Galway are again about to find themselves untested meeting serious contenders - probably Cork or Limerick - in a few weeks time with Laois unlikely to pose any great threat when they meet in the round two qualifiers at Pearse Stadium on Saturday.

IN CONTROL . . . Galway full-forward Eugene Cloonan who was in top form in the victory over Antrim on Saturday. Photo: Oliver McVeigh/Sportsfile

Laois have been on the decline and in serious turmoil this season and the cause of hurling in the county has not been helped by the failure of players to turn up to training which has led to the resignation of manager Damien Fox.

It remains to be seen whether or not Laois can now pick up some of the pieces, only time will tell. From now on it is a case of winner takes all and Galway will face the O'Moore county knowing that they can have little sympathy for a county which is in disarray in hurling as this is a game that the Tribesmen must win.

Last Saturday Galway travelled to Casement Park in Belfast and defeated the Glensmen by a whopping twenty six points. Ger Loughnane's side could afford to use the full compliment of twenty players and will no doubt use the same again on Saturday.

Last weekend teenage prodigy Joe Canning scored 2-6 in his championship debut and the young star Portumna will likely add to that tally that could make him a leading contender for top scorer of the year, even if Galway failed to reach the final stages of the All Ireland championship.

What Ger Loughnane and his selectors will decide on team selection could be as interesting as last weekend when James Skehill, Cyril Donnellan and the younger Canning made championship debuts. That game also saw the return of Ollie Canning and Eugene Cloonan while Fergal Moore became a surprise choice at full back. Experimenting with a team at this level is admirable but how near the Galway management are to putting together a team that could become serious contenders at the close of the championship, is very difficult to tell at this stage.

Galway have played Laois in the All Ireland championship over the past three years and every year the O'Moore county have been at the end of a hammering.

Last year the Tribesmen defeated Laois on a scoreline of Galway 3-20 Laois 1-14, a twelve point margin. However the previous year saw Galway score seven goals against the midlanders when winning by 7-18 to 2-13, a twenty point difference. In 2005 Laois put it up to Galway for long periods before Galway won on a scoreline of 2-22 to 2-11.

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