Laois fell at the final hurdle before the Super 8, losing by five points to Monaghan in Navan on Sunday afternoon.
Though he cut a disappointed figure after the match, Laois manager John Sugrue has plenty of reason to positive about his first season in charge.
Laois were promoted from the low of Division Four, they reached a Leinster final and gave a fancied Monaghan side a rattle.
"Laois GAA has moved on a bit," the Kerryman told The Sunday Game.
"The Laois footballers have an energy now and a hunger to play football that's refreshing to see in them guys."
Sugrue then took the opportunity to air some grievances regarding media coverage of his side.
Just in regard to one or two people who didn't recognise to any great degree this team throughout the year or almost scoffed at us before the last two big games that we've had.
I don't think that does any team any good. I don't think it's a sign of good research or good inside knowledge of good knowledge of what's going on.
This team was labelled 12 out of 12 going into this weekend. I'm not sure we're 12 out of 12 that was left.
Sugrue also told the Leinster Leader after the game that some of what had been written about Laois this year has been "verbal diarrhoea".
