Laois boss plays down exodus to Dub clubs

LAOIS football manager Justin McNulty has played down concerns about the amount of local players quitting their clubs to join Dublin teams.

Rory Stapleton looks set to become the sixth Laois player in the last two years to move to a capital club after requesting a move to 2008 All-Ireland champions St Vincent’s.

Laois club Timahoe, who have agreed to allow county midfielder and former Aussie Rules rookie Brendan Quigley join Fingallians, are furious about the drain of talent and have demanded the GAA address ‘this trend of top players being poached from rural clubs to the Dublin area’.

But new boss McNulty, who himself left his native Mullaghbawn in Armagh to join Dublin side Na Fianna in 2005, said it isn’t a huge issue for him.

“I don’t see it being a big issue,” said McNulty.

“I played in Dublin myself. I don’t think it’s the case that there are more Laois players (in Dublin) than any other county. When I was there there were maybe four or five Armagh guys playing in Dublin and also Meath. I don’t see it being as big an issue as people are making out.”

In all, nine Laois players line out for Dublin club teams at the moment with county players MJ Tierney, Colm Begley, Darren Rooney and Colm Parkinson all at Parnells.

“The powers that be in the GAA need to consider the long-term implication that this has on sustaining a viable future for rural clubs,” blasted Timahoe in their statement.