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Draw made last night.

Clogh Ballacolla v Camross the stand out draw.

redsetanta, I think you need to be more specific with your thread titles.

That any better!

I think the word you're missing is Laois? Maybe I'm wrong.

We are in a Laois GAA forum! Dunno, do we put Laois into every thread then?

Fair enough, but when posters/viewers open http://gaaboard.com/ they see a thread called Senior Hurling Club Championship 2015 and a similar one for football.

Without Laois it suggests it's a national thread. I'm aware now so it doesn't bother me.

This is a sub forum so if I want to look at or discuss GAA at a national level I will go to the main forum. If I want to check out the Offaly football championship then I will go to the Offaly forum.

2015 Laois Hurling Championship Draws


Laois Shopping Centre 2015 Senior Hurling Championship

Ballinakill v Castletown
The Harps v Borris in Ossory Kilcotton
Camross v Clough Ballacolla
Rathdowney Errill v St Lazerians Abbeyleix


Laois Shopping Centre Laois Senior "A" Hurling Championship

St Fintans Mountrath v Ballyfin
Borris in Ossory Kilcotton v Colt
Shanahoe v Clonaslee St Manmans
Rosenallis v Portlaoise


Laois Shopping Centre Laois Intermediate Hurling Championship

Camross v The Harps
Timahoe v Clonad
Park Ratheniska v Rathdowney Errill
Trumera v Portlaoise;


Laois Shopping Centre Junior Hurling Championship

Group A - Castletown; Borris in Ossory Kilcotton; Slieve Bloom; Kyle; Clough Ballacolla;
Group B - Ballypickas; Mountmellick; The Harps; Rathdowney Errill;


Laois Shopping Centre Junior "B" Hurling Championship

Camross v Borris in Ossory Kilcotton, Winners v Colt
St Fintans Mountrath v Ballinakill
Portlaoise v Rathdowney Errill
Rosenallis v Clonad, Winners v Slieve Margy
Ballyfin v Clough Ballacolla, Winners v St Lazerians Abbeyleix


Laois Shopping Centre Junior "C" Hurling Championship

Last Nights Draw declared Void, as Mountmellick were omitted from Draw. Competition will be redrawn on next Monday evening in association with Juvenile Draws.



Laois Shopping Centre Under 21 Hurling Championship

Abbeyleix Gaels v Rathdowney Errill, Winners v St Fintans Gaels
Camross v Na Fianna, Winners v Castletown Slieve Bloom
Portlaoise v Borris in Ossory Kilcotton, Winners v Rosenallis
Clough Ballacolla v The Harps, Winners v Qualifier Round Robin Winner (Ballinakill Gaels, Clonad Park Ratheniska Timahoe, St Fintans Mountrath)


Laois Shopping Centre Minor Hurling Championship​

Clough Ballacolla v Borris in Ossory Kilcotton
Abbeyleix Gaels v Castletown Slieve Bloom
Portlaoise v Harps Gaels
Rathdowney Errill v Na Fianna.


Laois Shopping Centre Minor "B" Hurling Championship​

Camross v Clonad Park Ratheniska, Winners Graiguecullen
St Fintans Mountrath v Rosenallis
Slieve Margy v St Fintans Gaels.

(bump) :D

Hard to see anything but wins for:

Ballinakill, Borris-Kilcotton, Clough-Ballacolla and Rathdowney-Errill in the first round.

Castletown to send Abbeyleix packing.

Clough-Ballacolla to beat Rathdowney-Errill in the final.

Looking forward to this weekend and I wouldn't see any of the games being quite as clear-cut as G@@ has them. I wouldn't necessarily disagree with many of his predictions but I don't foresee any one-sided games.

First game Saturday is Borris/Kilcotton vs The Harps at 6pm
The Harps have struggled this year but will be buoyed by a good win over Rathdowney/Errill last day out. They are a dangerous outfit but are coming up against one of the definite championship favourites this weekend. They probably lack a couple of forwards and John Brophy's injury struggles are a massive loss, perhaps insurmountable. They will be very fearful of a loss as the losers section of this year's championship is fraught with danger.
B/K will have found the league frustrating as they were short 7 players due to senior county commitments as well as another 3 with the minors. They may take time to get into their stride but if they can overcome The Harps they will really relish 4 weeks of good hard training and if they put all their parts together they could be the team to beat this year. The fitness of Neil Foyle could be pivotal for their Championship hopes and it will be interesting to see how much he has in the tank Saturday evening.

The Harps to cause a few scares but I'd have to see B/K finishing stronger.
B/K by 6

At 7:30 Camross face Clough/Ballacolla
Camross will likely have been happier with this draw than CB. They have moved through to a league final after a clinical dismissal of R/E last week where I was very impressed with how they played. Zane and Palmer will be massive boosts coming back from the County and with a couple of fresh faces home from Australia they will be confident of completing a hat-trick of wins over CB.
CB for their part have a 100% record in Laois this year winning the Palmer Cup and topping the league. The switching of Mick Mac to defence looks a positive move but it may leave them short ball-winners if messrs Hyland and Maher can be shackled at the other end. It will be interesting to see if or where Lee Cleere from the Laois minors can slot into this team; he has had two seriously impressive years with the county minors.

I wouldn't back against Camross if this one goes to the wire...
Could be a Draw!

First up Sunday is the intriguing battle between Castletown and Ballinakill at 6.
Castletown finished ahead of Ballinakill in the league but one would have to think that with Cha Dwyer in such brilliant form for Laois that Ballinakill will receive the bigger boost as county players are reintegrated.
Castletown have a huge Ben Conroy-sized hole to fill in attack and a lot will be expected of Ben Reddin and minor full-back Conor Phelan who is likely to be deployed in the forwards. They will have been happy enough to have drawn Ballinakill and will feel that if they can hold Cha then they will have the nous and experience further forward to get over the line.
Ballinakill will similarly have been happy enough with the draw. Their big hope now will be that Sean Downey and James Walsh will slip seemlessly back into a system that is built around Dwyer. They are a solid team with no glaring weaknesses and should be able to match up physically with Castletown. They finished the league as second-highest scorers behind CB and if their other forwards can contribute with 8-12 points then they should progress.

Ballinakill by 4

County champions Rathdowney/Errill will look to see off Abbeyleix in the last game of the weekend.

R/E, in my opinion, start every year as the team to beat. They have the best hurler in the county in Joe Fitzpatrick and they have a lovely mix of youth and experience right throughout the team. Questions will need to be answered over the coming weeks and the losses of Ross and Darren King are considerable. Roddy had hoped to feature against Abbeyleix but I understand that will come too soon; he is likely to be back for the next round. RE struggled against Camross and have definite problems between the sticks. They had their scare against Abbeyleix last year so they should be well-warned and prepared for a battle.
My concern with Abbeyleix is that 1B might not have them prepared for the physicality and speed of senior hurling. They clocked up some comprehensive wins during the league but were soundly beaten by Portlaoise in the league final. They are a young side and such a result could be a demoralising blow. They will be confident of putting up a decent score but I don't think they carry a huge goal threat and they might just need goals to topple our champions.

R/E by 6

spot on Merman, great post.
i think Camross v CB will be the game of the week end, CB will have to play to their full potential to get over Camross i think.
BK v Harps could be closer than people think but i would still go for BK just.

Excellent post Merman.

Just a note re Abbeyleix. I think league form cannot be used as a form guide. Abbeyleix finished 3rd from bottom in 1A last year and should have beaten the county champions the first day. Their defeat to Portlaoise is demoralising but Portlaoise to be fair would consider themselves a top 4 senior team let alone Senior B.

I can't see Rathdowney being in too much bother against Abbeyleix but for both the Senior championships I think league form has to be discounted especially given the unavailability of county players for the majority of the league games.

Would be great to see a new team make a breakthrough someone like Ballinakill but the sheer panel sizes of Camross,Ballacolla and R/E make them the teams to beat. Relegation could be interesting. losing the first round game is massive. Abbeyleix , The Harps and Castletown will all be keen to avoid that quagmire at all costs.

In the Senior B this weekend you have Portlaoise v Rosenallis and B/K v Colt.

Portlaoise are obviously hot favourites to return to the senior ranks at the first time of asking. Rosenallis are a young side with some quality in their ranks but not enough to bother Portlaoise. Portlaoise by 10-12 for me.

Colt suffered a horrific Division 1 campaign but as said league form goes out the window now and may have had the handier draw of the 8 with B/K second string especially with BK 1st team out this weekend as well. BK had a fine win over Shanahoe in Division 2 league final and Colt will depend heavily for scores on Murray. Will be tight be I'd expect Colt to shade it.

In the last two games of the round played on the weekend of the 25th Ballyfin play Mountrath and Shanahoe play Clonaslee.

Mountrath were last years beaten finalists yet endured a torrid 1A this year losing 5 out of 6 with the only victory being over R/E second string in their final game to avoid the drop. They will depend heavily on Dan Russell again for scores and this may be their downfall as they don't seem to have many others that trouble the scoreboard. Ballyfin will be without Sean Lowry from what I hear (knee trouble) but have a couple of quality players up from Na Fiannas minor victory last year as well as George Lanham up front should do enough to keep the scoreboard ticking. Their 1A form isnt too hot either suffering a heavy defeat in the semi final to Abbeyleix but again league form will go out the window in this local derby and again I can't see much between the sides. A draw for me!

Clonaslee and Shanahoe will be a physical battle with who ever is disciplined enough to keep the free count down likely to win. Leigh Bergin scored some 15 points in the Division 2 league final with a large portion from frees so Clonaslee be warned. Darren Rooney back at 6 for Clonaslee will stiffen the spine of their defence up no end but there are talks of Will Young gone to the states and he would be a huge loss. Shanahoe to win here for me between 4 and 6.

