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Agree, its an awful tight pitch. You can see why Dublin hurlers wanted to move their games out of there this year. An 18 point swing will be hard to achieve where space is at a premium. I do not expect Cavan to put up a huge winning margin on Offaly as any sort of win will do them so we will probably need to beat London by a minimum of 15 points. A very tall ask. 

You cannot call any loss to a Kildare juvenile team a surprise any longer. The number of clubs playing hurling within Kildare has exploded in the last decade. Some of their clubs have shown at juvenile level that they can be very competitive against Kilkenny sides. With Kildare's population and interest in hurling rapidly growing it would be no surprise to see Kildare winning a Joe McDonagh Cup in the next 10 years.

At least we now won't suffer the embarrassment of finishing in the bottom 5 sides in the country (once we don't mess up to London) and not reach the knock out stages of the Tailteann Cup. Scoring difference could come into play if Cavan beat Offaly. We may still finish second in the group giving us another home game against most likely Wexford/Leitrim, Carlow or New York. If we do finish third we will be away to possibly Antrim/Fermanagh, Longford or Meath/Down. I wouldn't fancy our chances in two of those ties so lets home results go favorably for us in round three of the group stages. If we do not make a quarter final then the county board will have to consider if the Billy Sheehan project is worth committing to for a third year.   

Wexford might benefit from a year in the Joe McDonagh and building some momentum winning games on a consistent basis. However, it makes our challenge of getting back into the Leinster championship all the more harder if they do end up in the Joe McDonagh next year. I'm still so frustrated that we have made a complete rocks of this year's Joe McDonagh- Laois are a level above Carlow and Kerry and, despite the renewed optimism in Offaly hurling, I still think we are better than them when at full strength. A Laois Offaly final could have been a wonderful advertisement for the Joe McDonagh. Instead, we will probably see Offaly win comfortably and poor Carlow sent like lambs to the slaughter to play either Cork or Limerick in a premlinary quarter final.   

It's a pity Laois conceded that last minute penalty to Carlow. Shouldn't have lost that day and it looks like that the team has finally found its stride but to no avail because we have missed out on the final. Playing Offaly in the final would have been a great occasion. I think we are now probably that bit stronger than them as well now that different players have returned from injury and others like Ross King have found their rhythm. Such a missed opportunity. Beating Offaly and a home game then to follow with probably Dublin would have really given hurling in the county a lift which is badly needed. Maher was building to have the team peak for the "business end" of the season. We just sadly missed the boat on that through unfortunate circumstances and switching off in a game before it was won.

Fail to prepare, prepare to fail. It definitely comes to mind looking at Laois hurling at the moment.

If I was an Offaly player I would definitely rather play Carlow over Laois in the final. Little to separate Laois and Offaly in reality. Laois would be stronger than when the teams met in the first round as they have players who have returned or are returning from injury. Laois also have greater experience of playing in games like the Joe McDonagh Final  to Carlow and the occasion should faze them. A midlands derby with Laois holding the underdog role seeking revenge would not be one I's be picking as an Offaly hurler over facing a Carlow side who probably had the rub of the green in securing draws with both Kerry and Laois.

Could Donie Kingston be asked back in for Tailteann Cup and given one last hurrah in a Laois jersey. Granted he's not going to be peak Donie but with three round robin games and a few weeks hard training he surely get himself into reasonable condition to do some sort of job in full forward. We probably could afford to lose two of our round robin games and still beat London by enough of a margin to squeek into the preliminary quarter final. It would also allow Evan to be moved further out the field where his size and physicality are sorely needed.   

Last year Laois had a glorious opportunity to defeat Westmeath in the Tailteann Cup-a man up and a goal up and conspired to blow it. Westmeath went on the win the competition. I don't think Cavan are going to get caught twice after last year but hopefully Laois can win through to perhaps a semi-final with the luck of the draw and build up the experience of some of the younger players who maybe have potential to kick on over the next few years. This year it is important to put the building blocks in place for a better 2024 where Laois might gain promotion to Division 3 of the league and possibly give the Tailteann Cup a right rattle.

