Laois Senior Hurling Championship 2019

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

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merman

#120
Really looking forward to the game this Sunday.
I'm hopeful of a good game; my two concerns are the weather and the referee. We've no control over the former and to be fair, there weren't a lot of alternatives for the latter. I hope the game is let develop and isn't decided by frees.

Anyway, the two best teams are meeting in the final; I'm pretty certain of that.
Clough/Ballacolla and Camross are in this same bracket but through injuries (Keenan, Mortimer, Dunphy, Maher and Cleere), they just don't have the same strengths as RE and BK. Injuries aside, I still think both of RE and BK are slightly ahead at this moment anyway.

RE have been my team to beat since the summer. Their county contingent came bouncing back from a great year with Laois and they had the experience and nous to navigate the problems associated with an 'easy draw'. They were very nearly pipped by Camross...but they weren't. And it was telling the way that winning goal clinched it. James Ryan had the ball but he understood his role; a 'provider' for a 'finisher'. And that's what RE have in abundance, they have finishers in King, Purcell and Kavanagh and they have providers/workers in Ryan (pun avoided), Keane, McCane and Dollard. The balance looks really good and they'll be heartened to have gotten over the Camross test without their key marksmen having great performances. I think they'll target the BK full-back line and that could well be the winning and losing of this game.

For BK, I was actually impressed with their dismissal of CB. They learnt their lessons from the group game and completely nullified the CB goal-threat after the first 20 mins. They have become a little reliant on Scully but there have been signs that Campion and the Dunphys are coming into a bit of form. I disagree that Scully doesn't need special attention; it was noteworthy how close Darren Maher followed him the last day. CB were willing to take him out of the full-back spot and that in itself caused issues for them. Do RE have someone to do a similar job? I'm not sure.
Similarly, Aaron was man-marked by young Conway who had the speed to stick with him. If both Scully and Aaron start in the full-forward line, it will really test RE. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jack Kelly or Eric Killeen dropped back in such a scenario. Those match-ups will be interesting; if either side get the right players isolated 1v1 in their full-forwad line; I could see them going for goals early and often.

Midfield is another interesting area to keep an eye on. I think we have seen a lot of teams seeking to flood that middle area and it could turn into a bit of a battle. BK will have come up against that in 3 Championship games whereas RE struggled to assert themselves in the final having been untested beforehand. RE should come on from that semi-final, they'll need to.

As regards a prediction, I'm loathe to change horses mid-race but I do have a feeling that BK might just edge this. Scully won't miss from frees and that guarantees them a decent starting-point. I think both teams have chinks in their armour in the full-back line and I'd imagine a lot of thought and planning will have gone in to how best to target, exploit and protect same.
I think it'll be high-scoring and I'm going to go with BK to edge it by the minimum: BK 2.22 - 1.24 RE

From a county perspective, I think we have seen a few players come into consideration even though I dont think the championship has been brilliant. Most of the names are from the semi-finalists and finalists and that's probably as much an issue with recency-bias as anything else.

Definites for me:
Joe Campion (Would be an automatic starter for me)
Diarmaid Conway (Looks like he will be in a couple of years)

Strongly Like to See:
Stephen Phelan
James Ryan
Ronan Broderick
Aidan Corby
Paddy Whelan
PJ Scully
Sean Downey
Garoid Bourke
Dwane Palmer

Wildcards:
Brian Corby
Robbie Phelan
Conor Kilbane
Jordan Walshe
Podge Lalor
Steven Finan

I've probably forgotten a few players but I dont think that would be a bad bunch to start with in looking to reinforce our panel. I'm also aware that a lot of the above have been asked in before and either declined outright or were in and left. Just throwing the names out for discussion I suppose.

burdizzo

I think there's too much commitment for some of them, but certainly would love to see Diarmuid Conway, Geroid Burke and Joe Campion involved. There'd also be a few in the senior B.

Neutralobserver

thinking both games will be close enough on sunday and im going to go for both underdogs in borris/kilcotton and rosenallis

blueandwhite1

Met Eireann giving a bright but quite cold afternoon in Portlaoise on Sunday. Not much of a breeze either. Not a massive amount of rain in next few days which should help the pitch. Would be a shame to see the weather ruin the match.

