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compared to euphoria that is portlaoise

Portlaoise got out of jail big time last night against shanahoe who missed several chances near the end along with a few very questionable ref decisions against them. Cant see portlaoise going much further. Rosenallis had way too much pace and skill for a poor looking colt outfit, second half was a massacure.

Surprised to see camross in the intermediate final considering they struggled to get past ballypickas and ratheniska/timahoe. Cant see them making up a 13 point gap on a slieve bloom team with a good defence and 2 extremely dangerous forwards. Good to see Slieve Bloom and Mountmellick in the finals and Kyle win the junior B too, always back the first teams

Brody, Bulger, Byron, Keogh, Cooney, have nearly more options there than anywhere else.

Midfield i would see a problem coming upon us quickly enough, options seem to be limited coming through in reguards fielders at least

Jesus lads Spink have had some fall in a short period of time, i know that hurling is the main sport over there and that they are getting lads from 2 hurling clubs but at this stage they would be better off letting the lads that actually want to kick ball go to cretty or wherever. Because its unfair at this stage. I remember talking to a lad a few years ago when they brought the ballinakill lads in and said it would kill off spink and split the community, seemed like madness when they were going well at inter but by jaysus that man was spot on

Some sense there, but at the same time, Spink are making massive strides at underage and hopefully will regenerate again in a few years if they can keep that coming. Amalgamations are grand if lads buy into them, but at the end of the day, a hurler will always put hurling first, and vice versa.

Im aware if that but at the same time how many of these lads are going to put football first, realistically the only ones to benefit from this arrangement are ballinakill who have succeded in expanding their area of players into spink

The only way i could see it working long term is by spink and ballinakill having a full scale amalgamation, they might loae a few current players who hurl with ballypickas but would likely gain more from ballinakill to counter that and they would have a solid foundation of players to choose from instead if the guessing game they have at the moment. Having said that the chances of ballinakill giving up.anything in name or colour are slim id imagine. Also thought that this should of happened with us and abbeyleix when they decided to go together. Either go the full way with it or dont do it, half measures dont cut it.

As for my clubmate here i think there is enough questionable transfers and players outside our catchment area to be making accusations.

Going into the last round anyone have predictions for the various championships? Ballacolla will surely be going all out against Camross as a win for them and rathdowney will knock camross out, who would be the most dangerous of animals in the backdoor.

Senior A hard to see past the harps and rosenallis, clonaslee i dont feel have enough, colt seem go have gone back a bit losing kavanagh and parkinson also seemed very unfit against shanahoe who to be fair have added lads onto the team this year, can see them making a semi final. Portlaoise seem in freefall

Intermediate hard to imagine that rathdowney are in the relegation final, Ratheniska/Timahoe also being there is a surprise especially losing to ballypickas, bit of a disaster really. Would like to see Slieve Bloom win it and think they will get to a final against borris, the 2 conroys on a different level from other forwards at this grade, alot will depend if borris lose lads, seem strong.

Junior A reckon Mountmellick will win it and complete back to back championships

Jesus lads Spink have had some fall in a short period of time, i know that hurling is the main sport over there and that they are getting lads from 2 hurling clubs but at this stage they would be better off letting the lads that actually want to kick ball go to cretty or wherever. Because its unfair at this stage. I remember talking to a lad a few years ago when they brought the ballinakill lads in and said it would kill off spink and split the community, seemed like madness when they were going well at inter but by jaysus that man was spot on

Gaels should be left for senior teams only, having said that there shouldnt be 16 senior teams either, as regards underage football and hurling should be accessable to every child inside their own parish, laois is too small for towns like stradbally being a football only club or rathdowney being a hurling only club

thought o carroll was solid if unspectacular last night, felt ciaran farrell had a good game for ballylinan

Realistically it doesn't matter who we get in they will be under pressure from the start from supporters, a few bad performances in the league or even the o'byrne cup and their head will be called for, whats a realistic target for laois next year, probably getting out of division 4, beating anyone in leinster outside of dublin, kildare and meath and beating a division 4 or lower division 3 team in the qualifiers

[Just worry about who ye are going to poach next]

You'll never beat Arles/Killeen

Grow up and get a life will you with your school yard childish taunts. I wouldnt mind if you would debate issues but you are too focused on your own narrow minded locality trying to find themselves. No wonder the real Arles walked ( and went and won a championship )

The real Arles ? Just look at the crest. Fair play to kilcruise and best of luck to them. Don't be trying to stir up old wounds. All playing underage  together again and it's great to see. Just worry about who ye are going to poach next  and for gods sake mind yourself .

Michael Leigh (St Josephs)
Enda O'Rourke (Graiguecullen)
Niall O'Rourke (Graiguecullen)
Brendan O'Shea (Arles/Kilcruise)
Sean O'Shea (Arles/Kilcruise)
Donie Kingston (Barrowhouse)
Paul Kingston (Barrowhouse)
John Dunphy (Spink)
Podge Kelly (Spink)

I'm sensing one man in ballyroan doesn't like Clancy anyway

I do like him actually, a very sound man but facts are facts he's achieved nothing of note yet, he's been built for a fall by my fellow clubman. I mentioned Higgins because he's also a young manager but has achievements behind him, has made club finals/all ireland semi finals.

As for the senior team itself now is probably the time to get rid of the older lads they have served us well but now is the time to come up with a long term plan for the team and rebuild from the bottom division and unfortunley the likes of timmons, strong, mcmahon, begley, donoher etc.

Build the foundations now for underage and club leagues/chamionships and see where we go

Played junior final sunday, junior championship last night, have football championship tomorrow night, why they culdnt play it a different date i dont know, between this courtwood not being promoted and the ballypickas-mountmellick fiasco its a bad look

What was the point in having a hard stance with transfers at the start of the year if you are just going to give it in the end anyway, I dont understand how these lads are still in there jobs, they have overseen and been responsible for more controversies in their reign than probably been seen in the last 30 years in Laois. In a county like Laois no adult transfers should be given, the county isnt exactly that big to be fair. Either make it total zero tolerance or open it completely because theres too many holes in the laws at the moment.

Lets be honest if the Kingstons and Daly were with Barrowhouse you could basically swap Killen and Barrowhouses positions on the club ladder

Why would you pick Clancy, whats his managerial record, one year over Timahoe Junior Bs reached a semi/final, First year in Ballyroan got hammered by Timahoe, an intermediate team in a league semi/final, scrapped a win over a bad crettyard in the 1st round of championship, hammered by a heath team we got a draw off the year before in the next round and knocked out by Graigue the round after. Come to last year got to quarter final beat by arles/killen i.e the kingstons. Give him a few more years at club and see how he gets on. The likes of Joe Higgins should be closer to the job than Clancy and has intercounty expierence albeit with the women. Not saying he's the answer but surely more deserving than Clancy and McNulty for that matter at the moment.

Actually think fewer matches in the league would help big time, also there are 24 trams in division 2 and 3, id like to see 3 divisions of 8 between these. You would end up having 7 divisions of 8 teams, basically the way the hurling is, Have one up and one down from each league also instead of two. Also run it so that there is all hurling one week all football the week after or visa versa, makes it clearer for players when matches are on, also help out duel players clubs big time and would allow football/hurling only clubs to schedule the year out better. The fewer games i think would also lead to more intensity because the matches would actually mean more and there would be less likely hood of the the mass forfeits that we are seeing.