Plunkett: All about progression

ALLIANZ HL DIVISION 2A FINAL

The winner gains promotion to the same Division 1B that Cork and Clare will be fighting so hard to avoid.

Perspective, says first-year Laois manager Seamus Plunkett, that’s the only difference.

“It’s about progression and if you’re ambitious you want to challenge yourself. Ourselves and Westmeath have been working very hard at underage. We’d have the same ambitions in terms of winning promotion to 1B, which would be of great benefit to either of us, a big prize on offer.

“If we win we’d regard that as huge progression, taking on the likes of Limerick and Offaly again. It puts into context though how difficult it’s going to be for whoever goes up to 1B to stay there, when you have teams of the calibre of either Cork or Clare. But we want to play teams like that and that’s what both Westmeath and ourselves will be fighting for this Sunday.”

He’s Laois to the marrow, is Seamus, hugely ambitious for his native county, but having spent a number of years with the county minors, bringing them to a Leinster semi-final last year, he knows only too well the challenges ahead.

“The athletic development of players in Division 1A and 1B has simply gone through the roof and in the league this year we saw hurling as close to championship level as we’ve seen. Even in Division 2A the conditioning levels are serious. I don’t like to use the word ‘professional’ but that’s the level it’s gone to. The hurling part of Laois is as dedicated as anywhere else in hurling and, if we work hard enough, it’s big enough for us to get 20 or 25 players. That’s all we need.”