Here is to a great club championship. Be great to hear from other posters on the other championships ie junior and intermediate. Often times these forums only concentrate on the Senior championship with little or no coverage given elsewhere. Match reports, predictions and  banter are all welcome to keep the interest in all levels of Laois hurling strong!

The league semi final win by Camross over R/E was a big kick in the arse for R/E. Camross were excellent, R/E were very poor. If the county final were to be played in July / August, R/E would be easily beaten. However, they have plenty of time to get things right and  need Ross King fit.

Again, this year looks like being another very exciting club championship. B/K, C/B, Camross and R/E are serious outfits with a great chance of winning silverware and the other 4 will also fancy themselves. To say that the weakest teams of the 8 can realistically beat the best teams says a lot about the quality of hurling in the county.

How does the championship work lads?

It's a straightforward championship POTH but it's not always easy to explain in text....

After this weekend (barring replays of course) we will have 4 winners and 4 losers.

We then enter phase 2 where we have our 4 'winners' play in what are essentially quarter-finals and our four 'losers' play in qualifiers. The winners from the 'winners' section advance to the semi-finals.

Phase 3 and Relegation run concurrently.
The winners from the 'losers' section advance to play the losers from the 'winners' section. Again, these are essentially quarter-finals and the losers are out with no threat of relegation. Repeat match-ups are avoided where possible.

The relegation final is then between the losers from the 'losers' section.

All 4 semi-finalists will thus have won 2 games though 2 will also have lost one.

It's a decent championship format though I would still be of the opinion that our county panellists do not hurl enough club games....

Quote from: Plain of the Herbs on July 14, 2015, 09:07:11 PM
How does the championship work lads?

I'm glad you asked, Plain of the Herbs, because I was wondering the same thing. ???

And thanks, Merman, for the explanation!

Quote from: merman on July 15, 2015, 12:57:04 AM

It's a decent championship format though I would still be of the opinion that our county panellists do not hurl enough club games....

agree, i like the format but also agree, all the hurlers, not just the county men could do with more championship hurling.

probably goes back to that old chestnut of not enough clubs.

Merman, or anyone, do you think there should be 10 clubs in the senior championship?

I personally think 8 is a good number.

I would add 3 games to the championship.
At the start if the year; I would draw two groups of 4. Each team would play 3 games; one in April/May/June.
After those games; we would enter phase 2 of the championship which is where we are at now.
So, instead of having these matches as an Open Draw, I'd base them of final group placings.
Ie: A1vs B4, A2vsB3, A3vsB2, A4vsB1.

There should be room for a couple of extra games as Laois are out of the Round Robin next year.

I think the system works well although it does tend to favour the Top teams .I can see Camross winning it this year but they have a tough draw to start with!

So the format the same as the Christy Ring and Nick Rackard cups so.

I can see why people would like to see more matches.  You have to remember though that no matter how many or how few matches there are, you can still get knocked out the once.

Thanks Merman I am a bit off the pace this year,come on dont mind the weekend for a minute how come no one mentioned the big row that took place in Camross  between themselves and B/K juniors this week. match abandoned,9 or 10 mins left not a bit of trouble until a corner back and a corner forward took into it,then it became a free for all, they even came over  the wire brought back memories , sorry I know ye dont want to hear that ,ref could do nothing, I say he did not know where to start so he walked,some of ye must have been there,now I do think that Abbeyleix could surprise R/E, they did not look good against Camross and that was in Borris pitch so OMoore park might just catch them out at this time of the year,Ballinakill are a nice lively team and if they put it together they will beat Castletown, cant see Harps beating B/K if they learned anything now is the time to show what they are made of,  I think C/B will beat Camross the only thing that could upset them is that Camross will have had more of their panel together for longer as they would have the least with the county and there will be no individuals with Camross so roll on the weekend.

Crow, i wasnt at that junior match that was abandoned but i spoke to a Camross man since that was at it and he reckoned there wasnt that much in it, few slaps thrown alright but apparently a couple of players ended up on top of each other on the ground and the ref should have blown for a throw in, but didnt and it spiraled a little bit, and the ref didnt blow the whistle until half way through the row, and just walked off the pitch. i was told no one came over the wire but a first aid man for Camross and someone else that was either doing linesman or umpire got involved and got a clip around the ear!   
thats what i heard anyway, i stand to be corrected!!

also on the games this week end, Camross beating R/E could have been a little kick in the hole for R/E, a bit of a wake up call maybe? i expect them to have too much for Abbeyleix.

Camross at nearly 2/1 has to be the bet of the weekend in what is essentially a 50/50 game!

I'm also expecting a huge performance from Borris/Kilcotton who are apparently flying....

for the gamblers out there, B/K, R/E, C/B and Ballinakill accum pays 4/1!
throw in camross instead of C/B and the accum pays 7/1!  :)

There is always a great buzz around the start of championship and hopefully this weekend will kick it off with a bang. 

Ballinakill are a team I'd view as championship dark horses.  The last time they played senior championship they didn't have John Walsh and Cha is a totally different hurler now too.  Seamus Dwyer, James Walsh, Jackman etc. are hurling as well as ever so I'd be surprised if they don't win on Sunday.  Ben Conroy is a massive loss to Castletowns chances.  He's a serious club hurler and was their most  effective forward for the last few years.  As always you will get their trademark gutsy display but it might be a year too soon for a young and developing team.  Ballinakill by 4 or 5.


For B/K it's time to start delivering big time.  The big question for them is who to play full-back and it will be interesting to see how they line out tonight.  They have the players to match anyone but maybe not as settled as their main rivals.  The Harps have not done too bad but can't afford to lose the likes of Brian Galvin.  Some younger players are stepping up though and I'd be confident they will give a performance this evening.

The move of Mick Mac back to centre-back is a big call for C/B.  He was arguably the most consistent centre-forward at club level in the county but at the same time he is certainly a more natural defender.  I'd expect Lee Cleere and Robbie Phelan to be straight into their starting line up and as Mark Kav and Fonzi showed for R.E last year a really talented minor can make a big difference.  Camross are moving nicely and will be on the war path after last years co.final no show.  A lot of their players who won a string of u21 titles are into their prime now.  No question this is the match of the weekend and I just can't decide on a winner so I'll go with a draw in this one.

R/E are a very solid, all-round team.  Take Roddy King out of the equation and they simply don't have that fear factor however.  They also have a serious issue to over come in finding a top quality goalkeeper.  If Abbeyleix can exploit this weakness and bag a few goals they may get close, but it's R/E by 5+ for me in this one.

To answer Finbars question, not a hope would I increase the number of clubs at senior to 10.  I'd maybe review it 5 years down the line if the strength in Senior B required it, but at the moment the depth is certainly not there.  For long enough we had dead rubber games and total mis-matches, 8 competitive teams keeps everyone on their toes.

I'm really hoping the sense of hope and general good will for hurling in the county at the moment will see more people coming to see the matches.  The crowds have been more than decent over the last few years for a county of our size, but there is always room for more!  Sometimes even an intense match can seem pedestrian if only a handful of supporters are there to see it. 

Well folks whats the verdict after this evenings games?

You just have to admire Camross, they were tenacious! They used the ball well, and didnt give C/B an INCH when they didnt have the ball! C/B had no answer, they were fairly poor, and they got worse when they had the extra man!! Their shooting near the end was attrotious, when they really needed a score! Camross showed great team work throughout, used their 'cuteness' as they always do. Niggling the C/B lads to mess with their heads and it worked! The sending off was the correct decision even though no serious harm was done, Hyland milked it a bit but i wouldnt blame him! Very stupid from Keenan, especially when Hyland was wrestled to the ground, i saw no need for any altercations, it was a free, end of!

1st game was fairly one sided, B/K had plenty to ease past the Harps. Harps could be looking at relegation...
They had no one to match Scully, think he got 2-4 from play. B/K would be interesting without him though, Foyle was quite poor. He didnt get great supply in the 1st half due to the wind but he got enough in the 2nd half and didnt do much. if hes fully fit then he needs to start stepping up to the plate. Paddy Whelan had a great game and the 2 stapletons played very well too.  B/K are still lacking something though i fear, i get the impression they would crumble under pressure like C/B did tonight.

A side note, There was some great blocking and hooking in tonights games, from county players in particular! Was great to see!

Contrasting games yesterday evening.

Borris/Kilcotton showed flashes of brilliance but the game lacked real championship intensity and I'd really worry for The Harps. Their panel just looks threadbare and I don't think they are as fit as they should be for this stage of the year. B/K hurled in patches and when they put everything together they are a formidable outfit. I would be surprised if they don't make a final at the very least. Scully was exceptional and he really is a prolific shooter when he gets any kind of chance. Their balance in defence looks good and if they can get a little more out of their forwards then they could arguably be the team to beat.

The second game had all the intensity but the quality was lacking for me. Zane Keenan was superb but no other county panellists stood out. CB have serious problems and I wouldn't see them as championship contenders on that form. They are too nice a team and where nice teams will win Palmer Cups and Leagues; something more is needed for championships. Camross' discipline (blatant red card aside) and application is exceptional and that could carry them far. They are better than the sum of their parts and have strengthened up their panel now too. I think they'll need to improve to win a championship but it is definitely within them.

Couldnt make the games tonight but would love to hear some details?
2nd game sounded like a cracker, R/E are not champions for nothing, fair play to them! Hard luck Abbeyleix, they couldnt keep it going it seems?

The draw is as follows:
Winners- B/K v R/E, Camross v Ballinakill.

Losers- Abbeyleix v Castletown, Harps v C/B.

B/K v R/E a very interesting match up.

Wasn't at any of the games either, but Abbeyleix seemed to put up a good battle, they will definitely fancy themselves against Castletown, while you would imaging C/B to beat the Harps.

as for the winners, should be a good battle between B/K v R/E, i would expect R/E to pip this with their experience. Camross v Ballinakill, i would think camross to win here easily enough, Ballinakill have some good players but you would think Camross would be too strong for them. Just a quick question, did Holmes, Delaney or Darrell Dooley feature for camross?? all 3 transferred back form Australia this year.