The high investment in Derry is certainly starting the bear fruit at senior level now.

i never thought things would fall so bad, so quickly. i actually thought there was a bit of hope in making the two under 20 finals. While there would always be a bit of a fall off due to injury etc, i thought that a good young squad would have been established from the two teams. i remember talking (in loose terms!!!) to Dublin CEO John Costello after attending one of the finals in Carlow. He had the misfortune of standing on the terrace, but the conversation was that Dublin would cherry quick what they needed from these teams but Laois would need everyone one of them such was the problems in Leinster Football and to survive. Of course there were a few other barbs about Dublin funding etc thrown in but 4 years later i would have been hoping a lot more players would have been involved. The two teams from the finals,

2019 Leinster u20 Final
1. David O'Hanlon (Na Fianna) 2. Darren Maher (St Patrick's Donabate) 3. Daire Newcombe (Lucan Sarsfields) 4. Eoin O'Dea (Na Fianna) 5. Kieran Kennedy (Ballyboden St Enda's) 6. Neil Matthews (Erin's Isle) 7. Sean Lambe (St Vincent's) 8. Peadar O'Cofaigh Byrne (Cuala) 9. Donal Ryan (Na Fianna) 10. Niall O'Leary (Kilmacud Crokes) 11. Karl Lynch Bissett (Naomh Mearnóg) 12. James Doran (Na Fianna) 13. Brian O'Leary (Na Fianna) 14. Ciaran Archer (St Maurs) 15. Ross McGarry (Ballyboden St Enda's)
Subs 20. David Lacey (Na Fianna) for Donal Ryan (43) 22. Harry Ladd (Lucan Sarsfields) for Brian O'Leary (55) 17. Aaron Lynch (St. Sylvesters) for Darren Maher (55) 18. Conor Kinsella (Kilmacud Crokes) for Eoin O'Dea (57) 23. Mark Lavin (Lucan Sarsfields) for Niall O'Leary (60) 24. Sean Foran (Whitehall Colmcilles) for Kieran Kennedy (60)

Laois
1. Matthew Byron (Courtwood) 2. Michael Dowling (Portlaoise) 3. Seamus Lacey (Ballylinan 4. Alex Mohan (Portarlington) 5. Colin Slevin (Portarlington) 6. Sean O'Flynn (Courtwood) 7. Dean Brophy (St Joseph's) 8. Robert Tyrrell (Camross) 9. Eoin Dunne (Rosenallis) 10. Mark Barry (O'Dempsey's) 11. Michael Doran (Killeshin) 12. Ronan Coffey (Portarlington) 13. Alan Kinsella (Courtwood) 14. Dan McCormack (O'Dempseys) 15. Diarmuid Whelan (Ballyroan Abbey)
Subs
18. Jack Owens (Emo) for Michael Doran (36) 17. Niall Dunne (Courtwood) for Dan McCormack (38) 19. Jason Maher (Portlaoise) for Ronan Coffey (48) 22. Kevin Byrne (Ballylinan) for Lacey (55) 23. Ross Brennan (Portlaoise) for Brophy (58) 24. Jack Lacey (St. Joseph's) for Mohan (58).

2020 Leinster u20 Final
LAOIS: Mathew Byron (Courtwood); Michael Dowling (Portlaoise), Alex Mohan (Portarlington), Neil Keane (The Heath); Sean O'Flynn (Courtwood), Gary Saunders (Portlaoise), Jack Lacey (St Joseph's); Barry Howlin (O'Dempsey's), PJ Daly (The Heath); Ronan Coffey (Portarlington), Jack Owens (Emo), Damon Larkin (Portlaoise); Colin Slevin (Portarlington), Darragh Galvin (Portarlington), Mark Barry (O'Dempsey's).

