Laois Senior Hurling Championship 2019

[merman]

Camross full value for their league win tonight.
They set a standard that other teams can't match consistently.

Between them and Rathdowney/Errill for the championship again imo.
Borris/Kilcotton and Clough/Ballacolla best of the rest.

[Mossy Bruce]

I don’t quite understand the set-up for club hurling, yet. Is “Senior B” a level just below “Senior” (kind of like Division 1B is just below Division 1A in the Allianz National Hurling League)?
 

It’s intermediate in all but name.

I see for the Adult Hurling Championship fixtures (on the Laois GAA website) there is now "Senior" and "Senior A" listed but no "Senior B." Is Senior A the rebranded Senior B?

[South Laois man]

There was never a Senior B Mossy. It's been Senior and Senior A for the last few years. Senior A would of been Intermediate before this.

[Mossy Bruce]

There was never a Senior B Mossy. It's been Senior and Senior A for the last few years. Senior A would of been Intermediate before this.

Hmmm. Not sure where I picked up "Senior B." Thanks for setting me straight, South Laois Man.

[Keyser Söze]

Yes Mossy.
It has been called Senior A and Senior B at various stages. Or at least referred to as Senior B. Not sure exactly when (& why). It is Intermediate and should be labelled as so. There is absolutely no good reason for it to be called otherwise. The winners proceed to the Leinster Intermediate Championship each year too.
It's not like a football situation either where they went from 16/18 teams down to a smaller number. The number of senior teams in Laois was always around 10/12. There aren't too many "traditional" senior teams in Senior A (or is it B?). I'd like to see a club bringing this change to the Laois Convention. I don't honestly think there would be resistance among the hurling clubs. Clubs who don't enter an adult hurling team should abstain!!!

Anyways Mossy, back to your question, the Senior (top grade championship) will always be labelled simply Senior.

While I am on this thread I'll give my predictions. I'd label Camross favourites, just ahead of Rathdowney Errill.
1. Camross
2. Rathdowney Errill
3. Borris Kilcotton
4. Clough Ballacolla
5. Ballinakill
6. Castletown
7. Abbeyleix
8. Portlaoise

Although Camross would have to top of the rankings, given their record over the last 2 years particularly, I think the winner will come from RE or BK. Despite a bit of age starting to creep in, I'll go with RE.
There is age (or experience depending on your outlook) with Campion, Fitz etc. Alan Delaney often plays a part too.
But when you add in Corrigan, Killeen, Kelly, Ryan, Purcell, King you have 5 of the best in the county.
Borris Kilcotton don't need any bigging up, I just think at least one of the teams coming out of Group A will suffer for how competitive and bruising the games could turn out to be. RE don't have that problem.

I think CB are a little off the top 3, and it's hard to see likes of Cleere, Dunphy, Picky and Bergin being able to account for the years in the legs elsewhere. Maybe not so different to RE's situation, but there has been a pattern of downing tools at least once a year in a big game over the past 4 years. Seem to be on a slide.

I think positions 5, 6 & 7 above are fairly interchangeable. All of them are capable of running any team close once a year, but none will do it consistently. Abbeyleix would probably need 3 big results just to get to a semi final. Castletown and Ballinakill are as likely to be relegated as appear in a semi final. Ballinakill have turned up consistently for the championship for the last 4/5 years, Castletown haven't.

I could well be proved wrong, but Portlaoise to me are the ones who will struggle most.

Round 1 predictions;
Castletown V Portlaoise
Rathdowney Errrill v Ballinakill
Camross v Borris Kilcotton
Abbeyleix v Clough Ballacolla

[Silkyskillssunshinee]

Round 1 predictions;
Castletown V Portlaoise
Rathdowney Errrill v Ballinakill
Camross v Borris Kilcotton
Abbeyleix v Clough Ballacolla

I'll go with Portlaoise, R/E, Camross and C/B to win the opening round of games. Some very close calls though. Camross V B/K and PL V Castletown are two games I definitely wouldn't bet on..

[Mossy Bruce]

Yes Mossy.
It has been called Senior A and Senior B at various stages. Or at least referred to as Senior B. Not sure exactly when (& why). It is Intermediate and should be labelled as so. There is absolutely no good reason for it to be called otherwise. The winners proceed to the Leinster Intermediate Championship each year too.
...

Thanks for clearing that up for me! 

[Keyser Söze]

Just as an extra bit of info. The competition was first "created" in 2013. This was in order to streamline our top 4 divisions into 4 divisions of 8 teams.
Senior
Senior A (Or B: I checked it out and it was known as Senior B in 2013 & 2014, and Senior A since.)
Intermediate
Junior A

They all followed the same format, and a particularly good format in my opinion!