All of them Colin injured

I understand Colin Delaney broke his collar-bone against R/E in the leaue final. Dooley came on wing back after about 40 mins; Holmes corner-forward for the last 10.

I was very impressed with Abbeyleix for about 40 mins. They were intelligent, energetic and clinical and were 14-7 up before RE woke up. Paddy Purcell was immense and single-handidly dragged them back into the game. Abbeyleix will rue a couple of bad wides at crucial times and when their discipline deserted them Mark Kavanagh wasn't going to err. The red card was utter madness and Corby could have no complaints. The resulting free was mis-struck and ended up deceiving Rowland and going straight in. The stuffing was well and truly knocked-out of Abbeyleix at this stage but I feel R/E were in the ascendency regardless and would have went on to win.
R/E will benefit from a few weeks of serious training but on this weekend's form they'll go in as underdogs against B/K for me.

Ballinakill were quite comfortable in seeing off a regrettably toothless Castletown side. C/town made it difficult and were combatitive but just lacked the scoring threat that a Cha Dwyer carries. Dylan Conroy's goal should have given them a shot in the arm but B/kill tacked on 2/3 quick points and the game was over shortly inside the last 10.
B/kill were lively and are strong in crucial areas but have a couple of square pegs in round holes and one would have to imagine that Camross will be a step too far.

Will Castletown be under pressure to stay up folks? I wouldn't see many club hurling games but I'd imagine losing the Slieve Bloom players will weaken them a lot?

Quote from: Heshs Umpire on July 21, 2015, 08:26:56 AM
Will Castletown be under pressure to stay up folks? I wouldn't see many club hurling games but I'd imagine losing the Slieve Bloom players will weaken them a lot?

I'd imagine the Harps must be under the most pressure after getting a heavy beating from B/K, they now have to face another strong Clough/Ballacolla outfit. Both Castletown anf Abbeyleix will be happy with their draw and will be eyeing each other up.

On the winners side Camross should be too strong for Ballinakil but then again they have to quieten the best hurler in  the county in my opinion Cha. The other match can go either way, but i expect Rathdowney to edge it. Another 4 weeks they'll probably have King back in.

Rathdowney/Errill will be missing Paddy Purcell and Ross King for the B/K game; they have gone to Boston on a 30-day transfer. That tips the scales drastically in B/K's favour.

I would be very worried for Castletown as I can't see them beating Abbeyleix...

Quote from: merman on July 21, 2015, 11:33:10 AM
Rathdowney/Errill will be missing Paddy Purcell and Ross King for the B/K game; they have gone to Boston on a 30-day transfer. That tips the scales drastically in B/K's favour.

I would be very worried for Castletown as I can't see them beating Abbeyleix...

i still wouldn't write R/E off, but that's a huge loss! by all accounts, Purcell kept R/E in that game on his own at the week end.
is King fully fit now or whats the story?

Quote from: finbar o tool on July 21, 2015, 11:44:53 AM

i still wouldn't write R/E off, but that's a huge loss! by all accounts, Purcell kept R/E in that game on his own at the week end.
is King fully fit now or whats the story?

I think it would be a huge set-back for B/K and Ken Hogan if they don't beat R/E.

Purcell was arguably the best player on view all weekend.

Quote from: finbar o tool on July 19, 2015, 09:29:12 PM
...
The draw is as follows:
Winners- B/K v R/E, Camross v Ballinakill.

Losers- Abbeyleix v Castletown, Harps v C/B.

B/K v R/E a very interesting match up.

Are there dates set for these matches, yet?

Quote from: Mossy Bruce on July 22, 2015, 01:01:33 AM

Quote from: finbar o tool on July 19, 2015, 09:29:12 PM
...
The draw is as follows:
Winners- B/K v R/E, Camross v Ballinakill.

Losers- Abbeyleix v Castletown, Harps v C/B.

B/K v R/E a very interesting match up.

Are there dates set for these matches, yet?

Yes Bruce. 15th August for the two losers games and 16th August for the two winners games.

Thanks, Heshs Umpire!

Out of the frying pan, into the fire for The Harps alright.  They are a bit unlucky to have got both B/K and C/B on the bounce, but then I don't think their performance the first day of the championship would have troubled many teams.  I still think they will stay up but it's getting close to squeaky bum time!

I'm with merman on the B/K V R/E game; minus both Roddy and Purcell, the game enters must win territory for B/K.  I think they will do it and be one of the guaranteed semi-finalists. 

I wonder how B/K will cope in "must win territory" and i also wonder how R/E will cope as underdogs?? its usually easier to be the underdog!
B/K must deliver now if they have ambitions this year, i feel they have been shackled mentally a bit since that final in 2012 if that makes sense, they seem to have gotten over that somewhat this year but, realistically, its only been one game against poor opposition...im sure they were quietly confident of getting over the harps, different scenario now, even with R/E missing the 2 lads.
by the way are they DEFINITELY going to be missing? i heard they are not going to the US for long.

anyone any opinions on why R/E were left for dead by Abbeyleix for the first 45 minutes of the game? were they asleep or out-hurled? did they maybe take Abbeyleix for granted?

its a case of 'shit or get off the pot' for both B/K and R/E now!

i didnt get to see Ballinakill play but if Camross play as they did against C/B i feel they will have enough to win.
again, didnt see Abbeyleix or Castletown in action but you would have to lean towards Abbeyleix to win as they seem to be flying it and even though they lost the game to R/E, they will surely be able to take a lot from the game that they were happy with and can be confident for the next round.
easy enough call in the last match unfortunately for the Harps, can only see one winner here. C/B need to use this match to sort out their problems and drive on from there.

possibly a bit early to make predictions but for me, its a win for B/K, Camross, Abbeyleix and C/B in the next round.

Lads flew out Monday.

They've signed the minimum allowable 30-day transfer so though they could well come home sooner they won't be available until the Wednesday after the B/K game.

Quote from: merman on July 23, 2015, 08:52:59 PM
Lads flew out Monday.

They've signed the minimum allowable 30-day transfer so though they could well come home sooner they won't be available until the Wednesday after the B/K game.

thanks Merman!

Does anyone know the prospective dates set for the next round of Senior are?

Also, what's the situation with players going up from lower grade to Senior (or other higher) grade - can you be brought up at any stage or is there a cutoff date/round? I presume if you go up and don't play, you can still line-out at the lower grade?

15th and 16th of August redledbetter.

Players can be named as subs on senior (or any higher grade) panels but as soon as they start or come in as a substitute they can't play at any lower grade. There is no cut-off deadline.
I'm not positive but I don't think blood/temporary substitutions count....

Merman you're correct with blood sub scenario. They do not count as used player and can play at lower grade.

What about a black card sub? Do they lose their lower grade status?

Good question scfc.

I'd say they would have to but that's only an assumption...

Quote from: SCFC on July 27, 2015, 10:28:31 PM
What about a black card sub? Do they lose their lower grade status?

Okay. I've never heard that term--what's a "black card sub"?

There is no Black Cards in Hurling anyway, Maybe ask over on the football forum as they would probably know more about that situation.

you took the words out of my mouth Goku, no black cards in hurling.

in football, if you get a black card, you have to leave the field but a sub can be brought on in your place. i would presume a black card sub is considered gone from any lower grade.
a yellow, then a black card = a red card, no sub.

Quote from: merman on July 15, 2015, 12:57:04 AM

...

The relegation final is then between the losers from the 'losers' section.

All 4 semi-finalists will thus have won 2 games though 2 will also have lost one.

It's a decent championship format though I would still be of the opinion that our county panellists do not hurl enough club games....

Back to the structure of the Club Championship, after the relegation final where does the losing club go down to and from where does the new-to-the-senior-championship club come up from? An Intermediate Championship?

Thanks.

Quote from: Mossy Bruce on July 30, 2015, 08:55:19 PM

Quote from: merman on July 15, 2015, 12:57:04 AM

...

The relegation final is then between the losers from the 'losers' section.

All 4 semi-finalists will thus have won 2 games though 2 will also have lost one.

It's a decent championship format though I would still be of the opinion that our county panellists do not hurl enough club games....

Back to the structure of the Club Championship, after the relegation final where does the losing club go down to and from where does the new-to-the-senior-championship club come up from? An Intermediate Championship?

Thanks.

Bruce, the relegated team swap places with the winners of the Senior A championship. Effectively, the old intermediate championship.
Teams like Portlaoise, Colt, Ballyfin, Mountrath, Clonaslee are all in the Senior A.

Thanks, Heshs Umpire. :)

Div 1 Final
Clough/Ballacolla 1.16 - 2.12 Camross

Intense but both teams will need more to threaten a championship. I felt this was a game CB dared not lose and a gutsy, determined win could do them the world of good.
Camross won't lose too much sleep over the result and will be hot favourites to beat Ballinakill.

Hello Gents,
Finally made the transfer over from Laois talk, which is still greatly missed!!
Focus turns back on the hurling championship this week thankfully! Plenty to look forward to.

Some  practice matches played over the last 10 days -

Rathdowney Errill 1-13 Coolderry 2-17
Borris Kilcotton 2-16 Birr 0-19
Borris Kilcotton 3-23 Newtownshandrum 3-25
Clough Ballacolla lost to Loughrea by 5 points
Camross beat a Portumna intermediate team with 4 Seniors something along the lines of 5-16 to 0-26

Some good run outs and impressive opposition for the most,
My predictions for the weekend are that Clough Ballacolla will have way too much for The Harps who looked doomed to relegation, With the league final win and this round win Clough Ballacolla should be back firing on all cylinders
Abbeyleix are still the most underrated team in the championship & will beat Castletown
Camross too are looking strong and will be hard to beat in this championship, their attitude & work rate has to be admired, however they are short on firepower Zane aside, I think Ballinakill will stay in the Senior ranks, but Camross will win this on Sunday evening
The Final game of the weekend should also be the best game of the weekend, the champions are quality and have great experience, however without Roddy & Paddy Purcell this turns into a must win game for Borris Kilcotton, and I think they will win it, their forwards were very impressive the last day, albeit against a poor outfit, they need to step up and win this one.

