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Not too impressive frm abbeyleix this evening but did enough. Phortlaoise had chances but we're wasteful and hit a few tame efforts at rowland. Needed all those to go in or over to have any chance. They'll still be worthy favourites but not as definite as many think

Clonaslee looked good at times and then let camross back in. I'm not sure they have anough in the midfield or halfforward line to win though. Don't think itll be a high scoring final.

Clonaslee by 3.
O'Ds by 1.
Graigue by 8
Port by 1

Not looking promising for a Willie Maher for Laois position. His namesake in Laois in playing hurling circles not having it . Good old Laois politics .

Read this 10 Times and still no idea what youre on about

What Laois coaches would we like to see involved?

Tommy Fitz first call should be made.

Lots of other options. Off top of my head:
Butch stapleton, ariene delaney, johno sullivan, seanus dwyer, jackman, damien Walsh, enda Lyons, tadhg doran, andrew kavnagh.

Nedd laois men involved as part of backroom team.
Try get someone from 3/4 strong clubs maybe

Borris Kilcotton were worse than I thought was possible.
Very hard to understand how they could possibly be as lifeless as they were.
They are missing exceptional players, but Jesus they have more than that. There was w total air of acceptance about them yesterday.

Camross slick and moving well. But the last two outings will hardly prepare them for Rathdowney Erill?
Still, they are known for the quality of the practice matches they get. Interesting one ahead

Btw- I'm not advocating for any drastic moves in Knockaroo or Borris. It would be a regressive move for Laois hurling.

Castletown did the job in fairness to them in a poor game.  Rosenallis don't seem to know what way they want to play. They seem to be stuck in between a couple of different ways of playing. In fairness, trying to serve two masters is very very difficult. I don't think it's sustainable for a period of time.
I didn't think Castletown would sneak it, but they are definitely headed in the right direction. Their younger players look like they would hold their own with most. Encouraging.

Clough Ballacolla could do whatever they want in the semis.

Strangely, lack of competitive games could catch either of the 2 supposed favourites.

Rathdowney havent been tested at all really, interesting to see how they'll have managed the 5 week break with football and a few practice games. Camross will be licking their lips.
Then, ballacolla should have way to much for Castletowntoen but they'll be going into a final not really knowing what there form has been like.

You're doing a great service sharing those results.
The Tipp Games Dev twitter account, for example, didn't but important that you get to make your point.

Two good games in portlaoise today.

Had a feeling camross prem intermediates would have a performance in them and had a good win. Clonasle have been a breathe of fresh air and will be worth favourites in the semi but I've a feeling camross have a kick in them.

Gutted for ballyfin. Portlasoie have improved with good strength in depth, subs made big difference. Ballyfins goal was lucky but didn't get to many more breaks, couple of questionable calls from the referee without looking for blame or excuses.

Still abbeyleix championship to lose.

I think borris will beat camross.
Amazing how much they've been written off. With injuries and lads away they were always going to struggle in the group. Beat camross in the semi last year without breaking a sweat.

Rosenallis by 6.
Harps by 2 but Id be nervous enough for them if ballinkil start well.

Ballyfin by 3.
Camross prem int to beat rathdowney by 1.
Trumera will send SB down i think.

In the interests of fairness, the David Clifford argument is compelling.

Messed up the quote but you said:
Your argument that 'park, cortwood, ballyroan, clonaslee and rosneallis.(should) invest in juvenile set-ups' is laughable as these are clubs who actually do this already.


Read it again please. Laughable that you thought I was slagging these clubs off. There the exact clubs I think would be punished by area teams.

In Laois if clubs put their heads down and get structures right they'll be senior within 10-15 years. Courtwood did it by good structures with emo in St Pauls. Rosenallis did it in both codes. Park have done it. Go back years, Castletown went fron junior to nearly leinster champions in hurling. Ballacolla from inter to senior champs in 10.

Look, I'm actually not disagreeing with a lot of what your saying. We want teams competing at a level that.encourages them to put best structures in place at juvenile and adult level.

I just think area teams are potentially a cop-out and clubs who are currently getting away with doing the minimum will continue to do so as there good lads will be sorted by area teams. I think if we cut the teams competing at senior then some teams will need to have a hard look at themselves.

My other issue with area teams is that smallish clubs who do the right things will have there chances of winning senior taken away forever. Ballyfin were in a semi a couple of years ago, last 4 in laois. Would that have been possible if they had ran into an Arles Gaels or St Pauls amalgam?

