2025 National Hurling League

[Verbal]

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.   

It's not.
But I don't actually mean the puckouts.

Staying up is so important.
Tough task ahead though

[Ogie]

Rumours of Enda Rowland taking a break from the squad

[G@@]

Laois 4-18 V 1-19 Westmeath.
A good result from Mullingar - especially considering the sending off early in the second half. PJ Scully will miss the next game?

[Joeythelips]

Impressive scoreline for sure, sets up the Carlow match nicely.

[georgedoylesrightleg]

set up for a rite crak off the rastas. never feared them. never will. tommy will have us rite.

[redsetanta]

Good win alright and badly needed.

Tommy was a good man for a goal during his playing days and it's good to see the lads rattling the net 4 times. We have struggled in the past to score goals.

How good/bad were Westmeath though?

Carlow game next week will be a cracker as there hasn't been much in our games with them the last few years. They probably feel they are due a win over us.

[mcwregor]

Just a word on Willie Maher's new appointment. What are his intentions for promoting/progressing hurling in Laois?
Im sure his remit includes promoting hurling in weaker counties. Trying to get hurling going in counties like Longford and Leitrim is going to be an arduous task. There needs to be some will in these counties to get things going. Im not so sure that will is there in those counties.

In my opinion his best bet is getting some of the weaker counties stronger at hurling to compete at the top level, the likes of Laois, westmeath, kerry and kildare for example. In those counties you at least have a tradition of hurling and there is a will there for things to improve.

Laois people are crying out for a county team to follow. Look at the crowds we get when there's a sniff of a chance of winning or getting somewhere. The senior in 2019, the games against dublin and tipp were epic and it captured the spirit within the county. That along with the minors run in 2022. It just shows what the interest and the following is there just beneath the surface.

What can be done? I know a big part of his remit is forming new clubs. As a start we badly need a new juvenile hurling club in portlaoise town. The reasons are obvious. Get hurling going properly in the primary schools and secondary schools would be a big push on to county development squads and thereafter.
Further development in parts of the county that have made some strides such as portarlington, mountmellick, emo etc can be made.

I dont know how successful Willie Maher will be, it will be a tough job but we should have a bit of credit in the bank with willie and the county board should be banging down his down for support and to make sure that laois hurling is firmly in his plans. Cheddar beat that drum as hard as he could for as long as he could. Should his blue print be back on Willie Maher's desk? We don't want to miss an opportunity here. I would have to question though are the county board doing there utmost here??

WHO HAS GOT LAOIS HURLING'S BACK?

[Kidder81]

Good win alright and badly needed.

Tommy was a good man for a goal during his playing days and it's good to see the lads rattling the net 4 times. We have struggled in the past to score goals.

How good/bad were Westmeath though?

Carlow game next week will be a cracker as there hasn't been much in our games with them the last few years. They probably feel they are due a win over us.

Westmeath were absolutely brutal against Antrim in Corrigan, usually they are big, physical & "abrasive" but they were none of that. I put it down to it being their first game but maybe not the case if they were poor against you.

[Zooming around]

That was an excellent win yesterday

[Verbal]

Without trying to be controversial, the Hegel opinion seems to be that the issues around puckouts & distribution were raised & it didn't go down well.
If that is the case then I think Rowland needs to reflect.
He is an excellent keeper.
He is capable of being very very accurate and clever with his distribution.
Hopefully he decides he has a future at InterCounty level.
I believe T Fitzgerald to be a reasonable man, so I don't think Enda's exile will be forced from that side.

We are lucky to have had Rowland over the last 8-10 years.
We are lucky to have Dunne now.

Did Fleming just step in this week or was he involved this year all along?

[georgedoylesrightleg]

Good win alright and badly needed.

Tommy was a good man for a goal during his playing days and it's good to see the lads rattling the net 4 times. We have struggled in the past to score goals.

How good/bad were Westmeath though?

Carlow game next week will be a cracker as there hasn't been much in our games with them the last few years. They probably feel they are due a win over us.

Westmeath were absolutely brutal against Antrim in Corrigan, usually they are big, physical & "abrasive" but they were none of that. I put it down to it being their first game but maybe not the case if they were poor against you.

bulfins a spoof

[Laois Rising]

Let's be realistic as to where Westmeath are at presently- they have a smaller pool of players to Laois and don't have the same strength in depth. Davy Glennon and Niall O'Brien only came on as subs and a long way off being properly match fit. Jogger Doyle and Killian Doyle weren't playing either. Westmeath minus a few of their stalwarts should not be beating Laois and that proved the case.

Another game and another improvement in performance. League is going as expected for Laois and I do think they will step it up again for the challenge of Carlow. Regardless of the result against Carlow it looks most likely the Antrim v Laois game will be a straight relegation play-off match and unfortunately that is an away game for Laois. Davy Fitz is astute enough and will target (as he must) that game.

Perhaps come the last game and if Dublin already promoted we might still have a shot with staying up but I wouldn't be banking on that game. Need to win our next two games and then let the game against Dublin be a hit to nothing.

 

[The Boy Wonder]

set up for a rite crak off the rastas. never feared them. never will. tommy will have us rite.

Without trying to be controversial, the Hegel opinion seems to be that the issues around puckouts & distribution were raised & it didn't go down well.

A wide spectrum of literacy amongst Laois hurling fans 

(Nothing personal George - I had to look up Hegel too)

[Verbal]

set up for a rite crak off the rastas. never feared them. never will. tommy will have us rite.

Without trying to be controversial, the Hegel opinion seems to be that the issues around puckouts & distribution were raised & it didn't go down well.

A wide spectrum of literacy amongst Laois hurling fans 

(Nothing personal George - I had to look up Hegel too)

I'm not sure what I meant to type there... but it wasn't Hegel anyway! Lol

[redsetanta]

I had to look Hegel up as well. In fairness I learned something new, a well know German Philosopher

One of his quotes is 'Nothing great in the world was accomplished without passion'.

That applies to Laois GAA.