Failte ar ais Ogie! Keep posting and I'll be able to bluff my way through a few hurling conversations!

Good to have you back on board Ogie.

Think this is going to be your year!

Any results on yesterday's matches?

Abbeyleix beat Castletown by a point while Clough-Ballacolla had 7pts to spare over The Harps. So, it's a Castletown V Harps relegation final on Saturday 29th August, presumably in O'Moore Park. Ryan Mullaney is out for that game I believe, so it might even things up a bit for The Harps who appear to be riddled with emigration over the past few years.

Results from the weekend

Abbeyleix 0.19 - 2.12 Castletown

CB 0.18 - 0.11 The Harps

Camross 2.16 - 0.13 Ballinakill

Borris/Kilcotton 1.15 - 1.15 Rathdowney/Errill

Decent start to the weekend with Castletown and Abbeyleix serving up some lively fare; very tense and competitive but Abbeyleix will need much more in the quarter-final. They don't carry a huge threat in their forward line and rely heavily on scores from frees and long-range points; if the radar is anyway off then they are in big trouble. I thought Ryan Mullaney was superb for Castletown and he would be a huge loss if he's missing for the relegation decider.

The CB-Harps game was extremely disappointing. CB won in 2nd gear and apart from a 10 minute nap at the start of the second period always looked in control. The introductions of Picky Maher and Stephen Bergin were a major shot in the arm and both might be needed from the start next time out. That level of performance won't be enough against RE or BK. I'd be extremely worried for The Harps....

I enjoyed the Camross-Ballinakill game and the score line doesn't accurately reflect on what was a close game for long periods. Camross were wasteful at times but you always felt they would have the nous to grind out the win eventually. Ominously, they are in a semi-final with 4 weeks to prepare and will fear no one. Ballinakill shouldn't be too deflated and will quite rightly fancy their chances against CB or Abbeyleix.

RE and BK was billed as the game of the weekend and although tight and tense, it never really caught fire for me. BK will be devastated and though I would still have them as major championship contenders, I think this was a huge set-back. RE, for their part, will feel that Paddy Purcell and Ross King coming back in for the replay should see them through and again, 4 weeks training is probably what they need rather than a quarter-final.
I wouldn't be at all surprised if this was the County Final pairing.

Replay is Thursday at 7:30 in OMP.

My rankings as of right now;
RE
Camross
BK
CB
Bkill
Aleix
Castletown
Harps

wasn't at the games Saturday night but from what i hear, Mermans account sounds fairly accurate.
i did make the games last night though and over all it wasn't great. the first game did have a bit of urgency about it but the hurling itself wasn't great. there was a period in the 2nd half of about 15 minutes and id say there was 15 wides in a row. if Ballinakill dont figure out where the goal posts are they could be in trouble no matter who they meet. seamus dwyer wasted a lot of ball from midfield. Camross were as bad for a while but the last 10/15 minutes they caught fire and finished strong. Aaron Moore was very lively when he came in. Zane was strangely very bad on the frees too.

the 2nd game was fairly lively but again, not great hurling. i was probably on a high after watching Galway beat Tipp and expected more but there was a lot of ball wasted from both sides and BK relying on Scully and RE relying on Kavanagh from placed balls.
RE got lucky with the goal but they looked like they were closing the gap that was there at the time anyway. kavanagh is lovely to watch and will only get better.
John Purcell and Ryan got on a lot of ball for RE Joe Fitz cleared a lot of ball.  how BK left Foyle on him ill never know. he should have been switched somewhere or out on the sideline.
cant see BK going much further. i said it before and ill say it again, they are lacking some things badly. cohesion, guts, and ruthlessness around the big square at the shooting end. they could have had 3 or 4 goals easy but made a shite of them. either over passing or under passing. cant seem to get the best out of their players like foyle, joe campion, young stapleton, paddy whelan.
RE left smiling anyway, and i heard that king and purcell WONT be back in time, that they are staying in the states for another couple of weeks but Dowling will be back. with or without them they will have enough to get over BK the next day IMO.

From reading the reports here it sounds like it's R/E or Camross again this year.

Borris Kilcotton will beat Rathdowney Errill Thursday night

Quote from: Ogie on August 18, 2015, 11:30:37 AM
Borris Kilcotton will beat Rathdowney Errill Thursday night

What will be the lotto numbers be tomorrow night?  ;)

1. Borris Kilcotton took a huge set back failing to beat an badly understrenght Rathdowney Errill.

2. Camross are ticking along BUT I do not think they have the overall quality. In 2013 they won a surprise county final. The general public (and I think opposition teams) underestimated them time and again. This surprise factor is gone. I don't see them winning a final. But on the other hand who will beat them.

3. Rathdowney Errill, tipping along. Sunday was a quiet boost to the club in general. A win the next day and they would most likely avoid B/K in a semi final. With Camross on the opposite side they wouldn't be beaten in a semi final.

4. Clough Ballacolla are (IMO) a team in a bit of a crisis, and I'm not sure they realise it. The Harps were beaten before the game began the other day. Many of their bigger players play as total individuals. There is no sign of it being addressed?

5. Ballinakill did not look like they believed they could beat Camross. They will be glad they are not in a relegation battle and I'd imagine the belief and desire for 2015 is on the wane. One more day out and will probably put up a decent showing.

6. Abbeyleix have been a little overhyped over the past 12 months. I reckon Ballinakill would love a crack at them.

7-8 Castletown and The Harps.
Castletown just aren't good enough right now, but have some potential. 7/8 of their starting 15 are young players with the potential to be very good hurlers. When is the question. 
The Harps, while not an old team, haven't added anybody near the calibre of John Brophy, Conor Dunne or Brian Dunne in a long time.
I have no idea which team will go down. Will the SHC be any the worse for their absence? No. Wiil they sleepwalk through the SHC A next year? Yes.

The 8 team championship has many benefits, but not for Ballyfin, Colt, Clonaslee, Shanahoe, Rosenallis and Mountrath. Realistically when will any of those teams ever make it back into the top 8? Portlaoise will not be beaten this year. Castletown or The Harps will not be beaten next year.

Should probably be a 10 team championship, as the 'B' is too weak for the team going down, and it gives nobody in the 'B' the chance to get up and taste life at senior 'proper'. Or even for a new amalgamation?

To be fair though Ballinakill won the senior b last year and look like staying up.
It's up to the likes of Mountrath and Ballyfin and Clonaslee to get to the next level and beat the team relegated from senior.

Yes, but Ballinakill going down the previous year was a major surprise. And as stated above re this year and next years championship, they were never going to be beaten last year.

The 8 Senior teams in 2015 plus Portlaoise are on a different level to the rest.
8 out of this 9 will make up the Senior championship and the other will win the Senior B for the next ten years.

I'm not so sure about that. Portlaoise ableit convincing against Ballyfin the other night should have been beaten by Rosenallis in the 1st round and are not completely above Ballyfin or the other top teams in the senior B quality wise.

The major advantage the relegated teams have is huge amounts of senior experience which cannot be trained. Look how well Abbeyleix have done since they were promoted in '13. The sort of experience they have garnered over the past two years is invaluable. Ballyfin,Colt Mounthrath et al are crying out for that sort of hurling and a 10 team championship may be an idea. However I do also agree that the aforementioned all need to make big improvements to be deemed as a senior team.

Hard to know how to deal with this issue. I'm sure the SeniorA was introduced as there was an evident gulf in class between senior and intermediate teams and teams were going up and down. I agree that 8 teams is very few in a senior championship. The best way for teams like Colt and Rosenallis to improve is to expose them to senior hurling. Obviously that could go one way or the other, these teams could take a hammering and that would help nobody but the possibility of taking a scalp should be enough motivation to improve.

I really think the CB should look to increase the number of teams from 8 anyway. I suppose it depends on teams, would they prefer to be fighting to stay in the senior division or winning seniorA? I know its not the same thing but it is comparable to Laois in a way.. First aim is to remain in the Liam McCarthy, then see what happens after that.

Good points Uisce.


BUT as I stated earlier the current Top 9 are going to remain as the teams that make up the SHC participants and the SHC 'A' (when was this rebranded?) winner for many years to come.

Only possible alternative is if SHC 'A' favourites slip up badly in the semi finals some year. An earlier slip up under the current structure would do nothing but guarantee they regrouped and won the championship.

Quote from: Keyser Söze on August 20, 2015, 11:06:54 AM
Good points Uisce.


BUT as I stated earlier the current Top 9 are going to remain as the teams that make up the SHC participants and the SHC 'A' (when was this rebranded?) winner for many years to come.

Only possible alternative is if SHC 'A' favourites slip up badly in the semi finals some year. An earlier slip up under the current structure would do nothing but guarantee they regrouped and won the championship.

agree with this, and also agree the senior A teams need to up their game big time. the few matches ive seen this year from this grade have been very poor, you would think you were looking at junior A sometimes.
i think there should be more tournaments for adult teams to enter like there was back in the day. that would give the likes of Ballyfin/Colt/Clonaslee a chance at good hard games of a higher grade and be up against teams from other counties.

Rumour has it Purcell is back in town for tonight's game.

R/E to win it by 2pts.

Quote from: finbar o tool on August 20, 2015, 01:15:46 PM

i think there should be more tournaments for adult teams to enter like there was back in the day. that would give the likes of Ballyfin/Colt/Clonaslee a chance at good hard games of a higher grade and be up against teams from other counties.

