Headhunter Plunkett takes Laois job himself

Seamus Plunkett has been ratified as the new Laois hurling manager on a one-year deal.

Plunkett and Paul Cuddy, who will act as a selector, had been charged with headhunting a successor for Teddy McCarthy but ended up taking the senior positions themselves.

McCarthy stepped down in August on the back of heavy defeats to both Dublin and Limerick.

Pat Critchley takes over the minor team from Plunkett.

Meanwhile, Mayo will be banned from holding training or meetings six days before club championship fixtures after a motion was passed at the county convention in Claremorris last night.

George Gannon of Castlebar Mitchels said the Mayo management had players in for “debriefing sessions” which “went on for hours” the weekend before club championship matches.

A motion giving the competitions control committee the power to fix up to three rounds of the club league competition without county players was also passed after a lengthy debate.

Some delegates said the motion would avoid a repeat of the situation this year where the league wasn’t finished until December.

In sad news, county board chairman Paddy McNicholas said three members of last year’s Mayo panel have emigrated and called on the GAA to lobby the Government for the reintroduction of the student summer scheme.

On player welfare, Ballintubber delegate Sean Hallinan said the GAA should review the punishment for players guilty of violent play. Noting that three players in Mayo had their jaws broken in 2012, he said it was “a joke” that perpetrators served a one-month suspension while victims were sidelined for much longer.