You want area teams so the best players get exposure to senior. Fair enough.
I want less teams at senior grades and clubs are forced to comit to developing higher quality players. Clubs that do wil achieve success, those that don't will need to have a look at themselves and see how sustainable they are.

The Laois county board need to shift the focus from League to Championship long term for starters. Would I be right in saying that any side playing Division 1 football would have played 10+ (if not more) league games this year?

Surely by removing an unhealthy amount of league games and giving players more championship games, it would be a good starting point for one.

I would echo the above statements regarding the state of the Senior Championship, half of the sides in it are cannon fodder and are only senior teams in name.

I wouldn't necessarily lay much blame at the feet of these clubs because many are small rural villages/parish teams who are merely year on year making up the numbers.

We've all lost count at how times this has been said on here by posters, that mirroring the Kerry Championship is the way to go. Until we follow suit, we will continue to have a poor product (Laois Senior Championship) that impacts the Intermediate Championship, Junior Championship and most importantly the Laois inter county team.

Lets take Paul Kingston and Evan O'Carroll, two expectational players in my opinion. No disrespect to Killeen or Crettyard but could you imagine the level of player for the most part that they're not only playing alongside but training against when the inter county season is over within their club?

Hypothetically speaking, if Killeen joined with Barrowhouse and Kilcruise to play in the Laois Senior Championship with a squad of the best 20-25 players picked. Not only would Paul be getting tested more in training but you would see his true potential a lot more on the field at club level. The same would apply to Evan if Crettyard joined with Killeshin or Ballylinan.

Again, in order to ensure clubs like Killeen, Kilcruise, Barrowhouse never die you would incorporate these clubs as separate entities in an Intermediate or Junior Championship. But allow the amalgamated sides to play in a Senior Championship under the same name they would use at Juvenile level.

Then your traditional big clubs like Portlaoise, Port, Graigue, St Josephs, Stradbally etc who are all strong enough to go solo would play in a separate Senior Championship with no amalgamations allowed. You would of course then have your big hitters playing in another Senior Championship against your amalgamations also.

1) 8 Team Laois Senior Championship (2 Groups of 4 teams) The winner represents Laois in Leinster as no amalgamated sides would be allowed.
2) 12 Team Laois Senior Championship (3 groups of 4 teams) with 4 amalgamated sides allowed. In theory you would have the 8 sides above + 4 new teams. Lowest finishing sole senior side gets relegated to intermediate.

Nah. We're not Kerry. Small county; no need for area teams.

Why don't we encourage clubs to follow likes of park, cortwood, ballyroan, clonaslee and rosneallis.invest in juvenile set-ups, build up gradually and when the time is right you'll go up.
Some of those clubs have enjoyed mutually beneficial juv arrangements that served all parties. More of that, less bed-hopping.


Divisions of 8-12 with 2xgroups of 4-6.
Do it over one year. Too many clubs will object though so need a co board to just drill it through. Maybe then when some clubs find themselves inter or even junior they'll think about parish teams and amalgamations.

Hard draw for courtwood, think graigue will win that with a bit too spare.
Port and ballyroan will be interesting. Ballyroan better than I thought but port will be a real test.
I think clojnslee will be delited to avoid graigue and port. They'll resist a shot at portlaoise. Might come up a little short but they'll give them plenty of it.

Joseph's and o dempsys best pick of the quarters I think. Hard to call

Great result for kileen. 20 years senior. An achievement but nothing compared to what they could have done as a parish team.

Windy today. Might suit teams who can move the ball forward quicker. Emo carry well, ballyfin can kick pass well but ballroan will drop bodies back in. Clonaslee will need to be more direct, might need Corbet further out the field.

Interesting day ahead.

In order of confidence:

O'Ds by 8
Emo by 4
Killeshin by 3
Clonaslee by 2

Rosenallis by 1




Ballyfin by 1

Ballyfin will give balyroan plenty of it the next day. Can run the ball, can kick-pass, score fron distance and have a massive danger/threat in the full line. Could be the best match of the round.

Fair play to park. Better team today but I think dempseys will cut them apart. Need to setup tight and stay in the game. Just cant see anything but O'ds.

Rosenalis such a strange team can look brilliant and awful inbthe same 5 mins. Hard game to call against courtwood.

And everyone still writing off clonaslee. Give them a big chance.

Round 3 should be great in fairness.