Isn't the Palmer Cup for this sort of thing? There were more walkovers than games this year!

Thats the league basically, every county has a league and a championship. I mean 1 or 2 day tournaments, with teams from various counties like they had in the 60s and 70s.
Just a thought is all!

Quote from: finbar o tool on August 20, 2015, 04:51:58 PM
Thats the league basically, every county has a league and a championship. I mean 1 or 2 day tournaments, with teams from various counties like they had in the 60s and 70s.
Just a thought is all!

Good idea. And would ye be wanting county players made available for this?! ;D

I thought IF such tournaments were to get up and running, it might benefit the senior A teams, not too many county players at senior A level i can tell ya!

So B/K best Rathdowney/Errill tonight. Tough game against Clogh/Ballacolla in Q/F. Both Ballinakill and Abbeyleix will be happy with the draw.

BK 1-21 RE 1-20. A cracking game, especially the 2nd half. I called it wrong but BK showed they have some fight in them tonight, a huge win for them that might just galvanise their push for the county final!
They were the better team throughout, they worked harder and deserved the win. I thought Joe Campion would be a loss to them especially with Paddy Purcell back for RE but they held out well. Neil Foyle had a decent 1st half but did nothing in the 2nd before going off injured. The young Dunphy twins are showing their worth now with Aaron starting and contributed well, while Stephen came off the bench and banged in a crucial goal with his first touch. A good all round performance by BK.
The 2 Purcells, Joe Fitz and Brian Campion shone for RE, Dowling looked lively too when he was introduced, and these 2 matches will stand to them going up against a CB team who aren't quite firing at the moment.
At the moment i can see RE progressing which would probably mean a semi final date with Camross, and possibly Ballinakill will have just enough to get over Abbeyleix to meet BK. Although both quarter finals are fairly hard to call.

B/K surprised me tonight I would have to say.
Very mature performance.

I can see quarter final wins for R/E and Ballinakill.
Leaving semi finals of Camross v R/E and B/K v Ballinakill.
Hard not to see a third meeting between R/E & B/K before the year is out!

I was reading that PJ Scully has 3-34 amassed from 3 games. That's serious shooting.

That is serious scoring.. I don't think he missed a free all night except the 65 at the end.. There was another play so he was lucky!!  ;) It was a good game which R/E came back into well. Surprised they left Paddy Purcell in full forward almost the entire game. He did look dangerous when the ball went in but I wonder was he carrying some injury that they didn't bring him out.

Glad to see B/K get the win. Rely a lot on PJ though and that could be worry for them. Quarters should be interesting the way the draw worked out. Hard to pick a winner in either game but if they swapped around you would be confident enough of C/B and R/E getting through.As it is I will go for R/E and Ballinakil to progress.

Relegation Play-Off
7:15 Saturday
Castletown vs The Harps

The Harps have had a thoroughly forgettable year and if they're not prepared for a battle than this could be ugly. I do think they have been unlucky in how the draw has worked against them but they simply haven't been good enough and I know there are a lot of worried Gaels around Durrow and Cullohill.
Castletown, for their part, have competed well throughout the league and will be somewhat more optimistic after a spirited performance against Abbeyleix. They will know what needs to be done and with Paul Cuddy likely to feature at some stage, they start as justifiable favourites.
I think there will be a kick in The Harps but if they don't have the stomach to win one at the wire then Castletown won't be denied.
I have a feeling we might see a draw here and both teams agony will be extended...

Quarter-Finals
Sunday

5:45
CB vs RE

Has the potential to be the game of the weekend.
If CB don't perform then despite League/Palmer Cup successes, this year will be seen as an out and out disaster. They'll have sleep-walked through a championship without any performance of note and missed out on a semi-final for the first time since 2007 I believe. Have they a performance in them?
RE have Ross King to factor in now too. He was injured before his J1 in the States and they'll be hopeful more so than convinced that he is 100% fit and ready for championship. I think they will start him and he is such an incredible talent it is likely that he will quickly come back to being their go-to forward. He has tormented CB over the last few years and he could well be the difference.
I've laid my stall out all year that I think RE and BK are the teams to beat. I expect RE to advance but I hope we see a great game and if CB fire then they have every chance.

7:15
Ballinakill vs Abbeyleix

An incredibly hard game to call I feel.
Abbeyleix play a nice brand of hurling but they just don't carry enough of a threat in their inside line. Oisín Carroll will likely come back into contention and he's a great defender who will be key should Ballinakill shift Cha in closer to goal.
Ballinakill have impressed me this year and had plenty of chances to punish Camross last time out, some of their wides were poor and they can't afford to be so wasteful again. They have a couple of square pegs in round holes and John Walsh will be a big loss if he doesn't make it.
I'd give Ballinakill the most hesitant of nods....

That would leave my projected semi-finals:
Camross vs RE and Ballinakill vs B/K

All 3 games are very hard to call this weekend. Don't think any of the three possible results in any of the three games would be a shock to anyone.
Suppose this underlines the competitiveness of the  championship if nothing else.

Despite that I'll go for narrow wins for Castletown, Rathdowney Errill and Ballinakill.

Castletown to fight like hell on their backs.

Rathdowney Errill to have the talent and (more importantly) cohesion to take Clough Ballacolla. Rathdowney Errill have hurled two highly competive games since Clough Ballacolla beat The Harps in 3rd gear.

Cha to come good after 2 anonymous enough games by his standards and notch a decent personal tally to see Ballinakill over the line. These are two very well matched teams and to me it's the most likely of the 3 to end in a draw.

Castletown, Rathdowney Errill and Ballinakill treble pays almost 5/1 with PP.
Castletown, Rathdowney Errill and a Draw pays almost 25/1 with PP.

But again any combination of results would be no huge shock here.

BTW- Ballyfin hammering Shanahoe was mildly surprising (to me), I would have had them as much of a muchness. Anyone at it, are Ballyfin decent enough?

I'm thrilled about the results of The Harps v. Castletown match.

Could anyone offer any details of this match? Thanks.

Great win for the Harps last night, wasnt at it though so dont know the details! Castletown in trouble...

I was at the games tonight, 2 strange games, both were fairly dead.
I guess we should have known CB would pull out all the stops to try beat RE but the big story for me tonight is how bad RE were! Especially their forwards! They were brutal, but at the same time CB backs were very good and very tough. Kavanagh got 6 inches of the hurl into the ribs after 3 seconds and didnt want to know about it for the rest of the match. Apart from the frees. Joe Fitz the old reliable for RE, surprised he wasnt told to follow Hyland. Willie did a bit of damage when he was moved off Joe. after the draw, i think BK forwards will struggle with CBs physicality! BK do have speed though if they use it right.
Should be a good semi final! CB to come through by 3 or 4 pts.
Ballinakill and Abbeyleix was a bit 'Meh'. Nothing to get excited about, again after the draw, Camross will put someone on Cha to do a job and that will be the end of Ballinakill, they have no one else realistically. Camross to win that by 8 pts or more.
Not a great championship so far IMO.

Quote from: Keyser Söze on August 29, 2015, 01:48:04 PM
All 3 games are very hard to call this weekend. Don't think any of the three possible results in any of the three games would be a shock to anyone.
Suppose this underlines the competitiveness of the  championship if nothing else.

Despite that I'll go for narrow wins for Castletown, Rathdowney Errill and Ballinakill.

Castletown to fight like hell on their backs.

Rathdowney Errill to have the talent and (more importantly) cohesion to take Clough Ballacolla. Rathdowney Errill have hurled two highly competive games since Clough Ballacolla beat The Harps in 3rd gear.

Cha to come good after 2 anonymous enough games by his standards and notch a decent personal tally to see Ballinakill over the line. These are two very well matched teams and to me it's the most likely of the 3 to end in a draw.

Castletown, Rathdowney Errill and Ballinakill treble pays almost 5/1 with PP.
Castletown, Rathdowney Errill and a Draw pays almost 25/1 with PP.

But again any combination of results would be no huge shock here.

BTW- Ballyfin hammering Shanahoe was mildly surprising (to me), I would have had them as much of a muchness. Anyone at it, are Ballyfin decent enough?

I won't give up the day job just yet.

Fair play to The Harps. Castletown were dreadful. As bad as they are it's difficult to see anyone beating them in Senior B next year (unless Portlaoise are still there).

Rathdowney Errill didn't fire at all but in fairness to Clough Ballacolla they proved me wrong and for the first time this year played as a team. Rathdowney Errill's panel looks a lot shallower than at any time since they joined up. Still they will be back as strong as ever next year.

Ballinakill deserved their win and one prediction I did get right was for Cha to hurl his best game to date. It just goes to show how important winning your first game is. The way the draw worked out, its not a massive jump to say that had Castletown beaten Ballinakill they would probably have lost to Camross but could well have beaten Abbeyleix and be preparing for a semi final v Camross. Instead they are relegated. First game in this structure is season defining.
Abbeyleix will feel this was a game they should be winning to continue on their upward curve. In reality they are probably about to hit a bit of a plateaux. I don't see anything coming through in the next 2-3 years that will take them to the next level. They could be facing a surprise relegation battle in the next year or two.

To the semi finals, I heard some remark "typical Camross, lucky again" when the draw was made. In this case you certainly make your own luck, they keep winning games, no matter the opposition. I think I am right in saying that Arien Delaney's championship record is Played 11 Won 9 Drawn 1 Lost 1. Some record, especially considering where they were coming from. They have beaten Clough Ballacolla (3 times I think), Portlaoise three times, Abbeyleix, Ballinakill and Borris Kilcotton. They have beaten all the top teams bar Rathdowney Errill, who are now gone. It's remarkable consistency over 3 years of championship.

