practice.

I know the lads are better than this they have shown it before. The only thing that salvaged last year was when the players took control and went 15 on 15 and stopped retreating and stopped listening to Cheddar's game plan.


Fair play to Cheddar for all the years he's given to Laois. But the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again!

Just hope we stay up this year after Saturday's performance. I'm very worried. Hope they can get over the line against Westmeath!

We made hard work of that. Westmeath were the better team for the majority of the game. Fair play to the lads for seeing it through and getting the win.

I think things have improved over the last two games and I feel the players deserve the credit not the management.

I know Cheddar has been a massive servant to Laois hurling over the years and has gave the county so much and we probably can't repay him for all his service and commitment. However, as someone, who has a sibling on the current team , I am truly heartbroken to see the lack of confidence that the lads have in themselves. The passion that some of these players have for hurling has been decimated. They have been forced to stick with the same game plan over and over again, no one speaks up and they've been told week in and week out that they are not expected to win because they have injured players. Things have improved with the win over Antrim and Waterford, but the players were the ones who came together and changed the game plan not the management. From what I aware of video analysis doesn't come into the picture after matches and trainings are lacklustre at the best of times. I think everyone is well aware of our list of injured players but we've got to make the most of what we have and we've got to try and pull it together.

I didn't want to write this, but I felt that something had to be said. I think that this Laois hurling team has a future ahead of them but the management needs to step up to the plate. Questions need to be asked, especially in regards to both the attacking and defensive setup. When Eddie Brennan was manager there was a passion and hunger in this time which is clearly absent now. They didn't win every game with Eddie,  but they did give teams a run for their money. Players used to work together and give the sliotar to the man in the best position, now its every man for himself. The team work rate is down and the moral is down as well. Sticking with the same setup and plan when it clearly isn't working is delusional and is unfair on players who give their time to a sport that they love. Look I don't have the solutions, but I don't want to see players who clearly love the game fall out of love with it. I think a few questions need to be asked as regards the plan going forward and perhaps a few questions need to be asked of the management as they clearly have been given a few concessions but I think a bit of scrutiny needs to be put in place.

Looking forward to a good performance on Saturday!