Laois SHC 2024

[ottoman]

Maybe Hyland is right what he's saying.

Next Laois manager if we have any sense

The Laois hurling board would never a million years give someone like Hyland the role. Because they know he'll publically call them out for the shambles that they are, only this time it would be on the national stage.

[Laoisred]

I like Willie's interviews. The theme last year after the final was volunteerism. They don't do back room teams, just have volunteers. He couldn't go there this year as CB have the largest back room team from what I can see and added a volunteer coach from Tipp at the start of the year. So this year he went after the Board. He made some valid points to be fair though especially in relation to fixtures. I like the alternate weeks hurling/football but clubs that are competing in the knockout rounds at Senior and Premier Intermediate simultaneously often play Saturday/Sunday with huge overlaps between the squads. It causes issues for these clubs especially when they go deep in the championship.
In one way he can be thankful of the same incompetent Board as if they had followed through Ballacolla could have been down 3 or 4 for their semi final and would not have made the final. They deserve huge credit for the turnaround though. I attended most matches and they were 4th or 5th best of the teams during the group and they are sitting on Top now again. Doing it when it matters most has to be admired.

[Galtee1]

I agree with Willie in that the Laois CB are a shambles but his reasoning was pointed towards unfair treatment of R Phelan and that he shouldn't have been sent off because Harps lads were sledging. It was an odd point of attack but fair play to them, they used it as fuel and it helped them over the line.

[Downtheroad]

I like Willie's interviews. The theme last year after the final was volunteerism. They don't do back room teams, just have volunteers. He couldn't go there this year as CB have the largest back room team from what I can see and added a volunteer coach from Tipp at the start of the year. So this year he went after the Board. He made some valid points to be fair though especially in relation to fixtures. I like the alternate weeks hurling/football but clubs that are competing in the knockout rounds at Senior and Premier Intermediate simultaneously often play Saturday/Sunday with huge overlaps between the squads. It causes issues for these clubs especially when they go deep in the championship.
In one way he can be thankful of the same incompetent Board as if they had followed through Ballacolla could have been down 3 or 4 for their semi final and would not have made the final. They deserve huge credit for the turnaround though. I attended most matches and they were 4th or 5th best of the teams during the group and they are sitting on Top now again. Doing it when it matters most has to be admired.

A player can't play a lower grade once he has played senior so that argument doesn't hold.

[Laoisred]

It causes issues for clubs believe me. Top performers for Prem Intermediate can be potential subs for seniors. 12 or 13 lads can be on both panels.
If Int play on the sat night then most of those lads are out of the reckoning for the following day. If seniors play first (not normally the case) you have lads going through 2 pre-match preps. Warm up to play on a saturday night, sit through a championship match if not used, get back up and go again the following day. Probably at same venue and often within 14/15 hours of the previous match. It causes injuries but beyond that it is not fair on lads in my view. Especially when matches could be spread out a bit and the clubs helped.
It also means that both senior and int managers need to be aligned, which my experience is not always the case. 

[Verbal]

I don't really see any better way of doing it?

Sure we have to accommodate the Rosenallis & Ballyfins & Clonaslees.

The likes of CB &'RE are stretched on very few occasions in the early stages. So if their management teams of team 1 & team 2 are working together it should be fairly obvious who is going to hurl what game.
If their management teams are not aligned it's an internal matter, not a County Board problem.

Also, having both teams prepping for championship the same weekend is less disruptive than the alternative.

[Laoisred]

Most clubs have no issue with senior/int teams playing the same weekend. Just not back to back. A Friday/ Sunday approach would be a big help. A small but important tweak to the existing set up.

[Verbal]

Possibly.
I wouldn't have any issue with that.
The split weeks need to stay however.

[Moregroundhurling]

Ballacolla are a serious outfit and have raised the bar again. Nobody can begrudge any of their achievements or how they've gone about their business.
Their used to be a top 4 in Laois hurling where it was anyone's game between those four. That's now gone, to win you have to beat Ballacolla and that's it.

I thought the referee did a good job. A litle whistle happy in the early part of the 2nd half but it was a tough, honest game and he had a part to play in that. With regard to his demeanor, it's not easy stand in the middle of a pitch and take abuse for 60 minutes without giving a bit back. Look at the top referees in any sport, that's the way you kind of have to be.

With regard to Willie's post match remarks, Ballacolla have a minimum of 80 registered hurlers, none of whom are involved in any other sport. They probably have to turn lads away from training. When they are recovering, getting challenge games and making more progress Rosenallis, portlaoie, Ballinakill and Abbeyleix all have a substantial cohort of their players gone to play football and they essentially lose that week. And you can add Ballyfin to that next year also.

Ballacolla have a tough draw in Leinster but I'd love to see them get another cut at Ballyhale.

[ottoman]

Ballacolla are a serious outfit and have raised the bar again. Nobody can begrudge any of their achievements or how they've gone about their business.
Their used to be a top 4 in Laois hurling where it was anyone's game between those four. That's now gone, to win you have to beat Ballacolla and that's it.

I thought the referee did a good job. A litle whistle happy in the early part of the 2nd half but it was a tough, honest game and he had a part to play in that. With regard to his demeanor, it's not easy stand in the middle of a pitch and take abuse for 60 minutes without giving a bit back. Look at the top referees in any sport, that's the way you kind of have to be.

With regard to Willie's post match remarks, Ballacolla have a minimum of 80 registered hurlers, none of whom are involved in any other sport. They probably have to turn lads away from training. When they are recovering, getting challenge games and making more progress Rosenallis, portlaoie, Ballinakill and Abbeyleix all have a substantial cohort of their players gone to play football and they essentially lose that week. And you can add Ballyfin to that next year also.

Ballacolla have a tough draw in Leinster but I'd love to see them get another cut at Ballyhale.

I dont think Ballacolla are as good as they were a few years ago, but you're right, they are definitely the team to beat.

I was told after the game that they have won 3 of the last 4 county finals by a combined margain of 23 points! They just rarely fail to show up on the big day. I think you have to take them down before it.

[Laois Rising]

CB had a proper siege mentality going into the game. Played hugely on the "everyone in the county thinks Camross are going to win this easy" and that certainly helped drive the players to prove a point. Had a chip on shoulder regarding county board too and were determined to stick it to them by winning on Sunday.

Hopefully they can do well in Leinster. Laois hurling could do with a lift entering into the new season. 

[Galtee1]

Ballacolla are the benchmark in Laois and you have to hand it to them but not sure about them being a serious outfit. How would they mix it in other counties?

[ottoman]

Ballacolla are the benchmark in Laois and you have to hand it to them but not sure about them being a serious outfit. How would they mix it in other counties?

I suppose we'll find out in a few weeks.

However, I can't see them getting on a good run without a flying Picky. He was their commander in chief on that Leinster run from a few years back, and although they got through in Laois without him, different story trying to take on the best of the rest in a Leinster comp.

[Laoisred]

Big turnaround in the last few weeks. They went from being very average in the group and easily beaten by RE and Camross to county champions. Even in the semi they stumbled over Ballinakill (who will have nighmares about the last miss), Willie even brought himself on in a recent challenge game. It was not going to plan. And they went from there to easily disposing of Camross. Big turnaround in a couple of weeks, whatever they did, it worked.

[Laois man]

Castletown were lucky to get out of the group in the minor Prt beat them by 23points Harps beat them but miss a few lads make a big difference at underage first time they had everyone on board was last Sunday. U20 starting this weekend are Harps going for 4 in a row? Camross and Cbolla be strong aswell.