Laois Senior Hurling Championship 2019

Started by The PRO, February 28, 2019, 09:53:24 AM

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G@@

"I can't get over you - 'till you come out from under him" - Pat Shortt - Class!

merman

Quote from: G@@ on September 04, 2019, 09:20:05 PM
What date is the County Final this year?

We should be back on schedule now after the EP break.

Last round of the group stages this weekend.

Quarters and Relegation Final on 21st/22nd September.
Semi-finals on 5th/6th October.
Final on Sunday 20th October.
I haven't seen that written down anywhere but I'd expect it to be accurate.

Borris/Kilcotton should account for Abbeyleix tomorrow. If they get ahead early, they could post a decisive margin and could still top the group.
A draw would do CB against Camross. Both teams will know what they need going into the game which will add a strange element to proceedings.

RE will beat Portlaoise and if they are ruthless, it could be heavy.
Ballinakill and Castletown will be close and I've a slight feeling that Ballinakill might have timed things better than I gave them credit for earlier in the summer.

Borris/Kilcotton and Rathdowney/Errill with very tentative nods to Camross and Ballinakill.

That'll leave my predictions for the knockouts as follows:
BK and RE to the semi-finals with Camross vs Castletown and Ballinakill vs CB.

Keyser Söze

#47
I'd differ a little from Merman's predictions.

Saturday
Abbeyleix v Borris Kilcotton
I think Abbeyleix will go after this game, a nothing to lose situation. Amazingly it could qualify them for the quarters. I can see Borris Kilcotton hitting them consistently if not persistently on the break for goals. I think BK will rack up 3/4 goals and win by about 10 points over a game Abbeyleix team.

Camross v Clough Ballacolla
Despite CB's excellent form to date I would expect Camross to win this and lay down a little reminder to all who challenge, but it will be tight. Camross certainly won't open a pathway to their full back line like BK did. In that circumstance I can see Camross out goaling CB and winning by 4/5. On the other hand, we haven't had a draw yet!

Sunday
Rathdowney Errill v Portlaoise
Interesting to see what approach RE take. Their second team is gone, and with the Laois grading system there is no barrier to bringing guys up en masse. It could be a time for shaking things up with the starting 15 and creating a very competitive training environment for the next month. There aren't wholesale options in their Intermediate side however, and I think it's a year or two early for Thep to be making a mark among the big boys, especially in October. This looks like it would be the perfect place for him to start though.
No disrespect to Portlaoise, but it is very difficult to see anything good coming out of this. RE by 15.

Ballinakill v Castletown
I regularly underestimate Ballinakill, and often in error. Merman makes the point that they may have timed their run cleverly, and if so the fixtures fell nicely for that plan. It would be typical of their pragmatism. Rightly or wrongly I think Castletown have a better spread of good hurlers (Dylan Conroy, Ben Reddin, John Gaughan, Joe Phelan etc) outside of the main 2/3 guys on each side. This should see them through by 5 or 6 points, but the reverse certainly wouldn't be a shock.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......

Silkyskillssunshinee

#48
I know it's only the group stages, but Camross don't look like the same animal they were. If they can get back Zane Keenan in time for the semi-finals (presuming they win in the quarters), perhaps they can still mount a challenge.

For now it looks like it's between C/B, B/K and R/E though. B/K will improve as they go on. C/B are maybe peaking a little too early, while R/E haven't been tested at all yet.

Keyser Söze

C/B are playing to a very set plan. Perhaps they showed glimpses of it during the league but it didn't look all put together, whether it was partially withheld or a work in progress.
They look solid & well set up. Half forward line are covering serious ground and importantly they are finding them from the back. Totally took the likes of Gearóid Burke out of tonight's game.i didn't think at the start of the year they had a title in them. The late return of Hyland could yet turn out to be a major blessing in disguise.

Camross are far from gone, and there will be plenty of wound licking, and most likely a bounce.i don't think there is a final in them.

Anyone know what the story with Eoin Reilly is? He'll surely reappear for the relegation playoff?
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......


Keyser Söze

Quote from: blueandwhite1 on September 07, 2019, 09:52:33 PM
Shadow boxing.

Not sure exactly what you are referring to. But I don't necessarily think so.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......

burdizzo

#52
No, I don't think Camross were shadow boxing. They wanted to win, and I'm glad they didn't - especially after their corner-forward went down and tried to get a Ballacolla lad sent off for the slightest jostle. Terrible. Mind you, Willie Dunphy was at the same crack. However, C/B had by far the better performers and put together better plays. The stop-start nature of proceedings was annoying, with PLENTY of frees, and it wasn't much of a spectacle.
What's the story w/ Eoin Gaughan - why wasn't he starting? And for a lad who's often touted as a potential Laois player, Ciaran Collier had a quiet enough night.

Blow-in

Who reffed it? Had to leave after the first game yesterday. Thought Stapleton was so slow getting around the field.

Keyser Söze

Quote from: Batman!!! on September 08, 2019, 05:36:32 PM
Who reffed it? Had to leave after the first game yesterday. Thought Stapleton was so slow getting around the field.

Very harsh. He couldn't have been because he didn't budge from the middle of the field!
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......

Blow-in


steven seagal

Four very poor games over the weekend, the Rathdowney-Errill v Portlaoise and Borris-Kilcotton v Abbeyleix games were complete non-events. The other two were a bit more competitive but not still not particularly good games. Hopefully things improve in the knockout stages.

Silkyskillssunshinee

#57
I'd say Castletown will be kicking their lips at playing their rivals Camross, who aren't hurling well so far. Borris-Kilcottom will take care of Ballinakill fairly easily I'd imagine.

The real championship probably won't start until the semi-final stage though.

blueandwhite1

Quote from: Silkyskillssunshinee on September 08, 2019, 08:30:46 PM
I'd say Castletown will be kicking their lips at playing their rivals Camross, who aren't hurling well so far. Borris-Kilcottom will take care of Ballinakill fairly easily I'd imagine.

The real championship probably won't start until the semi-final stage though.

This is what I meant by shadow boxing. I believe that you will see a different Camross by the semis. Not that they weren't trying against C/B or B/K but they were a mile away from the intensity they normally show. Can't see Castletown getting anywhere near them in the quarters.

How do the semi draws work? I assume it has to be an open draw if Camross and B/K prevail as both have played Ballacolla already?

Don Draper

Quote from: blueandwhite1 on September 09, 2019, 09:55:50 AM
Quote from: Silkyskillssunshinee on September 08, 2019, 08:30:46 PM
I'd say Castletown will be kicking their lips at playing their rivals Camross, who aren't hurling well so far. Borris-Kilcottom will take care of Ballinakill fairly easily I'd imagine.

The real championship probably won't start until the semi-final stage though.

This is what I meant by shadow boxing. I believe that you will see a different Camross by the semis. Not that they weren't trying against C/B or B/K but they were a mile away from the intensity they normally show. Can't see Castletown getting anywhere near them in the quarters.

How do the semi draws work? I assume it has to be an open draw if Camross and B/K prevail as both have played Ballacolla already?
No Zane, no party.