2025 National Hurling League

[jay110]

Big game Sunday. Should be a good crowd in O'Moore Park. Carlow put it up to Offaly last week and gotba point in the end so Offaly will be going for it from the start. In recent years it's been a good tussle with Offaly with little between the teams. A win would set us up nicely fro the rest of the league.

It'll be interesting to see the team, and I wasn't all that gone on the one named for Westmeath. Where's Podge Delaney this weather? I'd say it'd be good work to beat Offaly.

Offaly will be a tough job alright. They seem well drilled this year.

[The infidel in exile]

goin in over top is slammin a Laois manager after a challenge match in fekkin January. N the lad only in job a few weeks cos of a man gettin cancer. I have it as much respect as it deservet. January lads.

I apologised for the remark and thus am sorry that it hit a nerve. But if thats not enough for you then thats quite ok. As all I care about is 2 points on Sunday and have no interest in continuing a debate that I put to bed with my apology. God bless

[The infidel in exile]

Lads have we any suggestions on the team that Tommy Fitzgerald will put out on Sunday, I  would love to hear some of your predictions on the starting 15? The Biffos only drew against Carlow in Tullamore, so they will be coming with all guns blazing, although that Carlow team are decent. Is Cillian Samson fit to start, and if so, who would you put marking him. The last two games that they met, a goal seperated the teams. I dont know what you think but although its the first game, its a must win on Sunday

[Blueforever]

Hurlers desperate against poor Offaly team we had one plan goalie pucks out to corner back he solo up the field then turn the ball over going to be a long year

[Voice of tReason]

Could be a tough league. We're clearly behind but I'd back management to close the gap over the next couple of months.
Getting a few players back in the coming weeks would be huge.

[County Man]

A tough start to division 1B. Even though we were 2 points up at half time, Offaly were on top hitting a number of wides and squandering a couple of goal opportunities.

They took over in the second half and were full value for their victory.

For us, I thought that Cha Dwyer had a fine game on his return and Paddy Purcell did well when he came on. Enda Rowland was good as usual on his 100th appearance for Laois.

Waterford away is a very tough assignment next Sunday before the refixture away against Westmeath and a massive home game against Carlow who had a famous win against Waterford at the weekend to follow on from their draw with Offaly.

[G@@]

Waterford will want to right the wrong of losing to Carlow by hammering Laois. This coming Sunday could be a hard day at the office.
Realistically, outside of beating Westmeath (not at all guaranteed) where are we going to find a second win to remain safe in this division, and we will be needing a decent score deficit as some other teams will end up on 4pts too.
Carlow are flying high and we really really have to target this game.

[Laois Rising]

Performance is to be expected considering it was our first day our and Offaly had an opportunity to blow out some cobwebs the week before. Everyone who is tuned into where Laois hurling is at the moment knew that the opening few rounds of the league were going to be a real challenge for Laois. Tommy is not long in the role, players still to come back in and we are realistically a number of weeks behind some of the other teams. We saw that in the challenge games prior to the commencement of the league. Expect things to level out by the last couple of rounds of the league. Hopefully we will be in with a shout of staying in the division come last day of the league. When everyone is available we should have a decent squad that will go well in the Joe McDonagh.

Hopefully the likes of Quinlan and Keyes can progress under Tommy this year. They were both good in some games last year but when it came to the final against Offaly on a big pitch in perfect conditions for hurling (which should suit them) they struggled to make an input and were physically outgunned. This year I think is a big year for both players and fingers crossed they can step up another level. We need more scoring threats in our forward line and these two players do show plenty of skill and potential. On Sunday, once Offaly found their rhythm they were miles ahead of us in terms of winning primary possession and taking scoring chances when they presented themselves. In a ten minute period early in the second half they blew us out of it and the game was done after that. 
   

[SpeculativeEffort]

I've been hearing all week that there will be a backlash in Waterford this week and there more than likely will.

However, we were outfought, outwitted and outgunned by our neighbours. They beat us by 9 points as we produced a fairly spineless effort. Nobody is suggesting our lads will have a kick in them though. Where is our pride as a county? We are just predicting our lads to roll over and take a licking off Waterford!

They just lost by 5 to Carlow. Why are we not looking to pile on? OK our fitness levels don't look wonderful but the panel is full of quality players. Stack the team and start hard vs Waterford. If they are under pressure after 45 mins, let's see how they react.

Start the likes of Willie Dunphy, Purcell, Podge Delaney, Dooley, A Dunphy, Eanna Lyons, Mossy, Corby around the middle 8 and lay down a marker.

I'd love to see Dooley in the Half back line.

[LaoisforSam]

Looking at Offaly v Antrim with a really poor crowd for a team doing well. This nonsense of charging U16s & pensioners has to stop.On a seperate note Portlaoise CBS won The Basketball A All Ireland. Talent is there but unfortunately the two inter County hurlers have no interest in school hurling & Portlaoise are at least 10 years from winning their first Minor A & by that stage they'll have gone 35 years plus without a County Final win at Minor A. Best of luck against Waterford today & well done to the footballers on their massive win against Leitrim. 3-20 is a massive score against any team.

[Truthsayer]

Davy has his work cut out to eradicate a lot of careless mistakes. Rare glimpses of good Antrim play but is mostly disjointed and shoddy... and indisciplined.

[Verbal]

Who are the InterCounty Hurlers in the CBS?
James Walsh & ?

I think Rowland is a problem.
Not the goal.
His distribution has become poor & unpredictable.

[Laois Rising]

Is it Rowland's fault or simply our outfield players do not win enough of the 50/50 battles. Rowland is only doing what he is being asked to do with puck outs. A very frustrating performance in a match that was there to be won. You can see how Carlow beat this Waterford team-they gave us enough opportunities in both frees and in opportunities in play to shoot for a score and time and time we did not take those opportunities.

Had we been efficient that 10 point loss could easily have been a 3/4 point victory. Again, its early days in the league and Laois are not where some of the other teams are at at present. Tommy got a desired response effort wise from last week. Few more games, improved fitness and better match sharpness we should have enough to stay in this division. Need to win two of three games against Westmeath, Carlow and Antrim. I think the Dubs might be motoring too well for us at present to take their scalp.

The target for next couple of months is simply to stay in the division and have the players primed for championship. Looking at the games in the next division down we really do not want to end up there as it will do very little for developing the team playing the likes of Tyrone, Derry and Donegal.   

[georgedoylesrightleg]

frees kilt us. cant miss that many. were off still but will improve. have it in us ta pick off carla and antrim at laste.

[Laois man]

If we don't beat westmeath we won't stay up.