DEVELOPING junior talents by blooding them in men's Premier League Hockey has long been a strong focus for St Pat's and in 2019 that will continue.
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Already in the pre-season men's Premier League Hockey Nines competition the junior Saints have been given opportunities to showcase their skills.
Their continued development is something the Saints feel will serve them when the season proper commences on May 25. However, not all clubs have such a solid base.
Last Saturday Lithgow Zig Zag was forced to forfeit its nines match against Pat's and withdrew from the pre-season competition.
Zig Zag is now under pressure to field a team in the season proper.
If they withdraw, it would leave just St Pat's, Parkes, Orange Wanderers and Lithgow Panthers to battle it out in 2019 given last season's runners-up Souths are not returning.
READ MORE: Saints face a stern test against Orange CYMS
Zig Zag's forfeit means the Saints' hopes of making the nines final are alive. If they beat Parkes next Saturday they will advance to the decider against Orange Wanderers.
Wanderers book its spot thanks to an upset win over defending premier Lithgow Panthers.
Pat's Shane Conroy said Wanderers' form is a positive, but on the flip-side feels it would be a huge disappointment if Zig Zag can't get on the field later this month.
"They're [Wanderers] young, they've been building for the last few years. They actually knocked us off last year in the round games, so they've been building," he said.
"It would be really disappointing for a club like them and us if it does go to a four-team comp because we've really worked on developing our juniors. We could end up losing those juniors to Sydney or losing them to hockey altogether."
