Ross King has returned to the Laois hurling panel in time for their Joe McDonagh Cup campaign.
Laois hurling captain, Paddy Purcell, says the recent return of Ross King their panel is a big boost ahead of their Joe McDonagh Cup campaign.
King, a former Laois captain himself as recently as last year, stepped away from the inter-county scene at the end of last season and missed all of the 2019 Allianz Hurling League campaign.
“It's a massive boost,” said Purcell today at the launch of the McDonagh Cup in Croke Park.
“The experience he brings - two years as captain - and he's a very strong voice in the dressing-room.
“His ability on the field as well is second to none as well. He's probably the best forward in Laois and one of the best in the country.
“We've hurled together since we were six or seven years of age and I'd really enjoy hurling alongside him.
“We're delighted to have him back and he seems to be going well in training as well. He's bringing a lot of competition into the forwards and giving Eddie (Brennan) a new headache.
“We'll probably see him at some stage during the Joe McDonagh.”
It was mission accomplished for Laois in the Allianz Hurling League this year as they retained their Division 1 status.
Their was a steady improvement in their performances throughout the campaign and Phelan says new manager Eddie Brennan has made a positive impact so far.
“We're enjoying it, it's very good,” said Purcell. “He hasn't brought anything hugely different, our whole focus is on our own work-rate and setting our own standards and seeing where that gets us.
“But he does bring a lot of experience in the things he says and you'd tend to listen to him and take on whatever he tells you because of where he's coming from.
“Our whole backroom team would be strong. You have Niall Corcoran there who hurled with Dublin for years as well. He has good experience of coming from a place where Dublin would have been a lower ranked team but then worked their way up to compete at the highest level.
“And then we'd have our own Laois-man in Tommy Fitzgerald who brings an awful lot of passion to the thing.”
Laois hurling captain, Paddy Purcell.
Purcell says Laois “probably have underachieved in some aspects” in recent years which he puts down to the fact that the panel has been in a constant state of flux.
If they could win this year’s Joe McDonagh Cup and qualify for the Liam MacCarthy Cup next year it would surely be easier to persuade all the best hurlers in the county to commit to the cause.
They begin their campaign with a trip to Tullamore on Saturday to play neighbours Offaly, and Purcell believes it could well be the most important match they’ll play in the competition.
“It's massive,” he said. “We found that out the hard way when we lost our first match by a point last year and it kind of upset us then for the rest of the campaign.
“This year then is probably an even bigger occasion playing Offaly in Tullamore because there would be a massive rivalry there down through the years and we haven't beaten them there in a long time in the Championship.
“We feel like we're in with a great chance in the McDonagh because we're after coming off hurling in Division 1 and testing ourselves against the likes of Galway and Waterford where you'd be always picking up little bits.
“We know the challenge ahead, though. Offaly are probably down in the dumps a bit at the minute but they're a very dangerous animal when they're like that.
“We know what's coming on Saturday evening. Any team can beat any team in this competition and that's what makes it so special - that games are so tight and then you have the ultimate prize at the end of playing in Croke Park with the opportunity to get back up to the Liam MacCarthy.”
