Laois Senior Hurling Draw

Started by TheGiantSquid, March 09, 2018, 11:29:01 PM

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TheGiantSquid

Group A
Abbeyleix
Borris KK
Balyfin Gaels
Ballinakill

Group B
Clough Ballacolla
Rathdowney-Errill
Camross
Castletown-Slieve Bloom

Bit of a lobsided draw?? The mountain men have their work cut out to get a few scalps to make the quarter finals. Anyone have any thoughts on the draw/new format.

redsetanta

Top team in each gtoup into semi final, 2nd and 3rd in each group play off for other semi final places and last placed teams in relegation game.
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. VinceLombardi

Home Boys Home

#2
Quote from: TheGiantSquid on March 09, 2018, 11:29:01 PM
Group A
Abbeyleix
Borris KK
Balyfin Gaels
Ballinakill

Group B
Clough Ballacolla
Rathdowney-Errill
Camross
Castletown-Slieve Bloom


Bit of a lobsided draw?? The mountain men have their work cut out to get a few scalps to make the quarter finals. Anyone have any thoughts on the draw/new format.

I would be in favour of groups and round robin system,but I think it would have been better if it was top two in each group into semi finals and bottom two into relegation semi finals. That would give a real edge to all group matches.


merman

https://www.laoistoday.ie/2018/03/25/all-of-todays-division-1-hurling-action/

Interesting Division 1 this year.
Probably the Top 5 Senior Championship contenders joined by Castletown (minus Slieve Bloom) and The Harps /Portlaoise from Senior A.

Heavy opening losses for Castletown and Portlaoise.

Camross looked very strong today. Very fit and really opened up in the second half. Castletown competitive but had no answer once Camross half-back line got on top.

Abbeyleix will be disappointed to lose to The Harps. Eoin Reilly a big loss. Good to see Podge Delaney hurling at 6 for The Harps.

Borris/Kilcotton were apparently short Brian Stapleton, PJ Scully and Aaron Dunphy; left them a little short against a CB team who probably needed that win a little more. Be interesting to see how both teams approach the league. Huge question-marks over both imho.

RE are going to be hard to stop. Massive county commitments and the lads not involved will be ensuring that their preparation is every bit as good as the county set-up.

Camross and RE the teams to beat.

merman

Decent ACHL Div 1 Final. Nice crowd in Mountrath; great venue. Parking and organisation a credit to all involved.

Camross the team to beat again this year. Utterly dominant minus Gearoid Bourke and Dwane Palmer.
Scoreline didn't do their superiority justice and their bench was excellent.

RE looked a little disjointed but will have King back for championship; I'd fancy them to finish top 2 in their group and make a semi-final at least.

border

Any thoughts on how the matches will go this weekend in the senior championships,who do people think will win the various grades.

merman

#6
Great to have club hurling back. Hopefully we'll have another competitive championship under the new format.

Cracking game tomorrow night with RE vs CB. CB short a couple of defenders in Darren Maher and Tom Delaney and with Ross King due home, you'd have to make RE the favourites.
RE by 5.

On Friday, Castletown Gaels tackle the defending champions. Camross are short a couple through suspension and Dwane Palmer is in America; that gives the underdogs a chance but I'm not sure they have the firepower.
Camross by 6.

Saturday sees Abbeyleix play Ballinakill in a really important game. The winners will have a 'free shot' against group-favourites Borris/Kilcotton whereas the losers will have to be wary of Ballyfin Gaels and finding themselves in a serious scrap to qualify from the group.
I'd imagine most will favour Abbeyleix but I'm leaning towards Ballinakill and see them winning by 2.

Borris/Kilcotton vs Ballyfin Gaels rounds off the 1st Round of Senior games on Sunday. BK will win and in reality, they'll already have one eye on the knockout stages, most-probably a semi-final as group winners.
BK by 18.

On the whole; I expect Camross and BK to top their groups.
RE to finish 2nd and beat Abbeyleix in one quarter-final; CB/Castletown Gaels to finish 3rd and beat Ballinakill in the other.

I reckon we'll see three teams from the same group in the semi-finals.
BK could well be sitting ducks coming through the easier side of the draw; wouldn't rule them out as they'll be fresh and have incredible fire-power but wouldn't be surprised to see a Camross vs RE/CB final.
Camross favourites for me.

Senior A should see wins for The Harps (over Shanahoe Gaels) and Colt Gaels (over Mountrath) in Group A.

I'd expect wins for Clonaslee (over Trumera) and I'm going to take Rosenallis to stun Portlaoise in Group B.

Overall, I can't see anyone stopping a resurgent Harps team. Fintan Deegan will have them well-drilled and I can't see any of the main-contenders, Portlaoise, Colt Gaels or Rosenallis, having enough.

In the intermediate, I'm hoping to see Slieve Bloom make the breakthrough. Camross, RE, BK and CB all have strong second teams but I think they will lose players to senior grade along the way.

burdizzo

Slieve Bloom beat Clonad tonight. Looked average enough in the first half and trailed by six at the break, but Clonad imploded a bit in the second half and SB won by three. Conroy blew hot and cold - scored some nice points, but also some bad misses. Can't see them winning this championship. R/E must surely make amends for last year. Amazed they lost the 1B league final.

redsetanta

3 Conroy brothers to the fore according to LaoisToday.

Have Ballypickas any chance of upsetting the bigger clubs?
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. VinceLombardi

FiveStars

At last we have secured a top class hurling referee in this county. John O'Brien makes everyone else look so poor. Well done.

Don Draper

Quote from: FiveStars on July 19, 2018, 10:41:00 PM
At last we have secured a top class hurling referee in this county. John O'Brien makes everyone else look so poor. Well done.
Keep up the good work John.

ClashAsh

Ballinakill full value for their victory tonight over Abbeyleix. Ballinkill much stronger and more physical in the physical stakes. they had a better spread of scorers. Abbeyleix in truth were shocking. Two points from open play in the entire game. Never scored from play from between the ninth minute and the full-time whistle tells its own story.

Ballinakill will fancy themselves to qualify facing into  Ballyfin Gaels in the next round while Abbeyleix could be under huge pressure squaring up to Borris Kilcotten.

merman

Quote from: ClashAsh on July 21, 2018, 09:32:07 PM
Ballinakill full value for their victory tonight over Abbeyleix.

Absolutely. Abbeyleix were abysmal.

Last round between themselves and Ballyfin Gaels looks massive!!

merman

Quote from: FiveStars on July 19, 2018, 10:41:00 PM
At last we have secured a top class hurling referee in this county. John O'Brien makes everyone else look so poor. Well done.

I wouldn't say many in Rathdowney or Errill would agree.

Questionable penalty and looked very harsh moving forward that last free.

Keyser Söze

The way Round 1 has worked out has left us with some massive games coming up.
Abbeyleix surely the most despondent after Round 1. 
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......