Laois Senior Footballers 2025

[on the hop]

that was tough watch yesterday, while we probably never looked like winning at least for the majority of the first half we had somehow stayed in the game and got a bit of luck when they hit the crossbar. the burst they made just before half time killed off any notion that we had a chance and it was further emphasised by the complete collapse just after half time. the warning signs were probably there in the first half as the their pace and movement were causing us all sorts of problems especially in tracking their runners. Their half back line which ended up scoring 1-14 from play just had too much speed and power for the multitude of players we deployed on them. it was probably not helped by a number of factors, the passiveness of our defending (we allowed them on the inside shoulder so many times), a number of our players getting caught repeatedly flat footed or allowing the runner to go onto their strong foot for a shot time and time again and clearly at least two players carrying injuries.

I don't know whether Westmeath copped this lack of mobility but they "hammered the hammer" and ploughed up the wings, especially the terrace side in both halves where they seemed to have oceans of space. In that regard I thought the management made some obvious mistakes, not man marking McCartan in the first half when he was handling so much ball and scoring at will and secondly not rectifying a positional change after half time which lead to the half back scoring 1-3 from play. the player was physically not able to stay with the pace of the Westmeath back. The score line could have been so much worse with the six point turn around goal at the end and the wing back fisting the ball over the bar when it was easier to score. Both teams then emptied the bench and the game played out as a challenge match with Westmeath recording one of their biggest wins ever against us.

So where do we go now, hopefully there will be a reflection on the year, the underage is not actually promising and there doesn't appear to be a lot of players at club level with their hands up for inclusion. Mcnulty has done a good job with all the players not available and the weakness of the panel. he has managed it well but a lot of it is round pegs in square holes and when it goes wrong or we come up against a small bit of quality like yesterday and the kildare match we are in serious bother. He has put a big effort in and i wouldn't be surprised to see him go.

[Joeythelips]

In fairness McNulty sounds like he is willing to stay.

https://www.leinsterexpress.ie/news/gaa/1820845/it-d-be-very-hard-to-walk-away-after-a-defeat-like-that-laois-senior-football-manager-justin-mcnulty.html

A very bad year all round for Laois footballers, some horrible beatings in particular the defeats to Westmeath at senior and  Kildare and Westmeath at U-20 level. Not good at all.

[SCFC]

That was a hard watch yesterday. Wasn't helped by today's result in the Joe Mc final.
We really need all the best players in the county on our senior squad otherwise we we will always be struggling.
Steep learning curve for some of the lads playing their first year of senior inter-county but hopefully we'll get a few bodies back next year.
Fingleton, O'Carroll, Fitzpatrick and Greene all injured was very unlucky.
A couple of lads who were abroad might be back.
Thought Coffey had a good first year. Would love to see a few more of his clubmates involved.

[Blueforever]

Another sobering evening in Mullingar to be hammered by probably the fifth best team in a weak province like Leinster is alarming the complete lack of investment in underage structures in the county is criminal how you can persuade young fellows to give up there leisure time for these kind of shitshows I don't know and with the disaster of the under 20 on top of this gaa in the county is bleak we are probably on level with Longford at the moment even Carlow hasnpassed us out

[The PRO]

In overall terms (senior, 20s, minor)  in Leinster football, we are a million miles behind Dublin, Kildare and Meath. We are a long way back from Westmeath, Louth and Offaly.
We're down scrapping with the other 4 counties. Wicklow, Carlow, Wexford and Longford.
It's depressing stuff.
The county needs a "director of football" badly. Someone who knows what needs to be done at all levels to get the structures right.
Who the team managers are (McNulty, Kelly, Larkin) is largely irrelevant. We need to start producing a better standard of player through our club system.