Rob Jones: ‘Armagh are a top class team but we also try to focus on our own performance’

Camogie and Ladies Football coverage is brought to you in association with The Square Bar, Portlaoise

Laois Camogie joint manager Rob Jones says his team are under no illusions as to what faces them in Croke Park on Sunday.

Armagh are in front of Laois in the All-Ireland Premier Junior final at 1pm.

Laois have already beaten Armagh this year but did lose to them in the National League final last year by a point.

Joint manager Jones says his team is fully aware of how dangerous Armagh are but says they will focus on themselves.

He said: “We played Armagh in the last group game of the Championship and we went there not under huge pressure; it didn’t really matter whether we topped or came second.

“Armagh are very pacey in the forward line, very physical in the backs, so look it we have our work cut out.

“They’re a top-class team, we’re under no illusions about that, we just try and focus on ourselves, like that’s what we do in every game, is try and focus on our own performance.

“Armagh are after losing a couple of All-Ireland semi-finals, finals too just like ourselves.

“Nothing really has changed with us yet because we’ve not won yet and that’s the big thing.

“Since the Leinster final, where I thought we underperformed, we’re after improving big time, we’re after playing a couple of challenge games, two challenge games against the same team and that manager told us that he saw an improvement within two weeks.

“That was a huge benefit for us to hear that and the girls know it too.

“I think they’re coming at the right time and at the end of the day, it’s all in the heads.

“We have the ability to win this game, but it’s down to how they can get over the day; it’s all on the day,” he said.

Rob Jones also spoke about the impact that victory could have for camogie in the county.

He said: “To create that step up, you need to win an All-Ireland and I think when you win one, it creates more of an interest in the county.

“I remember Paddy Dwyer, our chairman, telling us this year that there were over 100 girls who came to the U-15 development.

“Winning one creates the interest and it might bring back some of the girls that maybe left last year and that’s what it’s all about. You build from a win, that’s what it takes.”

Camogie and Ladies Football coverage is brought to you in association with The Square Bar, Portlaoise

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