Joe McDonagh Cup 2025

[Joeythelips]

You're a bit of a yo-yo merchant Infidel, swaying back and forth depending on the latest result.

With most of us hope springs eternal but we are all realists and know we're quite far from the top table in both hurling and football at the moment.

This.

What were the realistic expectations at the start of the year? Footballers and hurlers avoid relegation in the league and footballers maybe get to Taitleann cup final and hurlers win Joe McD cup?

They would have been realistic ambitions and are still possible but they will not be handed to us.

[Voice of tReason]

If Fitzgerald doesn't start Aaron Dunphy against Carlow after today, Aaron should never play for them again

Even if he is injured? As he was today. And has been for most of the year.

[Plentymorehurlsontheline]

If Fitzgerald doesn't start Aaron Dunphy against Carlow after today, Aaron should never play for them again

Even if he is injured? As he was today. And has been for most of the year.

Don't you dare talk sense here

[G@@]

Very disappointed leaving Portlaoise today and we got a bit of a humbling. Well done to Kildare though on a fine win - they looked well fit, plenty of physicality in that team and while there was a certain amount of luck in some of the goals, they deserved their win today.
Kildare have always had a hurling tradition - albeit without any real notable success. With the explosion in population over the past twenty five years, it's no surprise to see them progress. There is over a quarter of a million people in Kildare!
Some of their underage teams play in the Laois leagues and my own club got a hiding off a Kildare club side recently. They have a structure going and they are doing the right things and have been for a good few years now. They have had recent successes in Leinster minor and U20 campaigns.
With all of the above taken into account - coupled with Kildare's previous wins V Carlow (in Dr. Cullen Park) and V Westmeath who both would be expected to go well in this competition, perhaps some complacency set in around this fixture and Kildare executed a perfect ambush.
The lesson here for Laois is we're not entitled to win this competition and we cannot be complacent. Our final game V Carlow is vital and by God above, Tommy should have the lads fired up to atone for today's loss. It won't be simple - Carlow are a decent side and it's gonna be an almighty battle. However, a draw will suffice.
I also add - looking at Laois today, they looked very heavy on their feet and alot of the first touch was messy. What is happening in training?

[Verbal]

Infidel- you can't swing between Tommy being clown & a Tommy being a genius from week to week
And
Expect to be taken credibly.

We are disappointed.
I might be over egging where Kildare can get to, but you are under egging it.

[The Boy Wonder]

In fairness I would expect the Infidel to row back on some of his ill-judged commentary.
He won't want George nipping at his ankles again.

[SCFC]

When you're six points down with two minutes plus injury time to go, playing with whatever breeze there is, I wouldn't have thought taking a short puck out to a corner back was the right call.
Best team won anyway - if we had stole a result it would only be papering over the cracks.
But I still think we can bounce back and win the Joe Mc.

[Laois Rising]

Laois didn't have their best game yesterday. It's incredible to think that that Kildare side were beaten by Kerry in their opening game of the Joe Mc. Laois players given a reality check yesterday which could work out as a blessing in disguise. I definitely think that the Laois players took their eyes of the ball for this one and Kildare bought huge intensity and physicality to their performance which we were not prepared for. It does make for an exciting end to the Joe McDonagh. Had we won were were guaranteed a place in the final. Now, we must get a result in the final game and so do Carlow. Should really add to the occasion and ensure a big crowd in for the game in Dr. Cullen. There will be a proper knock out championship feel to the game, which, on form, looks likely to be a close, high scoring encounter. I'm really looking forward to it actually as you cannot beat proper, championship, knock out hurling. Win this weekend and Laois will be prepared for the Kildare threat this time around. Had we walked into the final, we could easily have been ambushed in the way we were on Sunday. Now, there is absolutely no fear of that.

Kildare have done some trojan work to develop hurling within the county. Tradition will not keep us ahead of counties like Kildare in the modern era. They have a greater playing population and their underage hurlers and clubs are exposed to playing in leagues and competitions in other counties e.g. Kilkenny. As their own competitions and structures grow and more hurling clubs are formed and developed, it is evitable that their underage teams and senior team will do. However, you have also got to respect the fact that we are producing some good underage teams too (despite what people may think). We have some fine young hurlers that are starting to filter into the senior set up at present. I think Tommy is the perfect fit to nurture and bring those players through over the next few years. Judging Tommy off of less than 6 months in the job is madness and every team can have an off day like Sunday. Realistically Laois are in transition with some very established players having stepped away or will do in the next year or so. It will take a very good coach to keep Laois on an upward trajectory while bringing through the young talent. Antrim is a great example of how things can quickly go wrong when you are working off a small pool of players and bring in a "big name", "expert" outside coach. Tommy will do things right and I can guarantee you he will leave the Laois hurling team in a better place when he does step away from the job (hopefully not for a good many years).

