Laois have been slowly building up to this all year says Jones

LAOIS camogie joint-manager Robert Jones is once again preparing for an All-Ireland final and a day out in Croke Park, 12 months on from an agonising one-point loss to Tipperary in GAA HQ.

Reflecting on Laois’ earlier win over Armagh in the group stages and the lessons learned from their Leinster final loss to Carlow, Jones said his side have steadily improved and are coming into the final in a strong mental space.

“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 had 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.

Laois will be able to draw on the experience of several players who featured in last year’s All-Ireland final, and Jones believes the addition of new talent has added the right balance to their team.

“We haven’t picked our team yet, but I'd say we're going to have 11 or 12 girls who played in the All-Ireland last year, so we have the experience. We have a couple of young girls who are in their first year this year and I'd say it won't matter to them, they'll play with a bit of freedom. That's what we're hoping they'll do and look, there's a great gel between the team, great unity. There are great characters on the team, young and experienced girls. We think we're in a good place, but we'll see on the 10th of August,” Jones added.

He also pointed to the wider impact of Laois’s success, particularly the boost it has given to participation at underage level throughout the county.

“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 under-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,” he explained.

Having reached both the league and Leinster finals again this year, Jones feels the difference now is that Laois have finally gotten over the line by winning silverware—an important step in building the squad’s self-belief ahead of Sunday.

“It's getting used to winning under pressure. The league final was a big thing for us this year after losing by a point last year. It builds confidence in the girls when you're trying to win a final so of course coming into this, they’ve won a final, so look, please God. Again, I come back to it, it's all upstairs in the head when you get down to the big days.

“They'll be asked questions on the day as well and it's how we answer them questions under pressure. I think the girls have got very used to that this year, so please God they'll do it on the day,” he ended.