Challenges, expectation and the scan for talent - Cheddar Plunkett on all things Laois hurling in 2022

Still as passionate as ever about Laois hurling, Cheddar Plunkett is looking forward to the latest challenge in his managerial career.

The National hurling league commences this Saturday with a home game against Tipperary and while the league in general will be a big challenge, he is enthused about what Laois can bring to the table in 2022.

Cheddar on the 2022 Panel
“I think I’ve seen every Senior and Senior B team in Laois play at least three times in 2021 and also all of the Intermediate teams and some Junior teams. We have refreshed the panel and I think we have rewarded players who showed strongly in the local club championships last year by being part of the panel.

“We didn’t take in any of the U20 players this year. I feel there is a really good U20 team that have a right chance of making a breakthrough this year and that can best be done without any interruptions. I feel that if we were able to do this every year it would be a great indication of the pool depth in the county and a young U20 player would have to prove himself and earn the right to get onto a county senior panel, which is mostly the case in all of the top counties.

“That said you cant ignore a young player if they are showing exceptional abilities either. There are a few players from the 2021 panel who could not commit this year for various personal and professional reasons which I won’t go into as there are personal stuff for players but there are a couple that I will talk to again to see if things have eased for them.

“There are also some potential players who are going travelling for the summer as this is the first time in a few years that the J1 has opened up and with some players it may also be the last time they will have the opportunity to do that as they will be starting out on their working careers“. I fully support them in that and look forward to them hurling for Laois again when they are ready.

“Notwithstanding all that I think there is a panel there that has real character about them. It was interesting to hear Galway’s Padraig Joyce say this week that ‘talent on its own won’t win you games anymore’. We are always searching for that type of player who will not alone contribute to team performance when you are in possession of the ball but who also contributes when opposition has possession or when possession is there to be won by either team.

“On top of that we’ve looked at players who were part of the county U20 teams over the last few years but who have not made a senior panel yet and brought them in looking at developing them in the off season when club activity has stopped and making sure that no one has been lost to the county team who shows a hunger to want that jersey.

“I have to say that the lads who have come in have shown a great attitude and hunger for improvement. I think if we can build that over the next number of years, where players really put their hand up in club games and show a hunger to want to go in with Laois and win with Laois, and we make sure that no young talent falls by the wayside, then we are on the right track. If you look at all of the top teams they have full panels as development panels to their senior teams.

“We don’t have a history of underage success driving future senior team performance as in Limerick at present and possible Cork over the next few years and we have to work in a different way to make sure we lose no-one. We may not have that strength in depth yet but we can work towards it.”

Cheddar on Clough-Ballacolla's run to the Leinster final
“Every Laois hurling person was delighted with Clough Ballacolla's run in the Leinster club championship and it was a great boost to hurling generally in the county.

“What delighted me was their method of play – fast skillful hurling and the fact that the Shamrocks game aside I’d say they got bigger tests in Laois club hurling than in Leinster. It should surely make other club teams in Laois sit up and say why coudn’t this be us.

“That can only be good for the club championship in Laois and the 2022 local senior championship will be really interesting. It was also a great boost to the county team training when the county players came back into county training after Christmas.

“But its important to remember also that intercounty hurling is very different to club hurling and there is not a huge correlation between them. The conditioning levels and the tactical level of hurling at intercounty is on a very different level.

“You also need to compare the competing club teams and the numbers of county starters on each team if drawing comparisons with intercounty teams.”

CHEDDAR ON THE CHALLENGE OF TIPP IN THE OPENING GAME
“Firstly it’s a great game for us to play in. Tipperary may have a new management and starting some rebuilding but they are coming off winning two All Ireland U21 and U20 All Ireland titles and have a big volume of young ambitious players to call on to join the more experienced ones.

“You mentioned a recent poor performance against Kerry but that seemed a very experimental team and I hear they turned that around a week later and beat Wexford easily. We are really looking forward to testing ourselves against them.

“We’ve a few injuries to a few key players who are a number of weeks away yet from playing but that is also an opportunity for other players to drive on the Laois team and show what they can do.

“As I said earlier we wont be there to make up numbers on Saturday night and we will fight for everything. It would be great to get a good Laois crowd behind the team on Saturday night and drive the team on."

Cheddar on optimism and ambitions for 2022
“I think every hurling person is looking forward to 2022 – players , mentors and supporters. Last year was a very difficult year for everyone to prepare teams, I know that it hit us very hard, and we are all hoping that things will not be interrupted again this year.

“We are playing in the top tier of hurling in both the League and the Championship and I was looking at this a few weeks ago and I think the winners of the All Ireland Final in 14 of the last 20 years are in the groups we are going to play in.

“I think every reasonable person knows that we have some tough challenges ahead of us starting with Tipperary on Saturday night but we will prepare to be the best we can be and perform to the best of our potential in every game and go out and try and win every game.

“We have earned the right to play in these competitions and as a Laois man I feel we belong in these competitions and its what we want to do.

“We may lose sometimes and get knocked down sometimes but we will pick ourselves up and go hard again the next day. The bookies might have a different view but we are not here to make up numbers for anyone."

Cheddar on his Joint Captains

"We have been very lucky with Enda Rowland and Willie Dunphy and different Captains over the year. It is an important role in the team to help take the team forward.

"John Lennon has been very unfortunate with injuries over the years but has shown great mental strength to stay going and give something to the team.

"Podge Delaney has been a strong and consistent performer for Laois. He is the same with IT Carlow in the Fitzgibbon Cup. I am looking forward to the two lads taking on the role and helping to move the team forward."