LEAGUE PREVIEW: Maher and Laois to commence league campaign against familiar faces

Twelve months on from monsoon conditions on a horrible night in Portlaoise in the first round of last year’s Allianz National Hurling League, the O’Moore men will this time travel to FBD Semple Stadium this Saturday to face Liam Cahill’s charges in the 2023 version in the opening round of the Allianz National Hurling League.

In what is a most unusual occurrence at this level, two men from the same club will face off on the sideline, with Willie Maher bringing his Laois charges to town for the 2023 opener, and is in similar fashion to his fellow Ballingarry man Cahill, in his first year in charge and attempting to rebuild confidence in a squad which suffered a torrid league and championship campaigns in 2022.

The horrible conditions and putrid spectacle which was served up in O’Moore Park, Portlaoise last year had a large element of foreboding for both Tipperary and Laois and it served of a taste of things to come for Colm Bonner and Seamus 'Cheddar' Plunkett.

That day Laois fell to a four-point defeat at the hands of the stone throwers. But with a new year brings new hope and Willie Maher would like no better way to commence his reign than to leave Thurles with a victory and local bragging rights in Ballingarry. 

Laois showed some promising signs in the Walsh cup. A solid win against a Wexford team that think an awful lot of themselves if rumors from grapevines are to be believed. A good performance against a hungry Kilkenny side, and finally a capitulation against the neighbours, from which Maher's side would have learned an awful lot about themselves. 

If Laois are to give themselves a boost of confidence prior to the McDonagh cup, They will have to take a major scalp in one of their opening three league games. With ties against Waterford and Kilkenny on the horizon, Laois most certainly need at the very least a very strong competitive performance as anything less could lead to a very long league campaign indeed. 

Laois Starting 15

1. Enda Rowland, Abbeyleix

2. Donnchadh Hartnett, Rosenallis 

3. Padraig Delaney, The Harps 

4. Padraic Dunne, The Harps 

5. Jack Kelly, Rathdowney Erril 

6. Ryan Mullaney, Castletown 

7. Fiachra C Fennell, Rosenallis

8. Aidan Corby, Clough Ballacolla 

9. Tomas Keyes, Camross

10. Aaron Dunphy, Borris in Ossery Kilcotten 

11. Willie Dunphy, Clough Ballacolla

12. James Keyes, Colt Shanahoe 

13. Stephen Maher, Clough Ballacolla

14. Pj Scully, Borris in Ossery Kilcotten 

15. Martin Phelan, Castletown