Laois manager Eddie Brennan has stressed the importance of building on last year’s success.

The O’Moore County had a great 2019, winning the Joe McDonagh Cup before defeating Dublin in the All-Ireland SHC and then putting in a brilliant performance against eventual All-Ireland champions Tipperary.

Brennan feels that will count for nothing though, if they can’t continue that upwards trend this year as they prepare to face Wexford in the opening round of the league at O’Moore Park on Saturday evening.

“So now it is about building on that. It is about realising what got us to that was nothing short of rolling up your sleeves and working hard. I hope the players are going to challenge us and demand what they want so that they can push on,” Brennan told the Leinster Express.

Laois must plan without a number of key players including Cha Dwyer, Joe Phelan, Stephen 'Picky' Maher and Ben Conroy who have all left the squad, but Brennan is adamant that the show must go on.

“Ultimately you would want to have your best players but I’d rather have the guys with the best attitude, the guys that are most committed and really want to be in here. Does it frustrate me? It does, but I also have to respect guys that don’t want to be in here because that is a lifestyle choice to be made and I’m not putting the gun to anyone’s head.

“Yes it is disappointing because you would think for any ambitious hurler that was looking in last year that they would’ve said ‘Jesus yeah, I want to be part of that.”

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