B/K seem slight favourites among those who express opinions. Boyle Sports have Rathdowney Errill at 8/13 with BK at 6/4. Could go any way. If REs county players play to their ability I can see them shading it.

Unlaoised

LAOIS ABÚ

Ogie

Should be two good games in O Moore Park tomorrow, great match up in the Senior Final,
I think Borris Kilcotton will get goals that will win the game for them.

Keyser Söze

The two best teams in the county are in the final. At times they stuttered this year (RE in the semi final & BK in the group stages v CB), but there is no doubting their pedigree or their potential. RE in particular were unimpressive in their first real test in the semi final, but semi finals are about winning and winning only.

Both sides have everything you would want;
Youth
Experience in key spots
Legs
Scoring forwards
Man markers
Ball winning forwards
Ace freetakers

RE have always delivered in finals (with the 2016 replay being a bit of an outlier), leaving the second half of last years final aside. They didn't look at their ease in the semi final and it will be interesting to see if they have eased off a little in the build up for this weekend. The only big concern I have is whether or not they decide to go with match ups, I don't think they really did against Camross. The BK forwards all require very different individual approaches.
If RE go with match ups could we see Campion in the half back line and Joe Fitz at full/corner back at some stage?
I honestly don't think it's in these players nature, and I'm not sure their management will go with a plan to suit the opposition like that. It will be the winning and losing of the game in my opinion.

It's hard to point out any one thing the RE management did in the semi final to attempt to turn the game, you could say the same about last year's county final. Maybe they will surprise me.

The other thing worth noting is Fleming in goals. He really is top class. Young Madden is a decent keeper, lacking a little in experience, but his counterpart is class.

I've said RE all year, but I think a combination of cleverness on the line and the upper hand they have between the sticks could well see BK through.

On one final note, the sense of "closure" that came with Ross King's winner the last day could well knock a vital edge of RE going into tomorrow. There is no wrong left to right as such, is that a few tiny grains of rice gone that could well have tipped the scales (as Paidi famously put it)? On the other side you have Scully, "dropped" by the county earlier in the year and he hasn't lit it up from play yet this year. He is a seriously focused young man, and the opportunity that this occasion presents to prove a point to a few interested spectators won't have gone unnoticed.

Fleming and Scully to star, BK by 5.
The greatest trick the devil ever pulled.......

redsetanta

Going as a complete neutral tomorrow and don't have a favourite. It's been a very good year for Laois hurling and I hope our showpiece will be too. No repeat of last year or the aftermath. I do think that if R/E would do better in Leinster club championship.
The real glory is being knocked to your knees and then coming back. That's real glory. VinceLombardi

Neutralobserver

Weather is to be good, two very good teams, hopefully large crowd with better atmosphere than last week, setting up for a great final.

burdizzo

The hurling final often seems to get a better crowd that the football.

les Antiques

Looking forward to attending the final today . From an outsider perspective there seems to be a mutual respect for each other which is nit always evident in club hurling .
Borris by 2 .

Zooming around

Quote from: burdizzo on October 20, 2019, 08:46:13 AM
The hurling final often seems to get a better crowd that the football.


I agree. It's probably because Portlaoise are in the football final every year and they have a small support. I doubt many neutrals went to a lot of those football finals either as they were over before the throw in. RE and BIOK both have big followings as do The Harps and Rosenallis. Also, I'd say a huge number of neutrals will be there too for what should be a right match.

The PRO

Quote from: burdizzo on October 20, 2019, 08:46:13 AM
The hurling final often seems to get a better crowd that the football.
Nearly always. There's always a real sense of occasion about the hurling finals. And playing the senior B final as a curtain raiser is a big factor too. The minor A final is the football curtain raiser and wouldn't draw the same crowd.

blueandwhite1

Huge crowd. Interesting match but no classic. Conditions underfoot very tough in fairness. Better team by far won easily enough for a finish. The big difference was the quality and toughness of the RE defence. None of the BK backs had a clear advantage over their marker. The RE forwards on the other hand gave the Borris Kilcotton backs a horrific time and seemed to get better and better. Roddy King was on fire for long spells. Hopefully they can give Leinster a good run. St. Rynaghs in 2 weeks in Portlaoise.

Neutralobserver

game did not live up to expectations but there was some tough hitting out there and ground conditions were soft enough but best team won out.