All the possible Tailteann Cup permutations for Laois as they travel to Newbridge for Offaly clash

Laois go into the final round of Tailteann Cup Group 2 knowing they could finish anywhere from top of the group to being eliminated, depending on this weekend’s results across all four groups.

While the top three teams in each group are eligible to advance, only the best three third-placed teams make it through to the preliminary quarter-finals. The worst third-placed team misses out, with New York automatically taking one of the remaining spots.

Here’s how Laois’ group stands and how the wider picture could impact their chances:

Final games: Laois vs Offaly; Wicklow vs Waterford

1. A win over Offaly would put Laois on 4 points, guaranteeing progression. They could finish 1st, 2nd or 3rd depending on other results and score difference. Even if they finish 3rd on 4 points, that would be enough to qualify as one of the top three third-placed teams.

2. A draw with Offaly leaves Laois on 3 points, with the result of Wicklow and Waterford determining if they finish second or third. A third-placed finish in this instance would still be enough to progress as one of the best third-placed teams.

3. A loss to Offaly leaves Laois on 2 points. If Wicklow beat Waterford, Laois finish third. If Waterford win, there would be a three-way tie on 2 points, and points difference would decide who advances.

For Laois to finish bottom, they'd likely need to suffer a heavy defeat to Offaly and Waterford would have to beat Wicklow by a big margin.

There's also a risk that Laois finish third but don’t qualify as one of the best third-placed teams, but only if there are significant hammerings in other groups.

Only the three best third-placed teams from the four groups progress. Here’s how the other groups currently stand:

Group 1:

Final games: Kildare v Sligo; Leitrim v Tipperary.

The third-placed team will either be Leitrim or Tipperary, both with huge negative differences. 

Group 3:

Final games: Limerick v Westmeath; London v Antrim

Third place here will be either London or Antrim, again with very poor scoring differences. A third-place finish for Laois (currently +4) would again likely edge either of these.

Group 4:

Final games: Fermanagh v Wexord; Carlow v Longford

This is the most competitive group. The third-placed team could finish on 3 or 4 points, possibly with a stronger scoring difference than Laois.

Laois' permutations: Qualify if they win, guaranteed. Will qualify if they draw, could finish second if Wicklow lose, but will still get through should Wicklow win, as they'll finish third with 3 pts and +4 difference. At risk if they lose, especially if Waterford cause an upset against Wicklow and win by a big margin. A three-way tie on 2 points would come down to points difference in the group.

Laois must avoid defeat and ideally win to control their fate. A loss opens the door to elimination if results and scorelines elsewhere go against them.