The winners since it began have generally been the team relegated from Senior the previous year, with Ballyfin Gaels (Ballyfin and Mountmellick) being an exception in 2017

2013 Abbeyleix (beat Ballyfin comfortably. Both teams had been relegated in 2012 to bring the number in senior down to 8 teams)
2014- Ballinakill (beat Mountrath comfortably. Ballinakill had been relegated in a playoff v The Harps in 2013)
2015- Portlaoise (beat Clonaslee in a tight game. Portlaoise had been relegated in a playoff v Borris Kilcotton in 2014)
2016- Castletown (beat Ballyfin Gaels with last puck of the game. Castletown had been relegated in playoff v The Harps in 2015)
2017- Ballyfin Gaels (beat Colt Gaels  by 3 points (Colt & Clonad). The Harps were relegated in a playoff v Portlaoise in 2016, first team not to come straight back up. But The Harps represented Laois in the Leinster IHC as Gaels teams are not permitted- ruling out both finalists. A playoff (like a 3rd place play off) was called between the losing semi finalists. Rosenallis conceded and The Harps played in Leinster, losting the first round)
2018- Portlaoise (beat The Harps by 2 points. Portlaoise had been relegated in a playoff v Castletown in 2017).

So, apart from 2017, each year the winner has been the team who came down the previous year. Ballyfin Gaels were relegated last year in a playoff v Castletown Gaels. However, Gaels teams are no longer allowed take part in the Senior A championship, so Ballyfin are now on their own, and wouldn't be favourites to win it this year. The Harps warm favourites, and Rosenallis 2nd favourites in my book.

In the past (pre 2013) there was an intermittent Senior B competition for teams who didn't make Senior Quarter Finals. Sometimes it was known as Senior B, sometimes it was known as Senior Shield, sometimes the winners were awarded the Palmer Cup, sometimes it never happened at all!

There is actually a good results archive section on the Laois GAA website that might interest you Bruce, but it only goes back as far as 2011.

[Mossy Bruce]

This is some great background information (I'm going to print it out). I really appreciate you taking the time to type it out and post it, Keyser!

[merman]

I won't quote the entire message but I think that's a fair appraisal Keyser.
Camross are worthy champions and it'd take a foolish man to back against them completing the treble.
I do think Zane Keenan is a huge loss and although they had 6 lads with the County, I don't think they will reinforce their panel to the same extent as Rathdowney/Errill.
RE look very strong to me. Jack Kelly and Mark Kavanagh are legitimate shouts to get All-Star nominations, Paddy Purcell will be bouncing into O' Moore Park come Championship and Eric Killeen looks to be hitting top form at the right time. Their 5th county panelist is Ross King who will be gunning to make up for last year's disappointment.
Add to that mix the likes of Paddy McCane, Tadhg Dowling, Joe Fitzpatrick, James Ryan, Brian Campion and Jimmy Corrigan and it all looks like it should come together for them.
Some question marks persist around their keeper but they have the softer side of the draw and you'd imagine they have three games to iron out most of their creases.

I'm inclined to put Borris/Kilcotton and Clough/Ballacolla a little behind RE and Camross.
BK look too have a few too many chiefs and not enough Indians. The potential is unquestionably there but their league form stuttered towards the end and questions remain. Aaron Dunphy could, however, light up this championship and the wide open spaces of OMP should really suit them.
The same can't be said about CB. They looked leggy in the second half of the League Final and will need their county players to reintegrate very quickly before the big games against BK and Camross. I do think they'll account for Abbeyleix but after that, I just don't know.

They are definitely the top 4 as things stand.

Ballinakill's league form appears desperate and as always, so much depends on Cha. With Eamon Jackman and Seamus Dwyer involved with Kilkenny club teams, the burden might be too great for him to shoulder.

Portlaoise were only marginally better in the league but should account for two second teams to earn their way back into Div 1 for next year. They'll be happy with their draw and with the momentum of 2018 behind them, I think they'll possibly make a quarter-final.

Castletown will be boosted by a resurgent and rejuvenated Ryan Mullaney who has realised his real potential this year. They don't have the firepower to win a championship but have shown they can upset one of the big boys. I think they'll be safe.

Abbeyleix are hard to gauge. A young team with a shallow panel. Their league was poor but if they're short a couple, it weakens them more than others. They've gotten a tough draw and it's hard to see anything but a relegation final. If they are competitive then the higher standard might stand to them but if they ship a couple of heavy losses, as I think they will to BK especially, then their appetite for battle might not be what's needed.

Prediction:
RE to beat Camross
BK and CB semi-finalists
Ballinakill to beat Abbeyleix in the relegation final.
Hurler of the Year: Paddy Purcell
Top Scorer from Play: Aaron Dunphy
Young Hurler: Andrew Mortimor

[merman]

Portlaoise lost to Clough/Ballacolla's second team tonight.
It means that CB will contest the 1A Final against Rathdowney/Errill and there will be no relegation playoff between Rosenallis and The Harps.