Throw-in
Croke Park, Sunday 10 June, 2pm
Online
Live blog on RTÉ.ie and the RTÉ News Now App from 1.30pm
Radio
Live updates Sunday Sport, RTÉ Radio 1, from Adrian Eames.
TV
Highlights of the game, along with all the weekend's action, on The Sunday Game, RTÉ 2, from 9.30pm.
Past 5 Championship Meetings
2015 Laois 3-16 Carlow 0-8 (Leinster first round)
2013 Laois 3-13 Carlow 0-12 (Round 1 qualifier)
2012 Laois 1-10 Carlow 0-9 (Round 1 qualifier)
2006 Laois 1-17 Carlow 1-9 (Leinster quarter-final)
2004 Laois 0-15 Carlow 1-7 (Leinster quarter-final)
Form Guide
Two of the form teams in the country will lock horns for a place in the Leinster final on 24 June. And while they both began the year in Divsion 4, from where they made a successful escape, their form in the heat of championship battle has been impressive.
Laois, after a slow start, powered past Wexford in the preliminary round, before running out convincing winners against Westmeath in the quarter-final.
Carlow began by making light work of Louth and then did not register a single wide when accounting for Kildare by seven points last Sunday week. Paul Broderick kicked ten point as the Barrowsiders reached a first semi-final since 2011.
"Carlow rising. Here we go!" were words uttered by manager Turlough O'Brien afterwards and on these pages, former Tyrone star Philip Jordan wrote that something special is happening in the country's second smallest county.
"O’Brien’s side have been the feel-good story of the season so far and, unless somebody comes out of the clouds and reaches an All-Ireland semi-final, that adulation should stay with them," said Jordan.
"Take Dublin out of Leinster and you’d have a fascinating championship. Carlow would be among the favourites to win it this year after their deserved victory over Kildare.
"The side are achieving something special and they clearly want to enjoy it. This ‘rising’ is something that the county has never experienced before. It may not happen again."
Carlow are seeking their first championship win over Laois since 1988 in what will be the counties' third competitive meeting this year.
The O'Moore County won both encounters in Division 4 of the Allianz League, 1-06 to 0-08 in round seven and by 0-15 to 0-11 in the final. Expect more cut and thrust, however, when the pair renew their rivalry on Jones' Road.
Player Watch
Paul Kingston (Laois)
Kingston was the star man as he hit 3-02 in the win over Westmeath. The Arles-Killeen clubman also chipped in with three points from play in the victory over Wexford. Being deployed at number 11 has him dictating things more and is clearly a more potent threat than in the corner.
Paying tribute to Kingston after the Westmeath game, Laois boss John Sugrue told RTÉ : "Paul had a great attacking impetus today. I'm delighted for Paul, he has worked hard to get back from injury.
"The next day somebody else might have to step up but looking at the game as a whole I was pleased that at our shape and the threat we did possess when we found our groove."
Paul Broderick (Carlow)
Broderick has hit 1-19 (0-14 from frees) in Carlow's two championship games to date. Injuries, particular one involving surgery on his spleen and a perforated bowel, threatened to curtail the career of the Tinryland player, but similar to Carlow's rise, Broderick battled through. He was around when the County's stock was low and now due to Brendan Murphy's absence is very much central to the Barowsiders cause.
He was recently named as the PwC GAA/GPA Player of the Month for May.
Manager Watch
John Sugrue (Laois)
In 2015, Sugrue guided South Kerry to a county title and was part of Pat O'Shea's backroom team when the Kingdom won the All-Ireland in 2007. Members of that squad speak highly of the Renard native and he's certainly making an impact in his adopted county.
Football is the thing that I really love," he told GAA.ie. "I've always played football growing up and it's probably half an illness!
So far under his stewardship, Laois are unbeaten and are the slight favourites to reach a first Leinster final since 2007.
After defeating Westmeath, Sugrue outlined to RTÉ Sport the importance for Laois in achieving back-to-back victories in Leinster after what was a fallow period for the county.
"Look, we have had monkeys hanging over us all year, one of those monkeys was that Laois hadn't won back-to-back championship matches for quite a while (nine years).
"It was mentioned lately and it's a damning statistic for Laois. It was important for us to get the win. We are still only forming, we are only finding our feet and I don't know where we can go to.
"Maybe there is a small bit of tentativeness in the group. Once we found our feet we played reasonably well."
Turlough O'Brien (Carlow)
The players on the pitch have to do their business and the Carlow players are certainly doing that over the last 12 months. Crediit also must go to O'Brien. He is a straight talker, is accessible to the media, has a sense of humour and feels players should be allowed to have some down-time after big games.
My colleague Peter Sweeney spent some time on the road with O'Brien - a journey that gives you a sense of a man who is now in his third year managing the Barrowsiders.
@Sweeney_Peter got on his bike to catch up with @TurloughCarlow who's determined to keep beating a path down in Leinster with his beloved Carlow #RTEgaa pic.twitter.com/jNKcrbdHNh
— RTÉ GAA (@RTEgaa) June 6, 2018
Looking ahead to the Laois challenge, O'Brien told RTÉ Sport: "We've played Laois twice and lost narrowly in both games.
"There's a huge Carlow-Laois rivalry. The third game in the trilogy should be something to see.
"We're very well prepared. We've put a lot of structure on our game."
A rising in both counties, says the Kerryman.
Weather
Many areas will be dry on Sunday, with sunny intervals, but scattered showers will develop, most of them in the east and south. Some of the showers will be heavy and possibly thundery. Max. 17 to 22 Celsius, warmest in Leinster and Munster, with light north to northeast breezes. For more go to met.ie