Subs: Dean Brophy (St Joseph's) for Howlin (27), Sean O'Neill (The Rock) for Daly (42), Ross Bolger (Killeshin) for Lacey (47), Josh Lacey (St Joseph's) for Galvin (50), Sean Michael Corcoran (Portarlington) for Larkin (53)

DUBLIN: Josh O'Neill (St Vincent's); Alan Murphy (Lucan Sarsfields), Adam Rafter (Na Fianna), Josh Bannon (St Sylvester's); Rory Dwyer (St Margaret's), Adam Waddick (Thomas Davis), Lee Gannon (Whitehall Colmcilles); Killian McGinnis (Skerries Harps), Evan Caulfield (Clan na Gael Fontenoy); Mark Lavin (Lucan Sarsfields), Lorcan O'Dell Templeogue Synge Street), Sean Foran (Whitehall Colmcilles); Ciaran Archer (St Maur's), Luke Swan (Castleknock), Kieran McKeon (Clontarf).

Subs: Aaron Fearon (Skerries Harps) for McGinnis (41), Padraig Purcell (Kilmacud Crokes) for Foran (45), Conor Kinsella (Kilmacud Crokes) for Bannon (47), Stephen Braiden (Thomas Davis) for O'Dell (54), Conor Tyrell (St Oliver Plunkett's-Eoghan Rua) for Murphy (60)

Those Dublin teams were comfortable enough winners in both of those finals. Of those two Dublin squads, as you mention, only a couple were cherry picked, and are now part of a Dublin senior set up. If Ciaran Archer was available to Laois he would probably be one of our main forwards right now. In Dublin, he failed to make the grade last year and was cut from the panel. It just shows the frightening gap that exists.

Strong underage teams where the collective is strong do not necessarily improve the senior set up as the players move up. What you really want is 2/3 really outstanding players driving those team who are head and shoulders above the rest of their team mates. These are the lads who might make a difference and improve things as they step up to senior level. Of the last 5 years or so we have been fairly competitive at u20 level. However, those teams have predominantly possessed all "good" footballers. If you think of the successful underage teams of the 90s and 00s they were sprinkled with standout underage talents e.g. Conway, Beano, Fitzgerald in the 90s and O'Loughlin, Kingston, Healy and Tuohy in the 00s. You couldn't really say that of the teams of recent years.

I've a hunch we (Laois) might secure our spot later today.

Just by the skin of their teeth!

Going man to man and playing "traditional open football" against the likes of O'Callaghan, Kilkenny & co. will certainly help secure your place in the Tailteann Cup without any great difficultly.

Frustrating draw. Even if we win the remaining two games I wouldn't fancy our chances of getting to the final. I can see Offaly already qualified come the final round of games and throwing out a second string team against Carlow in the last game. They would probably take Carlow over Laois in the final and take great satisfaction from eliminating us. A wasted year. 

I'm not sure why but for some reason I think the Dubs might be in for a fright

Your prediction has rung true. The fright being how truly terrible this Laois team is. I am debating heading home now. Hard to watch another 35 minutes of this.

Colm Parkinson told RTÉ Sport's Eithne O'Brien that, "I think we're a better footballing team.

"Dublin are hyped up by the media. We knew coming up here that if we rattled them, that they'd be over-confident, that we'd be able to get a run on them. That's the way it's going.

"So hopefully in the second-half we'll be able to drive it home, and I can't see us losing from this point, to be honest with you."


Ahhh Wolly at half time in 2003


How right he was

Rem in 2015 I think we were 2 points up at the break I remember been at it and there was nobody from laous there .
Donie Ross Strong and Finn all kicked wonder points into the hill .

Good Laois team on the day Brody made his debut

That Laois team was backboned by a lot of lads who had been part of the successful minor and U21 teams of the 00s. They were all in their late 20s/very early 30s and in their prime as footballers. Played some great football in that first half. It was a warm day and the strenght of the substitutions that Dublin could make meant that we were never going to be able sustain those efforts for full 70 minutes.  I don't think we've had a better championship performance since.