The defections will hurt Dublin ambitions ..but we'll aim Haye

RONAN HAYES (above) remains bullish as to what the Dublin hurlers can achieve this year despite suffering a raft of defections.

- PAT NOLAN

Manager Micheal Donoghue (inset), who is midway through his first League campaign at the helm, commented recently that he is down as many as 10 players from last year's panel, including the likes of Cian O'Callaghan, Chris Crummey, Liam Rushe, Sean Moran, Mark Schutte and Alan Nolan, some of whom have gone travelling.

Key forward Hayes is out of action too having suffered a hamstring injury in the League opener against Waterford, which Dublin drew. Since then they have beaten Antrim and lost to Tipperary.