With the mid-season break ending this week, The Hook is revisiting its preseason predictions to see what's changed for the Men's sides and what we can expect for the New Year. The top sides will be missing their players for five games but will this affect their title charge? Here's my assessment of how its all going to go down:
Three Rock RoversRovers have added quite a bit of grit to their side this year and have dealt well with Peter Blakeney’s departure well so far, with Maarten Sier among the goals. Beating Monkstown was a sign of the change in the side’s make-up, coming from two goals down against the side who cost them an All-Ireland berth last year. Keeping Andy McConnell and Mitch Darling is another boost. The title may be beyond the capabilities but a top three finish should be assured.
Current: 3rd Pre-season prediction: 3rd
UCD
The students are in pretty much the same boat as Bray, with two win or bust encounters to decide their fate. UCD have shown more ability to score and to threaten picking up points and will fancy their chances against Kilkenny at home. At th
is point, they seem the likely side to be in the promotion/relegation playoff.Current: 9th Pre-season prediction: 9th
YMCA
Such is the gap between the top six and the bottom four, while there is only one place separating my prediction and their actual position, the prediction for YM was quite ambitious. Again, they have a young side bedding in the likes of Josh Purcell, Rob Whelan and Richard Pedreschi but YM have not got a single home point so far. Beating Kilkenny away before Christmas was a big step. They will miss Stephen Barry’s mentoring skills, though, as he departs for the guts of three months on Irish duty.
Current: 7th Pre-season prediction: 6th
How do you think these sides will get on? Have your say...
38 comments:
Fair play to YM. You gotta love'em. Blooding the youngsters like there's no tomorrow. Go on YM!
YM's young side really are struggling not a single point at home!
Of course they are struggling. They're still in nappies. Leave them be. Because it will come back and bite you in the backside. Losing to small mistakes and learning from it is no shame. Quit dissing the team of the near future. Go back to Pembroke and sign up a few internationals.Glenanne came from nothing to sweep all before them.We're busy building a homegrown team of geniuses.The club is for people who enjoy creating something special. Watch the flower bloom
Don't forget to water it!!
"Go back to Pembroke and sign up a few internationals"
leave it out mate do you have any proof that that comment was made by a pembroke member?no,didnt think so,so stop showing your obvious immaturity and grow up...people really need to lay off pembroke because all of this ongoing abuse on this site towards the side is just making them hungrier to hammer any team thats put in front of them
You cant realy be serious, I read this same stuff every week. YM have got a few decent young players ill admit but I dont understand why they consistently keep backing this up for their failings. Its not about how could they are its about whether they can fight to stay up in the top flight. Most top teams in the leinster league have even better young players than you see in YM, Pembroke for example even have an incredible group of young players, along with Corinthians, Three Rock and Monkstown. All of these teams have the perfect blend of young players with old. They manage results week in week out and dont blame the fact that their young guns didnt perform for their odd failures. I think its crazy to say that YM have the best young 1st side in the league as it simply hasnt been proven. Very good young players in Robinson and Walker but like I said there just about comparing to the youth teams of the top of the table teams. For them to rely on these young players and make claims that their flower is about to bloom is crazy. Good luck to them but I just dont feel they compare to the youth players in the top 6 excluding Fingal and Glens!
yes, the tree of liberty grows best when watered by the blood of tyrants...
Dont compare to the youth players in the top 6 exc Glens and Fingal?Ok;
Iain Walker 19 years old(Irish senior squad).
Dave Robinson 18 years old/possibly 19, il talk to him later to confirm(Leinster u'21/senior Irish Development team).
Geoff Walker/Richard Pedreschi 18 years old(Ireland u'18s/Leinster u'21).
Josh Purcell 6 years old(Ireland u18).
All the above are involved with the 1sts and are under-age internationals. This list does not include the rake of players on Leinster u'18s and former under age internationals like Andy Walker and Will Powderly.I think, with regards to youth players,that just about compares to any team in the league.
End of argument.
Wait for the emergence.
You might be waiting a couple of seasons.
But wait for it.
No more comments.
I shall finish my posting now.
Thanks.
bye
Ra Ra Ra Fingal's pitch is desgraceful....Ra Ra Ra....YM are the team of tomorrow...
ym loosing 6-2 against Kilkenny in the cup....enough said!! they will be safe this year but not with much breathing space!
I respect YM. I think they will be fighting near the top of the league in a couple of seasons time.Pity they couldnt hold onto Neil Lions.From what i can see theyre probably currently short 2 or 3 experienced players.But the experience will come in time.
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yes, if ym did have 2 or 3 more experienced players i reckon they could be in a similar dog fight with fingal, chc and monkstown....the worrying thing is that they dont have a corner specialist and outa these, "homegrown geniuses", our a natural goal scorer so unless they get imports they will never be winning silverware!
ym club for the future fair enough.the future? its all about now, not a single point at home is that true! if thats the case even with experiance that team will never win a trophy in the next 5years. i hope they prove me wrong but i doubt it.
All these honours you speak of! Most of the teams in the top half have the same with regards to representatives throughout the years! Continue blowing this "we've a great youth team" trumpet but when your fighting for the 8th spot with UCD then id be worrying for the club.
Josh Purcell 6 year old, must be outstanding! Thought Pedreschi got dropped from the Irish team for U18 euros?
