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I agree there is an opening or two at the top end of Laois hurling. But that has always been there for a decent group of players/club who get their act together. The reality is that 3 Clubs have dominated the Laois Championship for the past 20 years CB 8, RE 6, Camross 5, BK 1. Its hard to make the break through and even harder to stay at the top table. Often the top-level clubs win counties with average enough looking teams because they are hard to beat in semi-finals and finals. These top teams re-set too with a new management team and fresh approach and the culture of winning and competing is passed on. I agree that it looks like there is a changing of the guard happening at the moment but it  really hard to  break in and stay there. The evidence is there in every hurling county around us, and in Laois.

I hope the Harps break through and they should stay at the top table given their numbers and quality. I'm not sure about Castletown yet. The tests of the Harps will be if they lose 3/4 of the current team to travelling and of course who keeps the plan on track when Hogan and Carroll move on which will happen sooner or later. (Hogan moved on after BK). They have to win one first though and I think they will, but surely Camross won't be as bad as they were in last year's final. Really looking forward to the final.

The Harps have done well this year but they have to finish the job now. I think they have too many coming through to fall away now in the coming years like Abbeyleix did after getting to a final. Camross were awful in the 2025 Final and will be keen to make amends. Has the makings of a right good match.
People are quick to write on the demise of teams and clubs. RE mentioned a few times above as well as BK. As far as I'm aware only RE, Camross, CB have stayed in the top level in the past 20 years. They have never gone down, that stands for something. Look at the data not peoples perception or huncches. RE went to the final in 24, topped the league in 25 (didnt win it), topped the championship group in 25 (beaten semi) and finished 5th of the 10 teams in this years championship, after a very poor year. They weren't near relegation let alone going down. With a couple of lads back, a fresh set up they can be top 4 again like last year. I know the underage section are competing at B level etc but they are working hard at it. They might not have the same numbers of players coming through as others clubs but they will be competitive again next year. Maybe they are maximising the small numbers of top players coming through and staying completitive while other clubs have been wasting their resources in the last 20 years.
CB will be next to be wriiten off.

Manager and Coach relieved of their duties after the Crettyard hammering. A new man in to try and keep them up.

Funny how the Harps have gone from the form team to outsiders !!

Not in the predictor but I'll go with:
Ballyfin and Ballinakill - a draw. A lot of stake. Ballyfin improving and Ballinakill struggling for form
Abbeyleix v Rosenallis - I think Abbeyleix will find it a bit easier to score and might just shade it
Harps v BK - For BK a lot depends on holding the Duggans and keeping the free count down, they might just edge it

Should be three decent games. Hope the weather holds up.

This is shocking stuff which I had no clue about. A throw back to the good auld days in the 1980s and 1990s. Not at all fair on teams trying to do things the right way. The county board have plenty of rules and regulations when they need them. I hope they have will and the appetite and balls to follow through on this and stamp it out.

I'll preface this by saying that I'm more a hurling man than football but are things that bad in Portlaoise? After a poor performance in the championship there is always sensational commentary. But since 2000 they have appeared in 20 Laois Senior Finals (not including draws) and have won 14 of those. Not too shabby in my book.
I know their last win was 2019 when they were lucky to beat Killeshin but they also got to the final in 2021, 2023, 2024. I know Portarlington are very good in recent years but surely Portlaoise with a fresh set up shouldn't be that far away from Top 2/Top 3 again in 2027. Or am I miles off?

Yes I agree with you on RE. They went to the final last year, although on the easier side of the draw. Not only that but they won the Div 2 League in June this year beating Ballinakill's first team. Then went from that to a must win game in September to stay up. I know they lost a couple especially upfront but they were poor in the group games. They seemed to have a stronger team out the last day than in the prior matches. A real yo yo year.

The last 3 matches in this should be decent games. Obviously Castletown are favourites and will want to bounce straight back up but Camross are strong. Bringing a junior player on in a recent senior championship match to save their Premier Intermediate panel, signals their intent to me. 

Good win for RE at the weekend but Clonaslee were fairly poor. Pity that RE could not find that type of performance v Colt Shanahoe when they needed it. Good win for CS too v Clonad. They have been consistent enough over the last two years in fairness to them. Semi-final is as far as they'll go though as this one has a Castletown / Camross Final written all over it. Been like that since the league in Spring and I can't see either of CS or CB troubling Castletown or Camross too much.

Abbeyleix was story of the weekend for me. I watched them against CB in Round 4 and they were so poor, completely lost their shape (especially upfront) and looked like a team that weren't bothered. I know they have a stronger team available now but they were transformed in two weeks and looked like a team that really wanted the win. They will beat Rosenallis on that showing and make a semi final. You would not have thought that a few weeks back.
 
