stevebrum

His 2 league matches at BV he scored 3 and 2. Awful.

KK might get double more than Monday.

On the back of a very poor year for him in 2022, even at the Green not as good as usual. But yes, started the season in fine form. Scotts TV commitments won’t start till end of this month for GP’s and mid May for the league so I’m sure he is ok and happy with short term signing. Appears to suit both parties.

Nicholls is nearly 2 points lower so it’s a weakening on paper. Thankfully he has started the season on fire and should be great value at MG, I just worry about him away from the Green. Id have still gone with guests away from home but I guess with other clubs racing we might not get the rider we would prefer.

That long? You have to hope it’s a one off. However this is KK we are talking about, the most sacked rider in British league history. Great win for Wolves despite being considerably weakened by guest signing. Fair play to Nicholls tho on bagging a max!

I don’t mean drop him now! Obviously Nicholls average is too high for that to happen but at high 4 he must be considered if it’s possible. Nothing can be done till the averages change and if Wolves overall averages drop enough for it to be a possibility. Obviously I meant if it’s possible once averages change and Nicholls average would fit. It’s no slight on Cook, just an observation. Nicholls isn’t starting in the Premiership, doesn’t mean he won’t be later in the year. Personally I think he is trying to make himself more available for his TV commitments and you can’t blame him either. Leon has always had good equipment but like you say he needs to put that to good use this season by cutting out silly mistakes if he is to really crack on this season. Jury is still out for me.

Good to see all the boys in action today. Masters had one good race but was quite rightly preoccupied. Had a good 6 laps on an old Weslake and seemed to love it. Schlein started on fire and did ok on his return Becker had a good couple of races and made the semis. Douglas had a good couple of scraps but still not totally comfortable with Monmore Worrall took 3 good wins and just missed out on the final. Cook and Flint had a couple of rides each without really troubling the scorers. Cook had one great gate to lead briefly in one heat.. Great to see Fast Freddie back at Monmore. If only he could be tempted back. Thorssell was very impressive as well. Nicholls was great value and quick. If there is an option to bring him in for Cook it has to be done. Doyle was the best rider on show.

Ringer Rob :-)

On paper solid but it needs at least 2 riders to step their game up if we are going to be in contention this season.

Very poorly written as they get abused time after time. im not sure which part of the rule was different to when wolves asked tho because as far as I’m aware there has always been a cut off date for transfers for the play offs, no signings after that deadline and guests from other teams (laterally only teams outside the play offs) only allowed for injured riders. The only more recent change to that has been the replacement only for proven season ending injuries. That seemed to hold up to the standard that was applied to Wolves when their top 2 were injured because the move got refused. It was only on appeal that Lambert was allowed. Seems that was allowed when possibly denied to other teams. Anyway who knows? The rules are at best fluid and that won’t change much and you can be sure some promoter will look at the next loophole to explore so no doubt this topic will be rehashed at the end of this or next season.

Looks spot on to me. Ipswich are 2nd purely because of the top 2 but Lynn look the weakest on paper backed up by the bookies. The Stars could be dangerous if anyone really takes on the number 1 role and steps up. Very dark horses.

It still stinks a little that the ok was granted for Belle Vue to use Lambert as an injury replacement but Wolves were denied using Woffy when they had their top 2 with season ending injuries (Lindgren and Thorssell) which were exactly the same scenario. Im not saying it was done deliberately but not done fairly for all teams using the so called same rules, regulations and interpretations of the rules. Any rider that is good enough to ride in the Swedish AND Polish top flight need to have a minimum 7 point average assessed imho. I take your point that the averages don’t always tell the whole story however in my opinion riders that ride in top flight leagues will be used to coming up against and challenging a higher standard of rider than in the UK so will have it relatively easier over here. There has to be some sort of bench mark for assessing standards of riders, for me it’s simple to say that if you are good enough to ride in both top flight leagues then a minimum assessed average should be deemed fair. I think a 6 would be to low so that’s why a 7 seems fair to me. plus if you are also a GP rider as well then nothing less than an 8 or 8.5 seems fair.