Give UCD credit for what? Being the whipping boys in the league? Ok congrats UCD lads!!!!
"Ra Ra Ra Fingal's pitch is desgraceful....Ra Ra Ra....YM are the team of tomorrow..."
Our pitch might be disgraceful, sorry desgraceful as he put it, but when was the last time YM beat us in any competition, home or away?
This comment has been edited from the original
I respect YM. I think they will be fighting near the top of the league in a couple of seasons time.Pity they couldnt hold onto Neil Lions.From what i can see theyre probably currently short 2 or 3 experienced players.But the experience will come in time.
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Ben i think you'll find the reason Mick O connor isnt in the development squad is that he plays week in week out in a poor team that fights relegation and as unfair as it may be its the players who perform for big clubs in big games who are in these squads...
Or of course there is the possiblity that he is not good enough!!
anyone for the last ice burger?
I hope UCD fulfill there promise and beat YM in there next fixture and close the gap between the 2 teams. I believe it would be good for YM to go down so that they can realise that you cant rely on your young guns all the time. There is only 2 of their young players that would make it into my leinster club team and I think most people would know who they are. Come on UCD!
Just for the record i didnt write that last thing.
ym are a team for the future with some wonderful young players.they must be credited for this..
but thats it..
i would really love not to hear of them being "capable of beating anyone on their day" as i read before on this excellent site before or any of the other talk about them until the future , that is, if or when they realise their potential..
also while on the subject the incessant criticism of pembroke is silly.perhaps it stems from jealousy??they are the best team in the country in my opinion and though i am far from a pembroke lover(i broke my a bone playing against them) i have to respect and admire the way in which they play the game..
sorry bout the length lads..im studyin and one just writes an writes an writes..
Pierce
I dont know what a tracker mortagage is???
One of the above comments attributed to Ben Grogan was not actually written by him. it has therefore been removed.
'there are only 2 young Ym players who would make it into my leinster club team'. If UCD is your club, id imagine 8 or 9 of the current YM team would get onto your starting 11
What is this tracker mortgage I have been hearing so much about? It is sometimes brought up by my coach in team meetings but I still have no idea what he's talking about, I thought I was the only one!!!! Someone put me out of my misery!!!!
No i am a 3 rock player and I believe I am right in saying that. To be honest i dont even think half there team would start for the UCD 1sts. Certainly on paper I reckon UCD area great team just havent got going yet. Grogan, O'Connor, Wyse, etc all these player as a matter of fact represent more talent than the YM teams. UCD jsut lack ANY experience being a college side! whereas Ym have that slight bit that is probably keeping them up!
a tracker mortgage is when you put a ym defender marking a division 1 forward and you get a mortgage because its going to be years before you reap the benefits
Tracker mortgages have become more and more popular in Ireland and now make up a significant percentage of all mortgages taken out.
A tracker mortgage is a variable rate mortgage, that tracks the ECB rate. It is set at the ECB rate plus an extra “markup” or “margin” percentage.
The lender fixes their markup on the ECB rate which they can never increase. Each lender has different tracker rates and lower rates are available if you owe less on your property.
Over the term of the mortgage you’ll always pay whatever the European Central Bank (ECB) rate is plus the lenders margin. So for example if you are offered a tracker of ECB + 1%, this means your rate will be 5% (4% ECB current rate + 1% lender margin). If the ECB rate goes up or down by lets say 0.25%, your mortgage rate will go up or down by the same amount.
It is possible to move your tracker morgage to a lower rate with the same lender or a different lender once you have paid off some of your loan and/or the value of your house increases.
The Loan to Value ratio (LTV) affects the tracker rate margin available. You may have to pay valuation fees to do this. Switching to a new lender will incur legal fees - some lenders will pay towards these.
Hope this clarifies the situtaion and you don't find yourself in the wrond Ad again!
ugh what a convo killer!
from a neutral point of view those ym youngsters are outstanding! Being so rawly exploited to senior league hockey at such an early age can only bode well for the future! i hope they are able to add a few experienced heads in there amongst the youth, they then could be quite an impressive outfit! Short corner defence is apparantly excellent (walker) which means most goals conceded must come from open play, something that they will hopefully fine tune!
I think to say that their youth players might just about compare with those of the rovers pembroke etc is a little harsh considering they have more underage provincial and international players than any other team!
A solid colts foundation also bodes well for the future! For ym the future cannot come quickly enough!
If YM don't achieve a modicum of success in the next two seasons then some of their very talented youngsters will be forced to move clubs if they truly hold aspirations of senior international honours.
It is a simple fact that you will need to train and play at an All-Ireland level to maintain and develop your skills
As for a solid colts section, YM have been fortunate in this area and continue to have good numbers at underage level, however, I believe YM U16 are very weak this season and are in fact 2nd from bottom in the U16 league... although I accept that at colts level strength of teams is very volatile and can be up and down from season to season.
It is an accepted fact in Holland that the top performing senior sides are not the same top performing U18 or U16 teams and that talented players from clubs with strong youth sections move to those senior clubs that are competing at the highest level.
Of the current top 12 senior sides only 7 also have their U18 in the top division of the 16 team U18 championship and only 5 also have their U16 in the top division of the 16 team U16 championship!!
Queso
one fatal flaw in your analysis.......... we are in Ireland not Holland
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