[The infidel in exile]

Hard to know where to start, but firstly I never referred to Tommy as being a Clown or a genius. IT is correct regarding my yoyo'ing brother, but that's simply because I love the County and miss the club matches even more, now that I live in England, and I am Thorn between The senior management and some of the performances that I either travelled to watch, or watched on clubber.

Maybe I reminisce for the days when I was very young and my father brought me to watch good teams play in Rathdowney between say 1980, 87, beating Galaxy in a Centenary semi final in 84, scoring 6.10 against Offaly in 81, watching hurlers like John Taylor, The Bohans, Pat Critchley, Ray Broderick, Martin and PJ Cuddy, and others.

I suppose I'm a romantic at heart, but I never claimed to be a Guru, as I mess up more than most.

Credible or not, I say what I think. Finally if Aaron Dunphy was injured then why was he on the bench??.

I will be in Carlow at the weekend as I'm getting a cheap ferry and driving down.

I suppose what I can't understand is, I really don't believe that Kildare could have improved beyond logic as I could be wrong but I believe that Down beat them in the tier 3 final, and Kerry, who we massacred, beat them four or five weeks ago. My simple reasoning was that, We were. Awful on the day and no matter what some people think, Kildare are not a good hurling team. Finally I respect every one of you boys as I'm probably older than most, so I can take it when I'm called out. But I sometimes ponder what kind of Laois team would be hurling if everything went to the original plan and the Tipperary man was in place. On that situation, as I don't hear anything about the day to day stuff back home, good is Mr Gleeson doing? Is he in good shape and getting better or as he had or going through surgery?. P.S I forgot to mention Michael Walsh Ballinakill, one of the best hurlers that wore the jersey R.I.P

[Zooming around]

From being strong favourites to win it out, we now find ourselves having to win a game we hardly ever win ie Carlow away just to survive in the competition. Shows how quickly these things can change.

[County Man]

A massive "cup semi final" awaits us on Saturday. A season defining game. Since 2010, we have had a great rivalry with Carlow with games going both ways down through these years.

Hopefully we can get over the line and make the Joe McDonagh final. It is a daunting task, will take a big performance to qualify. A slight help is that a draw will do us.

It could be that mantra of goals win games. We may need a few to get over the line in a 50/50 game.

[Laois Rising]

Carlow are backboned by three fantastic hurlers in Marty Kavanagh, Chris Nolan and James Doyle. We will need a better plan to the one we went out with against Kildare if we are to negate their threat. Cathal McCabe did huge damage for Kildare from centre forward and it was a good eye opener for Laois as to where we will need to improve. If Nolan gets similar space to operate in he could do serious damage. Both teams have rattled in the goals throughout the campaign and played very open hurling. I wonder if we will see a change of approach from either team this weekend.

[Joeythelips]

Its do or die for Laois hurlers now, Carlow will be a huge battle but our lads are mor than capable of getting it done to get another tilt at Kildare in the final.

[The infidel in exile]

There is a scenario that may just happen, that may throw the cat amongst the pigeons. Although nobody is giving Down a hope in hell, they beat Kildare twice this year in Division 2A, once in the group stages by 6 points and turned them over again in the final by 7 points. I realize that Kildare are odds on, but the final was on the 2nd of March.

Nobody gave Kildare a chance against us, but they won, I respect that I am in the minority, but although they beat both ourselves and Carlow, I believe it says more about ourselves and Carlow, than Kildare.

Kildare will most probably beat Down, but if Down can do the treble over them this year, and Laois and Carlow games are always close and ends in a draw, then everything changes.

Even though I may not be a credible individual, I have seen stranger things happen.

But after spending almost £300 to go over to Carlow, I am hoping for a big performance from the boy's

[The infidel in exile]

I agree with Laois rising regarding those three Carlow hurlers, especially Nolan, I think that he is a fantastic stick man