My point is that riders missing a season in the UK SHOULD be reassessed annually. 3 years is too long for some riders who can return on a paltry average having improved massively within those 3 years (Lidsey is a prime example of that). That was my point. That is indeed a different point. We should not be encouraging riders to return ONLY for the play offs to help themselves and that team to glory. now of course this will depend on your viewpoint if riders being allowed to ride here only for the play offs because of a proven injury or the long standing replacement for injury only from those teams out the play offs. Neither of them is really the answer. I still say it depends on who asks if a replacement is allowed as to whether it’s granted, and I doubt that will change. Hopefully Morris will add integrity and transparency to the league rules and running.

Tough on BWD but he is a top rider in that league so reducing his average would also have been grossly unfair. Not all of them yet. The point remains.

Completely agree. Any rider that has a year out of British Speedway should be reassessed before the next new season.Some riders have made massive strides in their career since out of racing. Lambert was a completely different rider in 23, it’s a mockery to bring a rider in on a false average. Lidsey has had 2 seasons of progress in the toughest league in the world yet gets to keep his outdated British average. Bonkers, another false average. Bellego has progressed in the world of speedway yet comes back on his last British average from years ago. Bonkers again and another false average. Woffy coming in for a wolves in 2016 ruffled plenty of feathers because he was a world champion on his low real average and this was one that seemed to stir this whole hornets nest that we have now and the one that seemed to stick in the teeth of Aces fans mostly (but happy to use that now). I think the common factor is that fans don’t like riders coming back and using outdated averages at a gain to other clubs (unless it’s the fans of the club that get the advantage I guess). It seemed that loophole was closed but reopened to suit any club or promoter asking. I think for transparency (not a word the BSPL seem to like) riders missing 12 months from the UK get an annual reassessment based on their Polish and Swedish averages. Surely any rider who rides in the GP should at least be a 9 surely? Minimum 8. I don’t think any fan would begrudge riders being fairly assessed on their current ability, not an outdated one.

Wasn’t Zmarzlik a 7 or 7.5 when he rode for Birmingham? still think it’s fair to bring him back in that? jesus wept indeed.

Without the play offs more clubs would close.

The world number 5 was always going to score more than Max, I’m well over it. it still stinks.

I think that’s how much his ‘star’ has fallen that no one really sees him as one of the big stars returning.

Absolutely!! But he is one of the worst hence why I feel he is completely overrated.

His attitude to British clubs remains suspect.

I’m not the only one that hasn’t liked KK attitude to the UK. He was sacked on 5 different occasions from British clubs. I just have never rated him as a so called world class rider. He had a few decent seasons here (when he could be bothered) and equally some atrocious ones. It’s just an opinion, it’s not a science.

Aah come on, Dirty Nicki and KK haven’t ridden here for years. Cut me some slack!

Could be a tough league this year, hope it is. predictions are way harder as you could put a valid argument in for any of the teams. 1. Ipswich. Look the strongest on paper. Rew is probably the key and it depends how quick he settles in. The strongest top 2 bar none. 2. Belle Vue. Solid look with young chargers only getting better. Lidsey is on a steal of an average. How that hasn’t been reassessed I’ll never know. 3. Sheffield - extremely solid. Bellego is a much better rider than when last here. Gilkes definetly one to watch. If he comes back well from his injury they are going to be very dangerous. THE REST 4. Leicester. Solid top 4 but very iffy bottom end. Will need one of them to step up to be serious challengers. 5. Wolves. Look exposed compared to some of the other teams. Masters has proved he is a true number 1. Becker or Douglas (or both) really need to step up otherwise we could be hovering around the basement. 6. Peterborough - Pedersen and Iversen are so injury prone so both need to stay fit. Basso should improve also. Definetly an improvement on 2022. Lots of injuries to other riders with dirty Nicki back here. 7. Kings Lynn - solid but not real leader. KK has to be the worst signing. How long will he last before he stops trying and gets kicked out. Never been a big threat in the UK league. Jakobsen at reserve is a huge bonus.

Exactly, the sport needs the play offs to survive.