Messages

Who is over the 20s?

Derek Delaney. Portlaoise.

Was talking to a parent of one young lad on under 20 panel he brought his young lad up to Antrim a few weeks ago to play Antrim were beaten by over 20 points had no recognised goalie and he said it was a complete sh**show

Why no goalkeeper? Sh1tshow in what way?

They played Kildare in a practice game in CoE the other night. Don't know how it ended, but Laois were six or seven up midway in the second half.

U20s reasonably well beaten by Kilkenny u19s last weekend, also at CoE.

they won well in the end but it was Kildare's subs and a few that didn't get a full run out in their league game against Antrim two days previous.

Laois were also missing 8 to 10 players that played the Derry league game. Laois won well in the end. Good start to the year for them but bigger tests to come.

Basically rounds one and two of the Joe McDonagh will determine the whole year.

Another win for the hurlers. Although a poor-ish performance.

Derry played a sweeper, had a man sent off and continued to play a sweeper. This looked to throw Laois off a bit, two spare defenders. Looked like they didn't really know what to do with the ball.

Unusual one, had Derry kept the full compliment they might have won by more. I hope they have some good challenge games booked because playing this level of opposition weekly will not help Joe Mc Donagh prep.

Said I'd create a post to discuss the county board and its current, past and future state.

I see Brian Allen was elected vice-chairman last night ahead of Tony Bambrick. I find this to unbelievable.

Tony Bambrick is fairly progressive and done a great job at pushing through the evidence-based restructuring of the football championship.

What is Brian Allen going to bring to the table that he hasn't already? No disrespect to Brian.

There is no hurling in the CBS. They may have a team but there is no culture or want for hurling within the school. From the management to the students. Apparently students can't even puck around at lunch time.

I know of a few teachers in there who are good hurling coaches or were formerly good players and they've all just given up trying.

It would be a very multicultural school to be fair but it's heavily basketball/football orientated. Teachers are leaning into that too.

Given up...as in no support from school principal and management?

I am told there is very little in hurling interest from students. Training attendances are poor, particularly when students get older.

Management are oblivious, I hear they've no idea about what competitions/grades etc teams play at and apparently they seem to hire teachers who cannot and/or will not train teams, leaving a very small cohort of frustrated coaches.

There is no interest in hurling and for that matter football either in the school

Portlaoise CBS is one of the biggest boys schools in the country and its ambivalent towards the GAA at best

I won't say what it is at worst

It is not helped by the fact that the school management have basically zero in what is happening regarding sport in the school beyond organising cover for classes. I have got it first hand that they wouldn't even know what games are on.

I fully believe it needs to be driven from the top. It's night and day in comparison to KK schools.

There is no hurling in the CBS. They may have a team but there is no culture or want for hurling within the school. From the management to the students. Apparently students can't even puck around at lunch time.

I know of a few teachers in there who are good hurling coaches or were formerly good players and they've all just given up trying.

It would be a very multicultural school to be fair but it's heavily basketball/football orientated. Teachers are leaning into that too.

I am in agreement, I suppose I should have suggested that Laois ( for whatever reason ), Don't have an abundance of big physical men, Colin Byrne has a Year or so of growth.
I don't know about Mark Dowling of Camross, whether he is on the panel, but he is Certainly a presence when he plays at 14. There are Countries that just, for a reason unbenonced to people in general, have Big men, Limerick, who also have a series gym workrate, Neath, Derry, Dublin due to population density, Fermanagh, Cork, and Kerry, and Tipperary.

100%. Kilkenny on the whole are just a bigger, stronger team for example. It's probably down to S&C but also having a bigger pick. More numbers means they can choose not to use the players of lesser physical stature.

There's probably plenty like Colin Byrne and Cillian Dunne down in KK, but they aren't within an asses roar of a county team.

See Keegan is running coaching workshops down in Wexford now. Independent money spinner but further adds to the bad optics.

How do Laois GAA sit by idly and think this is ok?

Believe the Ballinakill/ Ballypickas underage amalgamation is no more because 'Pickas wouldn't do a full join-up at adult. Heard that Ballypickas are now going in with Colt/ Shanahoe at underage? Could this be right?

Not sure on Colt/Shanahoe element but correct otherwise.

Ballinakill have numbers at most underage grades and should be able to manage I'm told. Pickas are apparently impossible to deal with.

Dooley tailed off a small bit towards the end of the Joe McDonagh campaign but still should have been on the TOTY

With all due respect to Paddy Purcell, who was a phenomenal servant to Laois hurling, he should not have been near that Joe McDonagh team of the year.

The Harps again, what is going on in here. Surely a piss take at this stage. I'd love a bit of what ye are on.

Harps contenders again for 2026, come on. This same suggestion goes on and on in here.

They have shown nothing, absolutely nothing, to suggest they'll be contenders this coming championship. I'll be surprised on year but they haven't been near it in a long, long time.

And I actually like the Harps, a good club.