SHC 2026

[Genocide Organ]

Hard to know how to feel about The Harps after that.

You called it, in fairness!

[Border Rail 26]

Have to say camross were really good and more than deserved the win.

But The Harps showed their is still plenty to work with. Missing one of the best forwards in laois and still scored 5 goals. Will need to get a bit tighter at the back but it was a really hot eve and that led to lots of loose hurling.

Standard of the 2nd gane was not nearly as high i think it's fair to say. Ballinakill were great for a burst towards the end of the first half but then rathdowney came back strongly at the start of the 2nd half and that won the game.

I tink camross vs rathdowney will tell us a lot more about where those teams are.

[Verbal]

Are you from The Harps by any chance Border Rail?
Or involved?

2-31 is a monstrous score to concede against a team you should be competing with.
Camross won't be happy with 5 goals conceded, but I think 31 points is a bigger overall problem.

[Laois Abu]

Have to say camross were really good and more than deserved the win.

But The Harps showed their is still plenty to work with. Missing one of the best forwards in laois and still scored 5 goals. Will need to get a bit tighter at the back but it was a really hot eve and that led to lots of loose hurling.

Standard of the 2nd gane was not nearly as high i think it's fair to say. Ballinakill were great for a burst towards the end of the first half but then rathdowney came back strongly at the start of the 2nd half and that won the game.

I tink camross vs rathdowney will tell us a lot more about where those teams are.

I always hear you saying there missing this player there missing that player but Camross are missing players too they just get on with it, any team is going to be missing players at a giving time.
You just don't get it The Harps are not good enough to win a county final this year maybe in a year or two but not this year. It's between Camross and Ballacolla this year .

[Mad Mentor]

Great atmosphere at the Camross Harps match but seemed very few stayed for the second one. Camross had experience all over and Harps just didn't.
R/E just had enough to get past Ballinakill but neither were hugely impressive.

[Border Rail 26]

I just find it hard to accept that we have a 2 horse race between camross and ballacolla.
As i already said, camross were really impressive but after the penalty the Harps were only a score away despite camross having played brilliantly.

Is it not possible that camross levels could drop a little and the Harps with James Duggan back could improve? On any given day these things can happen.
I dont think theirs any doubt about camross topping their group and being massive favourites to making a final but i think the other group is more open and i still think the Harps will surprise a few.

[Laois345]

Round 1 Predictions

The Harps V Camross - Camross win by 5+
Clough/Ballacolla V Rosenallis - C/B win by 3+
Portlaoise V Ballyfin - PL win by 2
Rath/Errill v Ballinakill - R/E win by 8+
Abbeyleix V Borris - Borris win by 6+

Done ok here.

Harps beaten, unsurprisingly. They'll be fine but I think people need to adjust their  baseless expectations for them.

Ballinakill should have beaten Rathdowney if they had anything about them, they were there to be bet. But Ballinakill just seemed a bit all over the place on the field.

A decent win for Portlaoise, one they absthad to win. Nice to get it done early for them. That's them safe now really, you'd imagine. With Ballyfin all tough games left.

Abbeyliex looked miles off it. Thought it would be a bit closer. Borris looking sharp for this time of year they are normally a slow burner. Possibly the addition of an S&C coach might be helping?

Clough + Ballacolla deservedly won, they took over mid second half and Rosenalis struggled to score but a tight game.

[Genocide Organ]

Round 1 Predictions

The Harps V Camross - Camross win by 5+
Clough/Ballacolla V Rosenallis - C/B win by 3+
Portlaoise V Ballyfin - PL win by 2
Rath/Errill v Ballinakill - R/E win by 8+
Abbeyleix V Borris - Borris win by 6+

Done ok here.

Harps beaten, unsurprisingly. They'll be fine but I think people need to adjust their  baseless expectations for them.

Ballinakill should have beaten Rathdowney if they had anything about them, they were there to be bet. But Ballinakill just seemed a bit all over the place on the field.

A decent win for Portlaoise, one they absthad to win. Nice to get it done early for them. That's them safe now really, you'd imagine. With Ballyfin all tough games left.

Abbeyliex looked miles off it. Thought it would be a bit closer. Borris looking sharp for this time of year they are normally a slow burner. Possibly the addition of an S&C coach might be helping?

Clough + Ballacolla deservedly won, they took over mid second half and Rosenalis struggled to score but a tight game.

Self-praise is no praise, but still - you did pretty well, all right.

Yes, Ballinakill were well up to R/E, and will be disappointed. Wonder is Cha doing much training at all?

Would have thought Portlaoise could still meet Ballyfin in a relegation final? Very poor game by all accounts.

[Zooming around]

Clough Ballacolla v Rosenallis was a very poor game. Rosenallis struggling for scores outside of frees. CB looked very lacklustre but they will improve as the season goes on.

[Laoisred]

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.

[Laois Abu]

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.

Maybe I jumped the gun a bit by saying Ballacollla and Camross. After the weekend I would rate the teams chances of winning as follows:
1Camross
2.Ballacolla
3.The Harps
4.Borris Kilcotton
5.Rathdowney Errill

[Verbal]

Apologies I missed last night!

These are my scores (Ballacolla v Abbeyleix IHC didn't take place)

Verbal           9
Border Rail   8
Laois Heritage   8
Les Antiques   8
Genocide   7
Ballygowan   6
Laois 345   5

[Verbal]

Ballacolla v Ballinakill
Borris Kilcotton v Portlaoise
The Harps v Abbeyleix
Camross v Rathdowney Errill

[Border Rail 26]

Ballacolla v Ballinakill Draw
Borris Kilcotton v Portlaoise
The Harps v Abbeyleix
Camross v Rathdowney Errill

[Laois345]

Ballacolla by 5
Borris by 5
The Harps by 1
Camross by 2