The Renard man, who runs his own physiotherapy clinic in Portlaoise, brought the O’Moore County from Division 4 at the start of last season to Division 2 this past March.

While Peter Keane enjoyed a successful first league campaign of sorts in charge of the Kingdom, another manager from the depths of South Kerry was quietly going about his business far from the glamourous spotlight of the top division.

Sugrue has no problem if the game against Louth or Westmeath doesn’t go ahead in Croke Park next weekend, which is now expected.

John Sugrue may be targeting a coveted spot in the Super 8s but that hasn’t stopped the Laois manager launching a broadside at what he labels a consumerist concept and a general move towards elitism.

It was notable that John Sugrue was the man the Laois players wanted to succeed Peter Creedon as manager.

The two championship spankings Laois handed to Westmeath prior to last Saturday came in 1979 and 1991.

John Sugrue would have had his finger on the pulse in Laois long before becoming the county’s senior football manager.

It took a year longer than they had hoped but the Laois footballers got their wish last September when John Sugrue was appointed senior manager.