Eddie Brennan excited about 'huge challenge' with Laois
Wednesday 28 November 2018 18:55, UK
Recently appointed Laois manager Eddie Brennan is relishing a "huge challenge" with the O'Moore County.
The Graigue Ballycallan club man knows that there is scope to improve the O'Moore County's fortunes, but there will not be time for a honeymoon period.
"There's a huge challenge there," Brennan explained. "In the league on January 27 we're going up to Galway and six days later we've Waterford coming to Portlaoise so you're focused very quickly. You have to be.
"While you're mindful of the time of year and commitments with players, you have to get a good body of training under your belts to go into those matches and do yourself justice and that's what it's about. We have to go into those matches and gain something from them.
"You're not going to come out and make any stupid statements and say, 'We're going out there to beat someone like Galway.' You're going in there to those matches to prepare lads to give a good account of themselves, be as good as they can be and be competitive."
While it will be important to gain momentum throughout the National League, Brennan knows the ultimate yardstick will be their Joe McDonagh Cup campaign.
He said: "Obviously the Joe McDonagh is our big competition, that's our championship, that's the one that we're going to be ultimately measured on and you're gearing towards that.
"The league, I think it's an absolute must that we stay in 1B and I'd love to make a quarter-final as well. So that's something that's there, that's a realistically achievable goal but standing in our way is a couple of right good teams."
First up is the Walsh Cup, as Laois take on Offaly and Carlow in the coming weeks, although Brennan questions the merits of hurling in December.
Brennan said: "For me, it's a competition that probably has run its course, but it's an opportunity to give lads a bit of game-time and that's what we'll be using it for."
There is also the prospect of Brennan rubbing shoulders with former mentor Brian Cody on the sideline at some point, should the paths of Laois and Kilkenny cross, and he is unsure how he would react to such an eventuality.
"In a way, you're hoping that that won't happen, in some regards," Brennan said.
"But, at the same time, you enlist, you soldier, it's as simple as that. If it happens, it happens, and that's just the nature of it. I don't know what it'd be like to have him (Cody) staring down the sideline at you, it was bad enough having him staring across the pitch at you when you weren't performing! We'll cross that bridge when we come to it."
This comes as his first crack at senior intercounty management, having guided the Cats U21s to the All-Ireland final in 2017. As he aims to build on his reputation, the Laois job is sure to be an interesting step in his managerial journey.
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