A PLAYER shortage has forced Orange CYMS to pull out of the men’s Premier League Hockey competition for 2010, leaving Bloomfield as the city’s sole representative in the Central West’s premier division.

CYMS met on Saturday to discuss the possibility of playing in this year’s regional competition, but president Janeen Toner-Wasil said insufficient numbers meant fielding a team would be almost impossible.

“We had a meeting yesterday with the little boys who turned up. We just don’t have the players,” Toner-Wasil said yesterday.

“We’ve tried everything. Two moved away, a couple went to uni and we lost four or five. We had about six players. We only had 16 last year. To have a strong premier league side you really need 20 players.”

Senior player Clint Evans retired at the end of last year and club stalwart Hugh Brown has signed with PLH side Bathurst St Pat’s.

Junior NSW representative Tim Eslick is looking at playing in Canberra this season.

Alex Said and goalkeeper Chris Allport have decided to join former Orange rivals Bloomfield for the 2010 season.

CYMS finished eighth in the 2009 men’s PLH season with two wins and one draw from 16 games, including a solid 6-1 victory over Parkes Redbacks.

Toner-Wasil said CYMS will focus on its second grade side in 2010, as well as encouraging more juniors to the game.

She believes falling player numbers are becoming a problem in Orange.

“We’ve got to a point where there’s just not enough players in Orange to field two premier league sides. It’s not just our club losing players,” she said.

“Orange hockey needs to really focus on its own competitions.”

Toner-Wasil said CYMS’ withdrawal from the 2010 men’s PLH season, which they will make official at Wednesday’s PLH meeting, doesn’t mean they won’t return.

“We’re going to try and get back next year,” she said.

“We’re going to try and attract players to our club and get the numbers. We’re not down and out forever.”

CYMS’ withdrawal from the men’s PLH competition comes four years after Confederates stepped down due to insufficient numbers.