O’Moore players are ‘warriors’

NEW Laois boss Justin McNulty has revealed how he laughs at crass generalisations that his inherited players are too small and lack discipline.

The claims have been consistently thrown at Laois players by various Gaelic football commentators for much of the last decade but Armagh native McNulty, who has taken over from Sean Dempsey as manager for 2011, said that he has found no substance to either allegation.

In fact, he reckons that the players at his disposal are ‘warriors’ who possess ‘big physiques’ and insists there’s no sign of any lack of commitment or discipline either.

“I don’t see there being any more discipline or commitment issues in Laois than any other county,” said McNulty.

“For one reason or another, Laois, and I don’t know why because I wasn’t involved, haven’t been as successful as they possibly had the potential to be. That’s my job to bring the team forward as best I can and I’m looking forward to that challenge.

“I laugh at that generalisation (about the players’ size) because I have met the players and seen the players stripped out and there are some warriors of men.

“I have been very impressed with the big physiques of the players in Laois so I don’t understand where that perception comes from.”

All-Ireland winning Armagh defender McNulty and former Dublin player Colin Moran were yesterday presented by the Gaelic Players Association as scholarship recipients for an Executive MBA programme at Dublin City University.

McNulty will have his work cut out to combine the Laois job with college commitments as well as his day job and personal life but is confident that, regarding Laois, he can be a success.

Success will undoubtedly be measured by how Laois fare in comparison to neighbouring Kildare who have improved significantly in recent seasons under Kieran McGeeney, a fellow Armagh man and All-Ireland winning colleague of McNulty’s in 2002.

“It’s a tough yardstick to step up to,” admitted McNulty. “He (McGeeney) has set a massive standard and what he has done is obvious.

“If you watch the team and their physicality, their fitness, their strength, their mental fortitude, it’s all there, so to emulate what he has done in Kildare would be massive and would be a huge success for us in Laois. That is a great yardstick to measure yourself by.”

Aside from McGeeney and McNulty, a third member of the 2002 Armagh set-up, coach Paul Grimley, will also be involved in next year’s Leinster championship as part of Seamus McEnaney’s backroom team in Meath.

“It’s going to be good craic,” said McNulty. “Aidan O’Rourke is involved in Kildare with ‘Geezer’ as well. We are all great friends. Those are guys I have been into battle with and guys I would trust my life with so it is going to be very interesting to be pitting our wits against each other. It will make it a bit more exciting and challenging.”

McNulty said there have been no withdrawals from the Laois panel ahead of the new season, which begins on January 9 when they face Wicklow in the O’Byrne Cup.