The other semi is a bit iffy. I wrote Clough Ballacolla off prematurely. I'm going to go against them again. Borris Kilcotton have the talent, the panel and the manager. Have they the balls? They have no distractions. Senior Bs are gone, Junior As are gone, Minors are gone. I can't think of any loss to injury or emigration. Are Clough Ballacolla able to reproduce tonights intensity?
This semi final should produce the champions, but I'm not sure the boys from the mountain are listening.......

Quote from: Keyser Söze on August 30, 2015, 11:00:13 PM

Quote from: Keyser Söze on August 29, 2015, 01:48:04 PM
All 3 games are very hard to call this weekend. Don't think any of the three possible results in any of the three games would be a shock to anyone.
Suppose this underlines the competitiveness of the  championship if nothing else.

Despite that I'll go for narrow wins for Castletown, Rathdowney Errill and Ballinakill.

Castletown to fight like hell on their backs.

Rathdowney Errill to have the talent and (more importantly) cohesion to take Clough Ballacolla. Rathdowney Errill have hurled two highly competive games since Clough Ballacolla beat The Harps in 3rd gear.

Cha to come good after 2 anonymous enough games by his standards and notch a decent personal tally to see Ballinakill over the line. These are two very well matched teams and to me it's the most likely of the 3 to end in a draw.

Castletown, Rathdowney Errill and Ballinakill treble pays almost 5/1 with PP.
Castletown, Rathdowney Errill and a Draw pays almost 25/1 with PP.

But again any combination of results would be no huge shock here.

BTW- Ballyfin hammering Shanahoe was mildly surprising (to me), I would have had them as much of a muchness. Anyone at it, are Ballyfin decent enough?

I won't give up the day job just yet.

Fair play to The Harps. Castletown were dreadful. As bad as they are it's difficult to see anyone beating them in Senior B next year (unless Portlaoise are still there).

Rathdowney Errill didn't fire at all but in fairness to Clough Ballacolla they proved me wrong and for the first time this year played as a team. Rathdowney Errill's panel looks a lot shallower than at any time since they joined up. Still they will be back as strong as ever next year.

Ballinakill deserved their win and one prediction I did get right was for Cha to hurl his best game to date. It just goes to show how important winning your first game is. The way the draw worked out, its not a massive jump to say that had Castletown beaten Ballinakill they would probably have lost to Camross but could well have beaten Abbeyleix and be preparing for a semi final v Camross. Instead they are relegated. First game in this structure is season defining.
Abbeyleix will feel this was a game they should be winning to continue on their upward curve. In reality they are probably about to hit a bit of a plateaux. I don't see anything coming through in the next 2-3 years that will take them to the next level. They could be facing a surprise relegation battle in the next year or two.

To the semi finals, I heard some remark "typical Camross, lucky again" when the draw was made. In this case you certainly make your own luck, they keep winning games, no matter the opposition. I think I am right in saying that Arien Delaney's championship record is Played 11 Won 9 Drawn 1 Lost 1. Some record, especially considering where they were coming from. They have beaten Clough Ballacolla (3 times I think), Portlaoise three times, Abbeyleix, Ballinakill and Borris Kilcotton. They have beaten all the top teams bar Rathdowney Errill, who are now gone. It's remarkable consistency over 3 years of championship.

The other semi is a bit iffy. I wrote Clough Ballacolla off prematurely. I'm going to go against them again. Borris Kilcotton have the talent, the panel and the manager. Have they the balls? They have no distractions. Senior Bs are gone, Junior As are gone, Minors are gone. I can't think of any loss to injury or emigration. Are Clough Ballacolla able to reproduce tonights intensity?
This semi final should produce the champions, but I'm not sure the boys from the mountain are listening.......

Good post. Looking forward to these semifinals. I'd love to see BK make the breakthrough this year.

Agree that the two games were fairly dead last night. There was no real atmosphere in the stand. C/B and R.E had potential to be an excellent game but petered out with very little action. R/E were poor and relied on Kavanagh's frees for most of the game. The game probably needed a goal earlier to get it going, much like the second game. Second game was a dour enough affair too except for Cha's point taking. He scored some fantastic points and Abbeyleix had nobody to mark him. Hard to see them troubling Camross too much though. Second semi is hard to call however, though knowing the scoring stats at Borris, if C/B can keep PJ out of the game they will go a fair distance to beating Borris.

lads we should have known RE would lose, sure they only win it every second year!!  ;D

on a serious note though, RE are gone now for the year but i just wanted to mention Joe Fitz again before RE are forgotten about for the rest of 2015. he is THE best hurler in this county by a mile. he was the only shining light for RE last night, he plays well on a constant basis, never wastes possession, he seemed to be everywhere last night, mopped up ball after ball while keeping Willie Hyland very quiet at the same time for a good chunk of the game. he reads the game so well and he seems to have a sixth sense when it comes to his anticipation. he plays tough but fair and is a great leader for RE and Laois. i know he puts in serious commitment for hurling, as good as any professional athlete.
he is 31 now and i hope he keeps it up for another few years, he should be what all young hurling lads are looking up to in this county. hats off to him.

Quote from: finbar o tool on August 31, 2015, 09:23:34 PM
he is 31 now and i hope he keeps it up for another few years, he should be what all young hurling lads are looking up to in this county. hats off to him.

Agreed, whole-heartedly. About time you found your sensible hat before commenting on here.

Predictions for the weekend?

Portlaoise vs Mountrath -- Hard to see anything but a Portlaoise victory here, look to be going very well and will be hard stopped to win the entire thing. Portlaoise
Clonaslee St. Manmans vs Ballyfin -- Harder to call, Ballyfin had a comprehensive win last time out v Shanhoe, Clonaslee are stronger with Rooney back though. Draw

Camross vs Ballinakill -- Ballinakill are probably in bonus territory now but won't give up without a fight. Camross should have too much class for them however. Camross
Borris in Ossory Kilcotton vs Clough-Ballacolla -- Difficult to predict a winner in this one. As I said previously If C/B and curtail Scully they will go a long way to winning. B/K definitely stronger this year  but going to go with a C/B win. Clough Ballacolla

Very hard to back against Portlaoise. They have a solid spine and have a decent sprinkling of youth in the right areas. Mountrath will put up a battle but they have a few players with a lot of miles on the clock and it's hard to see them live with Portlaoise for the 60.

I'm going to give the most hesitant of nods to Ballyfin in the other semi. They were laborious enough at times against Shanahoe yet still racked up a massive score in the second half.

Camross should in all honesty beat Ballinakill with a little to spare but I think this could be closer than some realise. Ballinakill look a decent team to me and I don't see their defence being "opened-up" too often. With Cha, they always have a chance as he is eminently capable of firing over points from any range or angle. I wouldn't back against Camross but neither would I be surprised if this was right in the melting pot going into the last 10.

Borris/Kilcotton start as favourites in the second semi-final for me. They suffered throughout the league owing to a huge county contingent but they are all back in harness now and they must see this as their undoubted chance for silverware. I thought CB hurled well in the 2nd half against RE but they'll need extra gears to have a chance here. This could be a game where defences are on top; PJ Scully looks to be in the form of his life and his accuracy from play and placed balls could be telling.

Quote from: merman on September 09, 2015, 09:16:39 PM
Very hard to back against Portlaoise. They have a solid spine and have a decent sprinkling of youth in the right areas. Mountrath will put up a battle but they have a few players with a lot of miles on the clock and it's hard to see them live with Portlaoise for the 60.

I'm going to give the most hesitant of nods to Ballyfin in the other semi. They were laborious enough at times against Shanahoe yet still racked up a massive score in the second half.

Camross should in all honesty beat Ballinakill with a little to spare but I think this could be closer than some realise. Ballinakill look a decent team to me and I don't see their defence being "opened-up" too often. With Cha, they always have a chance as he is eminently capable of firing over points from any range or angle. I wouldn't back against Camross but neither would I be surprised if this was right in the melting pot going into the last 10.

Borris/Kilcotton start as favourites in the second semi-final for me. They suffered throughout the league owing to a huge county contingent but they are all back in harness now and they must see this as their undoubted chance for silverware. I thought CB hurled well in the 2nd half against RE but they'll need extra gears to have a chance here. This could be a game where defences are on top; PJ Scully looks to be in the form of his life and his accuracy from play and placed balls could be telling.

Good post Merman I agree 100% with your thoughts apart from Ballyfin I think they are carrying a few knocks from all the big Duel games and this could be a factor!

Looking forward to a great weekend of hurling!

So it's a Camross v C/B final.

Any reports on the game lads?

Thought B/K would get through but the old dogs got the victory, goals being the difference it seems.

B/K can have no complaints. They were beaten all over the field and but for some needless and perhaps questionable frees, the gap could have been greater. I thought Matthew Whelan was excellent but he aside, very few of BK's players stood up. PJ Scully was lively but well marshalled by John A Delaney.
For CB, there is a definite steel to them this year. I make that 4 semi-final wins from their 9 consecutive appearances; not enough for a team of their ability and I think they know it too. Their biggest test still awaits and it may be as much in their heads as on the field...

The first game was a strange one. Camross just about did enough but it's fair to say they barely got out of third gear. I do think the better team won and Camross will be very confident of taking a 2nd championship in 3 years. For Ballinakill, there should be a lot of disappointment today. I think they doubted themselves when a little conviction could have seen them through. They've had a remarkable year and it shows what some togetherness and spirit can do for a team. If they had even one more forward...

