Laois football manager Mike Quirke and new vice-captain John O’Loughlin are determined that their side will remain in Division 2 this season – and even make a push to reach Division 1.
GAA rule changes this year have seen the creation of a new Tier 2 competition that all teams in Division 3 and 4 will compete in when they are eliminated from their respective provincial championships.
However, the two teams relegated from Division 2 will also end up in it unless they reach the final of the provincial competition.
But in order to eliminate that scenario, long serving midfielder O’Loughlin has far loftier ambitions.
O’Loughlin said: “We all want to be playing in the Sam Maguire and for the Sam Maguire in the summer.
“The league is more important than ever and the league is always a great competition but this year it has a little bit more of an edge to it.
“You really want to be in Division 2 at least and pushing for Division 1.
“We’re really focusing on it and we can’t wait for it, we’ve worked hard and can’t wait for next Sunday at 2 o’clock.”
Manager Quirke is a bit more measured but he is confident that his team can, at the very least, maintain their status.
Quirke said: “He’s (John O’Loughlin) talking about getting
promotion to Division One where a lot of people are saying that
Laois are one of the favourites to get relegated but the mindset is
very different with this group of players.
“Look, Roscommon in Hyde Park is the hardest possible game you could get to start the campaign.
“But look at all the teams, Cavan have post players, Clare have lost players, I see Conor Cox (Roscommon) has an injury.
“When you’re in a county you feel you are the only one getting bad luck with injuries or fellas going away but every county is in the same boat.
“The League can be funny. At the end of January and outside there the place is frozen. You don’t know what sort of conditions you are going to find.
“Anything can happen in these games and I believe we have enough quality footballers that if everything goes our way we’ll be more that competitive in every game, and after that you need a bit of luck.
“I think staying in the Division is going to a perfectly realistic
prospect. It’s going to be very difficult as it is going to be for every team but I am confident we are going to get over the line.”
The Laois footballers begin their campaign away to Roscommon on Sunday at 2pm in Dr Hyde Park.
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The post Manager Quirke and vice-captain O’Loughlin aiming for strong Division 2 campaign appeared first on Laois Today.
source https://www.laoistoday.ie/2020/01/21/manager-quirke-and-vice-captain-oloughlin-aiming-for-strong-division-2-campaign/
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