I know people will put the boot in on R/E and it is easy after the event. But after beating Ballinakill in Rd1, they really should have beaten camross in Rd2 when they went 9 up. They actually played well and got caught. Again in Rd3 against Rosenallis went from 6 down and a man down to 3 up and could not hold on for a draw with the ball in their hand in midfield. Played some great hurling down to 14 men but shot themselves in the foot with a stupid sending off. Rd4 was a good performance against a very poor Portlaoise. Yesterday v Abbeyleix was very flat apart from first 20mins really. I'm not sure what is going on in there in terms of s and c training but they seem to be missing players all year. Padraig Rafter and Liam O'Connell again yesterday, both county men in the last couple of years sitting on the line and not available. In the context of Eric Killeen, Brandon McGinly and Ross King leaving Ireland in 2025, the team that was in the final in 2024 is just not available to them. I looked at their bench yesterday and it was very limited in my view. Surprising for a club who won the Prem Intermediate League this year.

Pity about the last game, with RE beaten it was the ultimate dead rubber. I'm not sure either team learned much. It just gave Harps and Abbeyleix a chance to see who they'll be facing, and did as much for them as it did for BK and Rosenallis.

I was also at the Portlaise and CB game on Friday night. The less said the better. At least Portlaoise, who lost their last 2 games by a combined 56 points are spared the embarrassment of a quarter final.

Can't see Portlaoise or Ballyfin troubling either CB and Camross in the SHC. The last 3 games are more interesting in my opinion. Harps and Ballinakill could be tighter than some people think. Ballinakill will be praying for more rain, heard they had a good battle with St. Mullins last week. You'd never know though Harps are the form team. R/E should have enough for Abbeyleix and I think Borris will be too good for Rosenallis. Scully out puts a little more pressure on Dunphy and Quinlan for scores but they should have too much firepower for Rosenallis who rarely score heavily. They are minus Cosgrave too for 'that' pull so that makes it harder for them. 

Was at both matches yesterday and Sat night. Not in any camp but probably closer to Clough and Rathdowney than others.
Camross did enough as they always do in the group and are now in the semi. Borris played well in patches and should have enough for Rosenallis in last match. I think they'll come through.
Rathdowney Errill produced the best hurling of championship so far. Better than when they went 9 up v Camross. Or with 14 men v Rosenallis. Portlaoise are not a bad team but were completely blown away. Anyway RE have Harps in sight now and well capable of beating Abbeyleix to see if its enough. They'll be hoping for a bloody Ballinakill Harps battle and a narrow will for Ballinakill. A win for Ballinakill should see them through. It will be a dog eat dog match.
Clough Ballacolla dont seem to be firing fully yet which great for them as 4 from 4 and safely through. Still winning all their matches. Maybe those that said Camross v CB final were right all along.

It should be a tasty round 5.

Gallant effort by RE who went down to 14 men after 14 minutes. Still put themselves in a position to win it, but same as against Camross couldnt see it out.

BK deserved winners of first one, where Ballinakill are just not going as well as last year.

Looks like CB, BK and Harps now from that Group. Harps will mever have a better chance of qualifying for knockout stages now which would be good progress for them.

Not sure what is happening in Abbeyleix but they seem a bit disjointed at the moment. Seemed to be a closer unit with more cohesion in 23, 24 and 25. Will need a big improvement and they have  enough quality players to turn it around but hard to do mid-championship. Harps took full advantage of their poor form anyway.
I am impressed with Rathdowney Errill. Obviously without Eric Killeen, Brandon McGinley and Ross King who are all away travelling and all 'starting' forwards and yet they are competitive all the time. O'Connell coming back will help the defence and young Bracken coming back should help the forwards. Ran out of juice the other night after putting so much into first half. Have to admire Camross though who stayed at it and found a way as they do. Gaughan and Keyes central to the turn around in 2nd half.
I didn't see what happened at the end of the first match on Saturday as only got the second and third games but was surprised with the outcome. Borris have been hurling well. Maybe its time to give Critchley and co some credit at Portlaoise; 3 points from 4 and very much in the running to qualify.

I love the way teams are written off on the back of one game. It is a totally different competition to what was in place as recently as 2024. You need to be consistent, stay the course or else produce a big turnaround to win it now. 7/8 games v 4/5 games. It is a totally different championship now.
Camross written off last year after two games and ended up in the final. CB edged their way through the group last year, beaten twice I think, and still delivered when it was needed. The summer hurling is only to see who gets to business end. Its all about delivering in Sept/Oct. I wouldn't be so quick to narrow it to Camross/CB, plenty of hurling to be played yet.

It is a long championship and very different from the past. Gone are the days of getting your two wins early and ensuring you got out of your group. You have to be consistent over 7/8 games to win it, and obviously clinical in the last 2. You could be hurling well in the summer but when it slows in September and October, you need power, ball winners and scorers. R/E topped the group stage last year but didn't land a blow on Camross in the semi. Camross were very poor in the final and it is hard to see them being as poor again if they get back there.
The two teams of the championship last year were probably Rosenallis and Ballinakill, who really and truly should have made the final. Clough Ballacolla improved as the year went on and they know how to get the job done when it matters. Picky being avilable from the outset is a huge boost.
My prediction is that there will be plenty of upsets and that 8 points will top the group, 6 will get you through. Really looking forward to it.