RSA Division 10
2013 Champion - Phoenix 4
Predicted 2013 Champion - Laois 3 (finished 4th)
2011-13 Top run scorer: Anto Coates (Ringcommons) 600 runs at 50.00
2011-13 Top wicket taker: Sean Smith (Pembroke) 43 wickets at 17.43
Division 10 has all the potential to be the plot of Netflix's follow up to House of Cards. Will the young upstart Slieve Bloom 1 dramatically steal the limelight and push on for higher presidential glory? Will Merrion 6 bounce back up through the Capitol after several years in minor positions? Can those stalwarts of middle government Rush 3 finally realise their potential, or will they be disposed of in a ruthless fashion?
And best of all, the division has that vital component in a plot containing mystery and intrigue - the darkest of dark horses. Traditionally, clubs who have entered new teams have started in the bottom few divisions, as they attempt to find their way in the league system. YMCA 5 are going to have to do it the hard way though. The Sandymount club find themselves in fine health, but this assignment may be a little too hard, and it could be a tough season for the team on their re-entry to the leagues. Their recent cup record of one win from five doesn't inspire confidence either; but that is the thing about dark horses. You never quite know.
Clontarf 5 were one of three teams who were promoted from Division 11 last year. Their record against the other Division 11 teams isn't too inspiring though. They lost twice to Slieve Bloom and shared the two matches against Castleknock 2. They will have to play well to pull themselves away from the bottom three.
Civil Service 3 have demonstrated that they are a "somewhere between Division 10 and 11 team". They finished 4th in Division 11 in 2012, and 7th in Division 10 last year. A good record against Clontarf 5 and Railway Union 5 shows what they may be capable of, although a 0-3 record against Merrion 6 also shows they will not be winning the league. Bottom half but should escape relegation.
Rush 3 are in a similar position to Service. 6th and 7th place finishes in the last two season, point to a team who will be flirting with relegation again. Their matches against those three teams already looked at, will be crucial.
Pembroke 5 are something of an enigma. In fact they are completely an enigma. They are the only team in this division with a winning record against Merrion 6. They have a Division 10 superstar in Sean Smith, who in addition to being the top wicket taker, also comes second in the run charts. Craig Senior comes second in the wicket taking charts. But yet despite that, they finished 8th last year, and 6th the year before. They should hold out this year, but expect nothing more than mid-table.
Railway Union 5 had a good season in 2013, reacting well to the rapid rise from Division 13 the year before. If they manage to hold on to all the players they acquired in 2013, they should do well again, with another mid-table finish beckoning.
Slieve Bloom 1 are going places. After a first year getting to know everyone, they have been busy building a decent squad, and have added a new clubhouse to the Meadowlands over he winter. A top three finish is possible, but whether they can do better than that is probably down to how their rivals perform.
The rise of Castleknock has been rapid. As Clonee, the club spent several years slowly growing - once it changed to Castleknock, the growth was even quicker. A 4th place finish in Divison 11 last year may not have looked that good, but we have an inkling about this one. A top three finish for Castleknock.
That just leaves Merrion 6, and that is probably fairly apt, as they will be out on thier own this year. A Division 8 club a couple of years ago, they finished 3rd in Division 10 last year - despite the club as a whole having a poor season. With the new clubhouse in Anglesea Road rising from it's foundations, and with the Bird Avenue re-development nearly finished, Merrion should have a great season - and the 6ths will contribute to that with the league title.