Qualifier - Cork v Laois

[horse]

What is the point in Cork having to Play the likes of Laois?
Cork will win by at least 25 points and Laois hurling will be further down in the doldrums.
If the G.A.A. are serious about promoting hurling in the weaker counties surly this would be considered a miss match if this was boxing the game would not be even let yake place.
I would like to see an All Ireland B Championship with the top two teams Qualify for the quarter finals of the All Ireland proper.

[CorkMan]

A 'B' championship would be absoloutley rubbish.If it's a mismatch in the qualifiers what would be the difference if the top two got to quarter final of the proper?

[horse]

The Hurling championship in its current format has not worked for the weaker counties. I certainly would like to see more counties involved or at least in the final shake up.
Dublin have invested a lot in hurling over the last number of years and I certainly feel that they can make the break trough in time. other counties that could traditionally cause an upset (Laois, Westmeath, Wexfiord,Offaly,Antrim) are very scarce, as a result games like Cork v Laois are just creating a greater gap between the elite counties and the rest that just make up the numbers.

[Offalylad]

Really hard to see anything but a victory for the Rebels here, leaving a long trip to Leeside for the Faithful County in the next round...

[johnneycool]

Really hard to see anything but a victory for the Rebels here, leaving a long trip to Leeside for the Faithful County in the next round...

True, and I said the same thing about the Galway/Westmeath game where Westmeath put it up to them and I'd suggest the game did Westmeath the power of good.

Who's the say Laois mightn'd do the same?

[Ash Smoker]

I don't think Cork are going to have it easy. They are far from the side they were 5 years ago.
If Laois are up for this, they could give Cork a tough time.

[Galwaybhoy]

The Hurling championship in its current format has not worked for the weaker counties. I certainly would like to see more counties involved or at least in the final shake up.

You see, I find this line of thinking very strange.  Every couple of years we hear the same old lines thrown around.  "The current format is no help", "format needs to be changed to give weaker counties a chance".  The format for the All-Ireland Hurling Championship has been changed numerous times over the last 15 years.  The positives of this are that it has given all teams more than one game.  However for the most part it has not made a blind bit of difference to the weaker counties, and it wont.  How come in other sports I never hear this sort of thing.  I never hear "well the format of the Premiership needs to be changed to give the likes of Sunderland a chance" or "The NFL needs to change its format to help rubbish teams such as Buffalo or Detroit win more games".

At the end of the day, unless enough work goes on within the county to help improve the standard of hurling, the GAA can change the format year after year and we will end up with the same results year after year.

[Milltown Row2]

Yes back to the Provincial Championships, less games and Antrim  will have a chance (70 minute chance) of getting into the All Ireland final. Benefits are, less county games and club hurling will get better, thus making better (more off)  hurlers

[Galwaybhoy]

Yes back to the Provincial Championships, less games and Antrim  will have a chance (70 minute chance) of getting into the All Ireland final. Benefits are, less county games and club hurling will get better, thus making better (more off)  hurlers

I don't think anyone wants it to go back to the old system.  Its better now though this years competition (mainly the qualifiers) has huge flaws.

But smaller counties can't sit back and wait for the GAA to make changes to the championship in the hope it helps the counties make the next big step.  That work has to be done within the county.

[Reillers]

The Cork Senior Hurling team to play Laois on Saturday at 3pm in Portlaoise will line out as follows:

            1. Donal Óg Cusack
            Cloyne

2. Shane O'Neill       3. Eoin Cadogan       4. Stephen McDonnell
Bishopstown         Douglas            Glen Rovers

5. John Gardiner       6. William Egan       7. Brian Murphy
Na Piarsaigh       Kilbrin          Bride Rovers

      8. Tom Kenny       9. Pa Cronin
      Grenagh          Bishopstown

10. Ben O'Connor       11. Bill Cooper       12. Niall McCarthy
Newtownshandrum    Youghal          Carrigtwohill

13. Luke O'Farrell       14. Paudie O'Sullivan    15. Patrick Horgan
Midleton          Cloyne          Glen Rovers

Subs:

16.   Anthony Nash Kanturk
17.   Eoin Dillon Milford
18.   Conor O'Sullivan Sarsfields
19.   Ronan Curran St. Finbarrs
20.   James Nagle Midleton
21.   Jerry O'Connor Newtownshandrum
22.   Cathal Naughton Newtownshandrum
23.   Cian McCarthy Sarsfields
24.   Michael Cussen Sarsfields
25.   Jamie Coughlan Newtownshandrum
26.   Brian Corry Ballymartle


Interesting to see young lad Cooper given a chance, good luck to him.
Brian Murphy still wing back again..he cannot and has never been able to play there, he's an excellent corner back, and that's where he should be playing, a blind man could see that.
McLoughlin is injured so he's out, but good to see Brian Corry on the bench, he's a lot of potential, hopefully he'll get a chance as well.
Hopefully Naughton will get a run out (that lasts longer than 30 seconds) and hopefully the lads will deliver.

If the guys up front can't deliver against Laois, well, (with all due respect to Laois, who will be no walkover) we are well and truly fucked.
Hopefully it will be a good game and our lads will get a bit more experience.

[Forever Green]

Laois do seem to be improving over the last couple of years but i think Cork will have far to much for them in this game. Cork to win by 10+ points

[AQMP]

Final Score (from RTE website):

Laois 1-13 Cork 10(ten)-20!!!!

Cork by 34!

[SHEEDY]

10 goals in a championship match!!!

[Milltown Row2]

Final Score (from RTE website):

Laois 1-13 Cork 10(ten)-20!!!!

Cork by 34!

Beat the handicap then

[Blowitupref]

When is the last time a team scored 10 goals in a championship match?