Id have to disagree with 2 lines there Merman, Camross were only in 3rd gear?? They only took the lead with a few minutes to play and even then Cha bottled a free near the end to level it, decided to play it short, took the pass and bottled the shot too. That would have levelled the match in injury time! And they stayed in 3rd gear?! I think you are too kind to Camross... I think both teams were bad in that match, i was nearly asleep in the 1st half. That little schemozzel near half time woke me up! The whole way through i was waiting for camross to kick into gear and go on to win by 7/8 points but they didnt! They were not able. If it was a better side than Ballinakill camross would have been beaten.
The other line id kind of disagree with is that John A had Scully well marshalled. I will say John A is one of the best defenders in the county and he did as well as anyone else would be able but Scully still got 4 from play and should have had 1 or 2 more. Very hard for anyone to mind Scully for an hour.
Apart from him and Matt Whelan and Aaron Dunphy at times, no one really stood up to be counted on for BK. They have great individual players but as usual cant seem to work together. No cohesion. 2 examples - as good as Scully is, there was 2 minutes of normal time left, he wins the ball well and fires over a great point, great individual score, but absolutely useless for the team, they needed a goal at that stage to have any hope. 2 mins later Matt Whelan was surrounded by 4 CB players, and he couldnt find any of the 3 loose BK players for a pass. Where were they?! No teamwork, and they looked like they lost interest with 10/15 mins left to play. They have a lot of work to do if they are to win any titles.
Going only on yesterdays games CB will win the final handy, but we all know at this stage not to write off camross in a county final. 

I suppose what I meant was that Camross were nowhere near their best. True, Ballinakill competed well and stifled them to a degree but one would expect a significant improvement come county final.

On Scully, he hit over 4/5 fine points and really is in great form. He's very tough to mark because his first touch is just so good. I would still contend that Delaney had a good game on him. Yes, he hit over some lovely scores but Delaney turned him over a good few times and had a particularly solid second half. Scully is undoubtedly B/K's main forward and a bit like Ross King with RE, he is their first option whenever a defender has a chance to look up and drill a pass. If Scully can bring that form forward into a Laois jersey next year then it will be an incredible boost.

I thought the crowd was noticeably quiet yesterday. There seemed a really good turnout, I was pleasantly surprised in that regard, but even the closing stages of both games was a little muted. A little strange considering that both games were so close.

Looking ahead to the final, it has the makings of a really interesting match. Camross have beaten CB three years on the trot now and won't fear them one bit. CB have probably done the better hurling over the last month but the First Round defeat will still be in the corner of their mind. I wouldn't like to call it to be honest...

Would I be correct in saying that CB could be the first team to win the Palmer Cup, League and Championship in the one year?

Camross were not near their "best" simply because they were not given freedom to hurl. The half back line midfield and half forward line of Ballinakill worked tirelessy until the end. in the middle they have two of the counties most intelligent hurlers in James Walsh and Seamus Dwyer add Chas scoring ability they very nearly got there with Camross getting a couple of great late scores to win it. I don't think Cha "bottled" the last effort to equalize either. there was an extremely strong wind there and that coupled with the matches exertions he probably thought working it closer to goal was a better option. I think Camross will gain more from this than Ballacolla will have after their victory.

Games were polar opposites in terms of any sort of intensity. Ballacolla never once looked in trouble and have in Willie Dunphy probably the most dangerous forward in the county with ball in hand. Hyland and tom Delaney were also excellent and it will be an intriguing final.

The senior B semis Saturday night were a drab affair. Mounthrath had Portlaoise under pressure at half time however you always felt Portlaoise would pull away and that they did. Hard to see them not beating Clonaslee who caused a minor upset in dispatching a woeful Ballyfin. I thought at half time something similar to the first game, that after all Clonaslees industry ballyfin would simply pull away however it never happened and Clonaslee deserved their win. The standard here was quite poor and Clonaslee must improve 10 fold to avoid a hiding in the final.

I thought Ballinakill did very well and didn't think Camross had two more gears in reserve. Ballinkill competed very well for posession and deserved to be as close as they did. With a few more options around the pitch they would be contenders. Well organized.

Clough Ballacolla were very impressive. The teamwork, movement, passing and intensity was impressive and their second goal exemplified this. Can't understand why BK still look like a team that have never played together before and why some of their 'stars' can't perform. Their golden generation of minor wins will pass them by (a bit like Rathdowney years ago) if they can't find a cohesive first 15 that play for each other.

A final comment on the standards again. Although the crowd was a bit flat for both games the standard of hurling is again miles better than what it was a few years ago. I think the format of the championship and the 8 team restriction is really working well. Some of the movement, touches, catching, defending and scoring from all four teams was top notch. The standout player across the 4 teams was still probably Cha Dwyer, despite potentially poor decision making in the closing minute of the game.

I disagree that it was poor decision making on Dwyers part. it was into injury time and a very strong wind. The free was under the stand out around midfield. It was very intelligent hurling to try work it in which they so nearly did.

On the BK issue they seemed to have no appetite what so ever for the occasion. They played a game which suits Ballacolla down to the ground. Low intensity plenty of space kinda hurling. Its a game which in turn might not be what Ballacolla wanted in terms of going into a county final perhaps without a proper game to focus the minds. Its strange that BK have almost half a panel on the intercounty team yet can only muster that sort of performance in their biggest game of the year.

In terms of the standard of hurling I think the 8 team championship definitely has improved teams and that can obviously only be a good thing.

One last gripe and its an old reliable one! The standard of referee is still shockingly poor in the county. Our top official Stapleton did his best to keep BK in the game Sunday and Saturday night we had the comedy show that is Pat Moran reffing Clonaslee and Ballyfin. How Darren Rooney wasnt sent off is baffling. Yet he was only shown a yellow card and rewarded with his free being brought up 10 yards. Unbelievable stuff  ::) ::)

I find it interesting the way people see things. Forums like this can be defined by the quality of discussion and it's good to see differing opinions.

I think we may have been a little harsh on BK. They were within touching distance of CB before their second goal. I'm not sure any other team showed the same intent in getting goals that CB did; Aidan Corby could have tapped the ball over but he drove right through the heart of the defence and his pass to Hyland was perfect. There was definite intent from CB to get goals and that was in stark contrast to BK who did seem to lack any real threat inside. BK aren't as cohesive and determined a unit as we would expect but they come up against a CB team with a lot of experience and I think that counted in the end.

On the Camross-Ballinakill game; I wasn't a bit surprised with how well Ballinakill played. They are a well-drilled, organised team with quality players in crucial areas. What they don't have, unfortunately, is enough firepower up front. I never really thought they would go on and win the game and more importantly, I don't think they really believed they would either.

I do think Cha made the wrong decision. Yes, there was a breeze but I'm convinced Cha was in range. PJ Scully would have a comparable strike and he pointed a free from further out, into the same goals, and had 5-10 yards to spare. He only gained about 8-10 yards and he was then striking of his weaker side under pressure. There might have been some merit to what he tried but it plainly didn't work. That said, Cha can hold his head very high. He is one of the top forwards in the county and his appetite for hard work is incredible. If I had to pick one Laois player who could force an Allstar nomination over the next few years then he'd be right at the top of my list...

I also think nobody has mentioned my stand-out performance which was from Picky Maher. He scored six points from play and he won a couple of frees that he converted too. If he maintains his form from the last 2 and a half games then that will give CB a huge boost Sunday week.

Finally, the 8-team format definitely has its merits but I just think our club players are getting short shrift; I would like to see them get some more meaningful hurling in the summer months. The Palmer Cup is not offering anything, the league is somewhat devalued by the lack of county panel participation and potentially two championship games is just not enough for me. 

The standard is definitely improving. Have we seen any players banging down the door for next year's senior panel?

Each team is guaranteed 3 games. If a team loses a game befoe semi final stage but gets to a semi they're guaranteed 4 championship games. Thats as many as in any other county. The key is playing championship games earlier in the summer like the bigger counties. There really isn't another format that will give anymore than 1 more game.

I proposed a format earlier in the year and I would still stand over it.

I would propose running the knockout phase exactly as is now; tarting at the same time towards the end of July.

Instead of an open draw, however, I would draw two groups of 4 and each team would get three games in the group; one in  April/May/June maybe.

Then for the 1st Round of the C/ship, 1st in A plays 4th in B; 2nd plays 3rd etc...

I think the competitive nature of our championship with lots of evenly matched teams means that a league basis could be very exciting.
I also really like the Westmeath system where there are also 8 teams...

Good option there Merman wasn't that system ran in 2012 with two groups and group placing determining what stage you enter the championship at? I think it was a 10 team championship then with Ballyfin and Abbeyleix being relegated that year.

I would love to see the introduction of some well organised amalgamations to. Some similar to Cork where junior and intermediate clubs get the chance to hurl senior and be competitive.

The Tinnahinch experiment certainly worked in its early years and with some luck would have heralded a championship.I know with my own club at under-age we hurl under the Na Fianna banner a combination of Emo,Mountmellick,Ballyfin and Clonaslee. Logistically it may be difficult to organise but I think using these as an example there would be enough interest to make it happen.

Anyone any opinions on these? I know the Castletown/Sliabh Bloom arrangement didn't work well but if it were more a "divisional" set-up without a club losing its identity it may just be worth looking at

I like the idea of divisional teams - more  senior hurlers and more games - as long as teams have a realistic chance of making a semi final. Na Fianna might work in a few years but would need to be competitive. Ideally, Laois would have 10-12 competitive teams with a fiercly difficult intermediate (Senior B) championship.

In terms of senior hurlers for Laois, the following looked the part so far for me:

Willy Dunphy
Mark Kavanagh
Sean Downey
Brian Campion (retired but still young enough and we really need a full back in 2016)
Aaron Bergin Portlaoise?

Plenty of U21s on view across the grades.

Any viewson the finals?

Portlaoise vs Clonaslee
1:30 pm

Portlaoise will start as the hottest of favourites. They overcame Clonaslee during the league with 8/9 points to spare and that was after hurling a good chunk of the game with 14 men; they are even stronger now. They have progressed through the championship, perhaps ominously, without looking at their very best but one still never felt that they were ever in real peril.
Clonaslee play an intelligent game and they are economical in how they use the ball. I wouldn't be surprised to see them hurl quite deep and try to smother space around  their half-back line. Darren Rooney has the experience and nous to have a huge bearing on the game, especially if their forwards work hard to force Portlaoise clearances into the air.

