Laois SHC 2024

[Ogie]

Paul Buggy from Conahy managing Ballinakill

Seamus Dwyer coaching Mount Sion,Waterford.
Ciaran Comerford managing Emeralds in Urlingford with Trevor Moore coaching.
Eamonn Jackman with a Kilkenny club also 

Clonaslee Brendan Lowry
Ballyfin JJ McHugh & Dermot McGill
Mountmellick Damien Carter
Clonad David O Brien
Trumera / Slieve Bloom / PRT ?

Rosenallis ?
Borris Kilcotton ?

[Ogie]

Kevin Ryan an interesting and potentially very good appointment by Borris Kilcotton

Kevin Mulcahy highly regarded Cork coach to Kilcavan juniors a very interesting / strange one! Possibly a club link ?

[Verbal]

See an article on Laois Today re the SHC.

" The new ten team competition will see the teams drawn into two groups of five but play against the teams in the other group – ensuring no 'bye' weeks and five rounds.

Following this, the bottom teams in each group will contest the relegation final.

Fourth place will be out, third and second will play quarter finals and the top team will progress to the semi finals."

If I am reading this correctly, the relegation final will be a repeat of a previous game?

Surely they should have made it that 4 in group A plays 5 in group A in a relegation semi?

Also, I presume that the top 3 in Group A end up being one side of the draw?

2nd in Group A v 3rd in Group A (Q/F).
Winner v 1st in Group A (S/F).

[Zooming around]

See an article on Laois Today re the SHC.

" The new ten team competition will see the teams drawn into two groups of five but play against the teams in the other group – ensuring no 'bye' weeks and five rounds.

Following this, the bottom teams in each group will contest the relegation final.

Fourth place will be out, third and second will play quarter finals and the top team will progress to the semi finals."

If I am reading this correctly, the relegation final will be a repeat of a previous game?

Surely they should have made it that 4 in group A plays 5 in group A in a relegation semi?

Also, I presume that the top 3 in Group A end up being one side of the draw?

2nd in Group A v 3rd in Group A (Q/F).
Winner v 1st in Group A (S/F).

I have no clue of the relevant rules but I'd question the notion of fourth being out.

Surely every team is entitled to one knock out game. In a League/Championship style format, your first knockout game is decided by where you finish in the league table but I'm not sure you can be eliminated from a League/Championship after the league stage alone.

[Voice of tReason]

See an article on Laois Today re the SHC.

" The new ten team competition will see the teams drawn into two groups of five but play against the teams in the other group – ensuring no 'bye' weeks and five rounds.

Following this, the bottom teams in each group will contest the relegation final.

Fourth place will be out, third and second will play quarter finals and the top team will progress to the semi finals."

If I am reading this correctly, the relegation final will be a repeat of a previous game?

Surely they should have made it that 4 in group A plays 5 in group A in a relegation semi?

Also, I presume that the top 3 in Group A end up being one side of the draw?

2nd in Group A v 3rd in Group A (Q/F).
Winner v 1st in Group A (S/F).

Surely every team is entitled to one knock out game.

Surely not.
If you can't finish top 3 in a group then you don't deserve to still be in the championship.

If we let everyone through then there's no peril and we'll have our best young hurlers in the States for the summer.

[Voice of tReason]

See an article on Laois Today re the SHC.

" The new ten team competition will see the teams drawn into two groups of five but play against the teams in the other group – ensuring no 'bye' weeks and five rounds.

Following this, the bottom teams in each group will contest the relegation final.

Fourth place will be out, third and second will play quarter finals and the top team will progress to the semi finals."

If I am reading this correctly, the relegation final will be a repeat of a previous game?

Surely they should have made it that 4 in group A plays 5 in group A in a relegation semi?

Also, I presume that the top 3 in Group A end up being one side of the draw?

2nd in Group A v 3rd in Group A (Q/F).
Winner v 1st in Group A (S/F).

Very valid points raised here. I hope this is in order or we'll have a lot of repeat matches.

[Verbal]

I'm not sure you can be eliminated from a League/Championship after the league stage alone.

Of course you can!
It has nearly always been the case whether it was groups of 3, 4 or 5

[Zooming around]

Ok. I would have thought that you were entitled to one shot at knock out hurling.
Doing well/badly in the league stage would lead to a good/bad position in the knockout stages

[Laois man]

So if you have 6 points in one group and finish fourth your out. You might have 4 point's in the other group and finish 3rd and qualify?? Am I right is saying that?

[Verbal]

So if you have 6 points in one group and finish fourth your out. You might have 4 point's in the other group and finish 3rd and qualify?? Am I right is saying that?

Hasn't that always been the case?

[SpeculativeEffort]

Going to try make this a little clearer. Let's look at groups first.

A
Clough Ballacolla
Abbeyleix
Portlaoise
Rosenallis
Ballinakill

B
Camross
RE
BK
Harps
Castletown

Each team in A plays each team in B.

In theory Group B (or Group A) teams could win every game vs the opposite Group.

Eg.
Group A
Abbeyleix Pts 0
CB 0
Rosenallis 0
Portlaoise 0
Bkill 0

Group B
Camross 10
RE 10
BK 10
Ctown 10
Harps 10

Even in this situation 3 teams from Group A progress and 2 teams from Group B are eliminated with 1 unbeaten team in a relegation play off!

Obviously this is worst case scenario but it is possible with this type of grouping system.

[Verbal]

I think this system has flaws.
But the seeding in the draw makes the above practically impossible.

Based on last year's results
One group has the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th and 11th best team.

I think if they address the fixtures after the group stage it will be fine.

[SpeculativeEffort]

I agree, it is highly unlikely that the above would happen.

However it's not entirely beyond the realms of possibility that 3 teams in a group lose all 5 games.

That could see a team with zero progress ahead of a team with 3 wins.

[Laois Rising]

And then in true fairy tale style that team goes on to win the county championship. That would make for an almighty story. 

[Ogie]

Ballacolla conceding Senior and Intermediate games in the league not a good look either, surely they have 15 Adult hurlers available in the club

Rosenallis were highly criticized last year for same