Laois Senior Football Championship 2016

[Junior Ex Laoistalk]

Great contribution to this discussion town 1980...

[Don Draper]

Play him if you want, but what is the point? He won't be there if they are in Leinster, and they have enough to beat Stradbally anyway. The handicap is 5 points in Paddy Powers, and Portlaoise are a 10 point better team in my opinion if they put the foot to the floor. Great to see him but no more than a sideshow

What's the point? The point is, there's been occasions over the last 6 or 7 years where he's been needed to haul them over the line, last year in particular. No Zach, no 10 in a row and the 10 in a row is almost a bigger drug than the All Ireland at this stage.

[welcomehome]

the discussion on xach should end...He is not linding out sunday...We should be focused on the likes of bruno rogers and kevin fitz who is still on the panel..These are the players that got portlaoise to where they are today.and a few more..spare a thought for paul cotter who has to give up football at an early age....

[Don Draper]

Dreadful for Cotter, mired with injury and misfortune. Still, he leaves with a good haul, more than most will get a sniff of in this county.

[portlaoisekid]

Paul's been so unfortunate with injury , as good a player as he is you can't but help imagine if he had stayed serious injury free how good a player he could have become .

As for the match itself , it's the first time in years there has been a real buzz around town for the county final from those non die hard supporters. The final suits both teams, Stradbally are out to win and stop portlaoise 10 in a row and many say it's written in the stars they do that and for Portlaoise the fact we are playing Stradbally certainly puts the fear factor into the final and Imo Portlaoise needed that . For Portlaoise playing Stradbally has nullified all talk of 10 in a row and all that crap , amongst supporters no one cares about 10 in a row this week, in the best possible sense all the talk is that we have to beat that crowd !

Stradbally know exactly how to beat Portlaoise better than any team but I do think Portlaoise will produce their best performance of the year and win.

[High Fielder]

Play him if you want, but what is the point? He won't be there if they are in Leinster, and they have enough to beat Stradbally anyway. The handicap is 5 points in Paddy Powers, and Portlaoise are a 10 point better team in my opinion if they put the foot to the floor. Great to see him but no more than a sideshow

What's the point? The point is, there's been occasions over the last 6 or 7 years where he's been needed to haul them over the line, last year in particular. No Zach, no 10 in a row and the 10 in a row is almost a bigger drug than the All Ireland at this stage.

Oh right. They run the All Ireland winners to a point without Tuohy, and they need him to beat Emo. I can see how that would work. Portlaoise are 30 or 40 per cent a better team in Leinster and no Zachary in sight.

So sorry to hear about Paul Cotter.

[Don Draper]

Play him if you want, but what is the point? He won't be there if they are in Leinster, and they have enough to beat Stradbally anyway. The handicap is 5 points in Paddy Powers, and Portlaoise are a 10 point better team in my opinion if they put the foot to the floor. Great to see him but no more than a sideshow

What's the point? The point is, there's been occasions over the last 6 or 7 years where he's been needed to haul them over the line, last year in particular. No Zach, no 10 in a row and the 10 in a row is almost a bigger drug than the All Ireland at this stage.

Oh right. They run the All Ireland winners to a point without Tuohy, and they need him to beat Emo. I can see how that would work. Portlaoise are 30 or 40 per cent a better team in Leinster and no Zachary in sight.

So sorry to hear about Paul Cotter.

But they did need him to beat Emo. They were beaten the first day until he ran down out of the stand and demanded to be brought on. Different days, and different games, but to say he wasn't needed to beat Emo is foolish. They were shipping water and sent for him. It was the sensible thing to do.

They should have beaten the All Ireland winners.

[High Fielder]

Maybe Portlaoise just don't take Laois seriously? Complacency often looks like an issue. I think the policy is to ghost through Laois and build towards Leinster. None of the teams in Laois would get near Portlaoise fully wound up.

[town1980]

has joe higgins stepped down as kileen manager???

[les Antiques]

Unfortunate news about Paul Cotter . Always rated Paul and his brother Sean back in the day .

Maybe Portlaoise just don't take Laois seriously? Complacency often looks like an issue. I think the policy is to ghost through Laois and build towards Leinster. None of the teams in Laois would get near Portlaoise fully wound up.

Would agree with you there . Perhaps the only team that have and can get under The Towns skin would be Stradbally . 

[town1980]

very unfortunate for paul cotter had the capabilities to play good intercounty football,,,i do think strad wont fear portlaoise,,the tactical game of both sides is differant,stradbally play full on 15/15 and portlaoise do play defensive especially this year,,so looking forward to the game itself,,nice achievment for portlaoise club if they do 10 in a row but again with its population it will always be a superior club to others,,the biggest debate is this in my mind

[BallyroanAbbey]

I actually think the loss of Cotter is absolutely massive, argubly Portlaoise best defender after Healy. They may get over the line without him Sunday but I think it will cost them in Leinster, not even Portlaoise can replace an intercounty player with someone of simular ability

[the sash]

I agree, cotter will be a big loss especially as stradbally do have a few decent forwards . Agree with the whole Zach issue aswell. He's a proud portlaoise man n if there's no rule against it he should keep doing it. We have been on the receiving end aswell. In the 2014 quarter final. We led portlaoise by 6 at half time. Realising they're in trouble Zach comes off the bench 5 mins before half time n finishes the game with 2-5 I think n portlaoise win by seven

[portlaoisekid]

The whole Zach thing really is up in the air , not even Zach knows if he is togging out yet. If I was a betting man I'd bet  he will not tog out,his current contract situation is too important to risk his future.

[town1980]

its hard not to say portlaoise but i do believe  that stradballys fitness will come into play and there hunger,,they should be more up for it than portlaoise as im sure they would love to be the little town that end the big towns dream,,
also a few managers have left clubs im hearing,,donie norton has left the heath,,,after bringing them a dividion 1 title,,joe higgins has left kileen