Discipline will be crucial for both teams and Anthony Stapleton will be watching particular players very closely.

I couldn't really back against Portlaoise. I think they have the better spread of forwards and that could be decisive.
Clonaslee will throw everything at them but Portlaoise to prevail with 5/6 to spare...

Camross vs Clough/Ballacolla

Has the makings of a very interesting final.
The simple fact is that we know a lot more about what Camross will bring than what CB will. Camross are drilled incredibly well by Arien Delaney and their setup has dismantled CB's efforts over the last few years. I'm not necessarily inclined to dismiss the league final but I do think their 1st Round Championship victory is more relevant. They rotated half-forwards and midfielders into deeper positions and they worked the ball forward with forensic precision. It felt like they had their homework done on CB and I've no reason to suspect the same won't hold true this weekend. There's a definite belief in Camross that CB have a soft underbelly and they have exploited that tellingly over the last 3 years. Camross don't lose too many finals and they'll be anxious to banish memories of last year's reversal to Rathdowney/Errill. It will be interesting to see where Zane Keenan sets up and I wouldn't be surprised to see him starting right half/corner forward on Lee Cleere or Eoin Doyle.

For CB, despite three good wins on the bounce, there still hovers a cloud of uncertainty. Collectively, they have chalked up decent returns in all three games without the majority of their forwards having consistently good games. Picky Maher seems to have hit form at the right time and his aerial power and speed could well unsettle Dawne Palmer or Damien Keenan; I would expect that he will receive plenty of attention early on Sunday. Defensively, CB have been resolute and 4 clean sheets should fill them with confidence. The key for CB may well be if they can maintain discipline, both in terms of not conceding frees and in executing whatever setup they have in the face of an intense and physical battle. Camross' intensity levels are set in stone and CB must match that before anything else.

As regards a prediction, I'm a little bit torn. I'm of the belief that Camross would definitely have chosen CB over the likes of BK or RE. They have the blueprint for how to stop CB and they will arrive Sunday determined to outwork, outfight and outmanoeuvre their opponents. They have excellent players right throughout the team and the likes of Joe Phelan and Ciaran Collier have really stepped up a level this year.
For CB, I suspect we will know after 5 minutes what they are going to bring to the match. They will need to inject pace  into the game from minute one and I suspect they will need goals to give them a chance.

Camross start as favourites for me. I believe they will score 17/18 points and a goal or two would be crucial. For CB, I think they'll need goals but if Willie Dunphy is stopped, I'm not sure where they will come from.
Camross won't be denied if this is close so I'll give the men in Black & Amber the nod by 2...

I'm hopeful for a good final to what's been an ok-ish championship.

Senior A Final
No point in debating it really. No offence to Clonaslee but Portlaoise are not going to slip up. Hopefully a good game.

Senior Final
Camross have had the measure of Clough Ballacolla for the past 3 years. After the first round game I totally dismissed Clough Ballacolla's chances. There ability to throw away games and "Lie down" in the face of high tempo, physical, pressing game totally turned me off any prospect of them winning a SHC. In fairness to them they have reacted mightily. A SHC won be beating Rathdowney Errill, Borris in Ossory Kilcotton and Camross would really be impressive.

Camross will be super organised, physical, motivated and clever. I would expect a surprise also. Gilmartin/Keenan/Palmer to start at full forward or something along those lines. Perhaps Andrew Collier to man mark Tom Delaney at midfield and Keenan to go in full forward?
Like Merman, I would agree that Camross are probably happy to see Clough Ballacolla again. Rathdowney Errill are just about the only team they haven't beaten on this 3 year run. They never looked like beating them in last year's final. For all of Arien Delaney's good work I honestly don't think the Camross players believed they could win that game.

Ballacolla only have a certain few players capable of being physical to the same degree as Camross. But I would expect Mick Mac, Tom Delaney, Hyland and Shane Hanlon to be extremely physical in the early stages and "set a tone" so to speak. If that doesn't happen I can't see the rest rising to the challenge.
The returning exiles has certainly boosted Camross' panel, but I wonder is the team as settled as it was?
Merman states that Camross don't lose too many finals. They have won/lost 3 of their last 6 (over a 20 year period) and lost 2 of the their last 3 (over a 5 year period) so that all depends on how far back you want to go. Won- 1996, 2007, 2013. Lost- 2000, 2010, 2014.

Having written Clough Ballacolla off a few months ago, I am going to tentatively side with them.

If Camross win it would mark Arien Delaney down as the most impressive Laois Club Manager in my memory. Not too many are fans of his combative sideline style, but he obviously has something going on.

Finally, I hope referees don't feature/dominate tomorrow. In fairness I think the order is correct and I'd be less fearful of BOR taking centre stage than AS.

Well done to Clough/Ballacolla yesterday.

I, like many, wrote them off earlier this summer but an excellent second-half performance saw them power through yesterday.
Commiserations to Camross who gave their all.
Picky was brilliant throughout and once they matched Camross' work-rate and intensity they had the hurlers to push through. To beat The Harps, Rathdowney/Errill, Borris/Kilcotton and Camross must surely make this their sweetest yet.

I wouldn't say it was a classic but a very enjoyable game and I'd say Ballacolla won't sleep for a week.

Does anyone know who they face in Leinster??

With my county hat on, I think it's imperative we keep Zane Keenan involved with Laois. He was outstanding yesterday. Darren Maher and Joe Phelan would be massive additions to our defence and I can't wait to see young Lee Cleere lining out for our senior team; he's as good a minor as I've seen in a long time.

Fair play to Clogh Ballacolla and it's great to hear that the county players performed. Many of our knowledgeable posters felt it would be Camross however C/B deserved their title this year.

Would really hope to see Keenan stay with the county this year but he has a year in year out cycle so hopefully Cheddar has a word with him. Maybe the fact that he finished second only to Canning in the scoring charts this year would convince him to stay involved. He won't have as many games this year without the round robin games however he could have a right go at the league.

Would Darren Maher come back to the county fold?

It would also be a great boost for the county if C/B could get to a Leinster club final and give a good account of themselves in the competition.

The wexford champs at home the first week in November

Good to see Portlaoise back at senior so soon. They seemed to have almost no supporters there yesterday. Maybe if they can keep their senior status for a few years they might start attracting more interest. They really are like a rural club in a big town. I wonder is there much being done in the town to get more families, schools and kids involved at grass roots level?

The Senior game was very entertaining, some of the point scoring from Zane and Picky was incredible. Camross hurled like demons and played some great stuff but seemed to fade a little early. C/B couldn't match their intensity and the quality of their hurling for most of the game. I thought that Gearoid Burke was very strong at centre back, especially given the quality of the C/B half forward line. Don't suppose he is interested in returning to the county along with Darren Maher and Willie Dunphy??

Enjoyed the Senior game at the weekend, i'm sure Camross will be disappointed they were leading the whole game but C/B fought hard and just had that bit extra in the end. Picky and Darren Maher were the standout players from C/M with Zane doing well for Camross. He started off like he was going to beat them on his own!! Good atmosphere at the game I felt, especially in the last 10 mins when things got frantic! Would love to see C/B win a Leinster championship game or two.. Would be a real sign of improvement for Laois hurling.

Thought the first game was a dour enough affair. Portlaoise just doing enough, the difference in quality was very evident in the two games. But well done to Portlaoise, they'll need to improve but with very few dual players, only 1 starting I believe? They will give it a good go..

Here's a link to the highlights of the county final on TG4, first game on the program. http://www.tg4.ie/en/player/home/?pid=4515572087001

Keenan really did score some fantastic points on Sunday. Hyland chipped in with a couple of long range scores himself. There are definatey one or two men that would be an addition to the squad if Cheddar can get them in.

Zane Keenan was superb and you've got to feel for him being on the loosing team...

Highlights make it look an thriller which it wasn't but it was a decent game of hurling with some fantastic scores and well refereed by Dj Broc.

Broughan was excellent I must say. He really let the game flow and I can't really think of any call that was anyway contentious. I've seen worse performances on the inter-county scene (and far far worse in Kilkenny for example) and if he can maintain these standards then he could pick up a few games in the year ahead.

I'd hope Cheddar would give the following a call ahead of next year;

Willie Dunphy
Darren Maher
Gearoid Burke
Joe Phelan
Ciaran Collier
Mark Kavanagh
Liam O' Connell

There are one or two others that could come into consideration if players won't commit...

Fair play to a Clough Ballacolla 'team' on their win last week. Personally I couldn't envisage them hurling as a team after the first round and wrote them off, but fair play to them.
In the end it was all about the scoring respective point scoring threat!

C/B should really give Leinster a go. Home to Wexford winners on Nov 1st and a semi against the winners of Carlow v Westmeath if they win. Should really focus on getting to Leinster final.

Absolutely agree redsetanta.

This will be the third crack at Leinster for a lot of these players and its hard but feel that it is now or never.

In 2011 they performed admirably against Oulart down in Wexford Park and they are at least as strong now with the likes of Picky, Tom Delaney and Willie Dunphy a little older with Lee Cleere, Robbie Phelan and Ronan Broderick good additions.

Oulart are odds-on favourites to reclaim the Wexford championship and they still look a formidable unit, on paper at least.
I'd imagine they would be best-able to handle a one-week turnaround from championship final to Leinster opener. It would be interesting to see if any of the other three could...

So it's C/B against Oulart next Sunday.

MLR have proved that if you want something enough you'll get it and C/B have the players to do it. Hopefully a big game from the likes of hyland and Picky as these lads will have to perform on the day if they're to get through.