Laois Camogie joint-managers: 'We’ll be ready to rock and roll on Sunday'

The Laois Camogie joint-managers Robert Jones and Pat Collier are preparing their side to take on Tipperary in this year’s All-Ireland Premier Junior final.

Speaking at a media event in Borris-in-Ossory GAA, Collier began by reflecting on Laois’ underdog status for Sunday’s final

“It's been a great three weeks up to it. The girls have worked hard and we're really looking forward to this. It's a huge day for Laois Camogie. You know, it's been a tough few years and it's marvellous to be in Croke Park. We have a huge task on our hands, we know that, but sure it’s great to be going in as underdogs. I think if we get our house in order from the start, we'll give them enough. Everything's went well, no injuries, thank God. Onwards and upwards now,” Pat said.

Laois come into the final with a clean bill of health as Grainne Delaney has recovered from her shoulder injury which forced her off in the semi-final against Cavan.

“Thank God it was only a bruise. She's had her week off and the physios have looked after her and they've done great work to get her back. She was back in contact last week, so we've no worries about Grainne, she’s a tough bit of stuff. She'll be fine,” Collier said.

The team has had three weeks to prepare for the Tipperary contest and Robert Jones feels that Laois needed that time so that they could improve on things that weren’t up to scratch in the Cavan game.

“They're kind of used to the three weeks now. We had three weeks break before the semi-final, so it doesn't be long coming around. It's only next Sunday, it won't be long coming around. But no, we needed the three weeks to be honest, because we still have a lot of improvement to do since the semi-final. Look, the girls are flying it now, they're all buzzing. As you can see tonight, they're flying it. On the day, it's all about keeping their heads. As we keep saying to them, they have the ability, they can do it, it's just on the day getting their heads right,” Jones said.

The Laois Camogie panel stands at 31 players with every girl given their chance to impress across both league and championship.

“When me and Rob sat down at the start of the year, we'd always be fairly straight with each other and straight talking. We knew it was about getting in players, and for us to do that, we needed to give everyone match time in the league, during the championship. There's no girl here that didn't get at least two full matches or three during the league and championship, and we've had a good few practice matches. Any panel is hard to keep everyone happy, but we've done as much as we can. In the last three weeks, we're settling down to our 24 or 5 or 6, and look, on the day in Croke Park, anyone of the 31 that's listed or 30 can come in and do a job, and they know that. We have full trust in them, and on the day, anyone can have a bad day at sport. We're just hoping, as I say, if we get our house in order from the word go in that game, we'll give Tipp enough of it,” Collier said.

Like all inter-county teams, the backroom team never get mentioned much but Jones made sure to pay tribute to the work they do as well as praise for the chairman Paddy Dywer.

“Well, first of all, I'd have to mention our chairman, Paddy. He's been absolutely brilliant. He does be on the phone to myself and Pat, I'd say, five, ten times during the week, every week, he's doing all the organisation for all the tickets, and I'd say it's a huge headache to him now, people ringing him and stuff. But yeah, he's been absolutely brilliant, anything we ever ask him; he gives it to us. Then you have the likes of Ciara Fernand there, she's very good too. Anything she organises, we have Niamh Dollard, she's our liaison, anything we want, food-wise, she organises it. Then you come to the likes of Barry Whelan, he's our hurling coach there and Alan. Everyone is putting their shoulder to the wheel and doing what they're told to do. But that's what it takes. You look at the hurling there, the Clare seniors and the Corks and all these, they have over 40 and their backroom staff, we probably have maybe 10. It is a lot of work. But luckily enough, they're all running behind us,” Jones said.

Pat Collier feels that his side will rise to the occasion of Croke Park and that everyone will be nervous but that ‘once the ball is thrown in, it's out the window’. He also touched on the fact that Laois Camogie is back where it needs to be and that whoever takes over after him and Robert will have to keep the work going.

“As Rob said, our management team there, Declan Conroy, played with Laois for 10 or 12 years. Rob, myself, played in the last senior finals. To me, once the ball is thrown in, it's out the window. The big thing for me and Robert is, we know how good this group is. Just to get them to focus and once the ball is thrown in, it's the same as playing a match here in Borris or in Raheen or Camross or anywhere. The nerves will go out the window after the first ball. Trust themselves, they're good enough, they can do this. It's doable and I have no nerves about it, I'm really looking forward to it. It's brilliant, last Saturday we had a marvellous day in Clonad,  we had a couple of hundred kids. It was a super day, myself and Rob and all the girls in signing jerseys, it's just something new. The main thing for me and Rob is, when we step away, the next people in need to drive this on again. It took a lot of work this year early to get this ball rolling with the panel and get in players. There's eight or nine players sitting at home now that should be here, we need them next year, Laois needs them. We have eight clubs playing a county with 40 Camogie clubs. We have eight with five Intermediate and three Junior. What the girls have done for Laois Camogie, there's respect back in this jersey again. No matter what happens next Sunday, we need to keep it going. We have brilliant juvenile girls coming. I'm telling you; Laois Camogie is on the up,” Collier said.

Robert Jones is hoping that Laois supporters can get behind this incredible bunch of girls in the All-Ireland final in Croke Park.

“Croke Park next Sunday, the 11th of August. It will be a great day for Camogie in general. I think it's their 120th anniversary. So, the day itself will be a great occasion. And yeah, look the girls will be hoping for huge support after the work they're after putting in now through the year and getting to their third final in one year. It'll be great to see the support, you know, and getting to cheer them on,” Jones added.

Lastly, Collier says that the girls need to enjoy the week ahead and that’s important they enjoy the build-up to the final.

“Next week we'll have two sessions and on Friday night we'll obviously have a meeting. Next week's all about, you know, recovery, getting the bodies right, heads right. Really, it's all about the head and settling down. Enjoy the week, enjoy the build-up to this. To be in a final, as I say, I've played in a few and it's marvellous. To build up to a final, any final, any grade is brilliant. But the girls need to enjoy this, and we won't put too much pressure on them girls next week. We'll build into this match, and we'll be ready to rock and roll on Sunday,” Collier ended.