Laois Senior Hurling Championship 2016

[BallyroanAbbey]

 Regardless of the draw, they look the team to beat and a 6th title in 11 years would propel them well ahead of their rivals in the bragging stakes.
[/quote

Surely Camross have to be considered favorites atm, they have already beaten rathdowney/errill and destroyed ballacolla in particular, where they looked extremely fit and clinical

[burdizzo]

Yes, I agree with that.

[Sanny]

God the ref in the Abbeyleix / Harps match was shocking tonight . Missed so many frees . His lack of decision  making almost incited a melee . Surely for such an important match , these two teams deserved better ?

[Keyser Söze]

God the ref in the Abbeyleix / Harps match was shocking tonight . Missed so many frees . His lack of decision  making almost incited a melee . Surely for such an important match , these two teams deserved better ?

Your name would lead me to think you are an Abbeyleix man!

He was very poor in fairness. In my opinion he is usually fine, so I'd be wondering if visibility was poor or something.
I'd also be of the opinion that whilst he was poor, Abbeyleix benefitted more from it.
There should have been 5+ minutes added for Rowlands frees alone and then in stoppage time a Rowland free plus an Abbeyleix "injury" should have seen another minute or so added.

But overall The Harps deserved to lose. They looked really poor between the 20th & 50th minute. Abbeyleix dominated this period- but were lucky enough in the end!

[blueandwhite1]

Regardless of the draw, they look the team to beat and a 6th title in 11 years would propel them well ahead of their rivals in the bragging stakes.
[/quote

Surely Camross have to be considered favorites atm, they have already beaten rathdowney/errill and destroyed ballacolla in particular, where they looked extremely fit and clinical
[/quote

Camross will need to keep improving. R/E were poor against them and lost by a point and have improved quite a lot since then. Should be a massive game and can't see much between them.

[finbar o tool]

predictions for Sunday??

Mine is a B/K R/E final.

[oneflewoverthecuckoonest]

I feel rathdowney are timing their challenge nicely and may prove too strong for camross, in a tight call. this game a bit like Dublin/Kerry is in effect the final.

I fear borris will beat ballinakill in the second game...fear because if borris make the final, I expect another bottle job..ballinakill would provide a more entertaining final, though no doubt lose it.

[blueandwhite1]

Weather forecast is fairly brutal so could be a pair of slogging matches.

[County baller]

With the weather as it is I'd fancy camross and Ballinakill to grind out results. Borris seem to lack bottle and Camross have been so good this year they deserve the win!

[Keyser Söze]

Harsh on  Borris Kilcotton.
They have failed to perform on a few occasions but haven't really lost any games they were considered overwhelming favourites for.

People read alot into the 2013 final loss to Camross. But in retrospect Camross were/are a serious outfit.
I cannot see them losing to Ballinakill on Sunday.

[County baller]

I'm probably being slightly harsh. I think that the current Borris team have a huge amount of talent and on paper are better than Ballinakill, but from watching them play I'm not sure if they have the same drive that Ballinakill or Camross have shown this year. That being said if they keep Cha quiet they certainly have the ability to win.

[blueandwhite1]

I'm probably being slightly harsh. I think that the current Borris team have a huge amount of talent and on paper are better than Ballinakill, but from watching them play I'm not sure if they have the same drive that Ballinakill or Camross have shown this year. That being said if they keep Cha quiet they certainly have the ability to win.

One thought I have is that it is very hard to get optimal motivation to beat the same team twice. Much easier for R/E and B/K to motivate themselves as both will be hurting from earlier defeats. Could be important in two very close games. Saying that, Camross have lost so many big games they are not short of drive.

[Ogie]

Ballinakill are having a good year, & are a tough nut to craic, they have some fine club hurlers in John Walsh, James Walsh, Brian o Meara, Eamonn jackman, Seamus still bossing things from the middle, & Young Downey improving beside him,& of course Cha!
They lost to Castletown in a practice match last week & spent last Saturday in Carton House being coached by Cheddar, their going all out & will fancy their chances,
I just can't see Borris Kilcotton be as bad again & the move of Foyle back up front should make the forwards a lot more potent,
BK beat Kilcormac & drew with Clareen in the last fortnight, I think their improving at the right time if it's good enough to get over this battle, posters here don't seem to think it will be.
I'm going with Borris Kilcotton

Rathdowney Errill are improving as the year goes on and are masters at peaking at the right time, while I do feel this is a lot weaker team than have won previous titles their 'old' guard are still class acts & have the big match experience, RE have drew with Birr & beat Castlecomer in the last few weeks, their forwards putting up big scores
Camross have been brilliant this year & deserve massive credit, especially their manager, they are so well driven & well organised, if they get any lead up they will retreat & shut up shop thrive on the hooks, blocks & tackles needed then, Camross have travelled further afield to Dublin & Wexford for games, I do believe the county champions will come from this game, like said previously here I just think RE will be more motivated this time around & have more scoring forwards to get the win.

[merman]

Got to agree with Ogie on the Borris/Kilcotton game. I can't see them wasting this opportunity.
I understand things came to head a few weeks ago and there has been a huge improvement at training since; if they are ready and focussed then they should have enough to hold Ballinakill at arms length. I'm glad to hear Foyle is back in the forwards, utter madness to have been playing him wingback.

I honestly can't call the second game. I was impressed with RE against CB, even more than I was with Camross, but you've got to feel Camross won't be as naive as CB were. If they can get a handle on Paddy Purcell then they will go a long way to winning this game. Man for man I believe RE have the stronger personnel but Camross have that cohesion and steely belief and in Arien Delaney, they have the best manager in Laois over the last few years.

BK by 7
RE and Camross to draw

2 other things:
Removing the seeding from the Semi-Finals was moronic! The draw should be Camross-BK and Ballinakill Gaels-RE. For Ballinakill or BK to reach a final without beating CB, RE or Camross just doesn't seem to make sense. Repeat pairings should have been avoided where possible.

Can Ballinakill Gaels go on to represent Laois in Leinster if they do go all the way? I doubt they can.

[Ballyroan Abbey]

Once again james young and clonaslee have disgraced themselves tonight, regardless of his stature the man deserves a lifetime ban and the club should be suspended for a year