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Kennett didn't get re-assesed, he got a 5 point average after completing 8 matches for Oxford.

I quite like the idea of using a guest from a lower league to cover a reserve. What if your number 5 is missing lol!

I do think Ipswich were very lucky in heat 2, not sure there was enough contact to justify stopping the race, even if you give KJP the benefit of the doubt, Edwards fell on his own, so why does he get a second chance?

So how does a team cope with only one reserve then?

Fancy Poole to win this one, strengthened with a guest for Bowes. With both teams using r/r reserves will be vital. With Killeen being 4th in the averages, at least one of the r/r heats will include both reserves, I wonder if they'll "sacrifice" heat 13 by giving a reserve an outing in that heat?

I was replying to SteveLyric who thought it was the next day, but now you're reminding me of what happened, did he not complete a Prem match, apparently picking up an injury in the process, missed Poole due to not riding in Denmark (because he was injured), then returned to Ipswich the next night? Was the Ipswich meeting he missed not a day after riding in Denmark? I think whenever a rider misses a meeting one day, but rides the next people get suspicious.

Was hard to judge how Kennett would do, not raced "professionally" since he got injured at Plymouth & starting mid-season. His current form could be useful to Oxford trying to avoid the wooden spoon & make him a sought after rider next year though.

If Hook struggles, it will lower his average, which could help his bargaining, by saying "I'm better than that, but was racing against riders already dialled in". Strange situation signing a 5.5 rider as a "3rd heat leader". If Scunny have been talking to Hook since April, means they could have replaced MPT when he lost form, but chose not to. However he goes, I will applaud Scunthorpe for not going down the guest route.

If there was ever a time to use that ruling, it would've been for Edinburgh maybe 5 years ago (if my memory is correct it goes something like this). Nathan Greaves retired just before the end of August (transfer cut-off date), William Lawson who had been dropped earlier could only be reintroduced using the September averages, couldn't replace Greaves in August. So Edinburgh had to use guests for the rest of the season, same thing happened to Redcar when Connor Bailey retired. I understand they don't want teams to sign riders just for the play-offs, but an rule that facilitates more guests being used needs looking at.

So he got a 7 day ban for missing the Ipswich meeting, not the Poole meeting, gotcha. I still find it ridiculous that kf he didn't have a Danish club he would've got a ban for missing Poole's match due to illness, but because he had a Danish fixture, he doesn’t have to ride due to illness & escaped a ban (till the next day).

Not unless they've changed the rules you can't. Only change allowed would be to bring back an injured rider after a temporary change ie Erik Riss / Charles Wright scenarios.

Lawson would've git a 7 day ban for being too ill to race for Poole, but as he was too ill to race in Denmark instead he didn't get to ban. Ludicrous situation. I don't remember him getting a 7 day ban for missing an Ipswich match, unless my memory is failing me?

Well everyone else is wrong lol! Poole could have replaced Bowes anytime if they had a suitable replacement lined up. Plus I don't think there's a single Champ club who would replace a 5 pointer with a NL rider. Poole are clearly stronger without Bowes, but have done no wrong.

Very different situation with Bowes, as he was injured, Poole didn't "get rid of him". They are fortunate his average didn't drop a lot so can choose good guests, but the rules allow them to do that, they don't need to sign a replacement. I think there should be a limit on how long a club can use a guest to cover an injury, but can't blame Poole for making the best of the rules. I would say guests for injuries is far more acceptable, than guests for riders racing elsewhere.

Jeppesen would be my choice.of replacement. Hopefully Kyle can make a return in the future.

I don't think a facility should he allowed for this. If a rider for a Wednesday club wants to sign for a Danish team, it should be on the understanding that his British club comes first, with no facility allowed. If Poole still want to sign him, they have to accept a 75% guest. If the Danish club doesn't agree, they can choose another rider. If Lawson wants to ride more in Denmark, he can choose a different British club. But what currently happens, makes a mockery of the guest rules imo. Kildemand missing 2 away tracks a year (Poole & Oxford) doesn't bother me as he's Danish. But if Palovaara or Morris missed a Wednesday to ride in Denmark, I'd say no "facility" for that too.

Sounds a good season, better than Berwick have had for a while. But finishing 5th (if they do) will always feel like a disappointment, when everyone is looking for top 4.

I think the top 4 looks pretty set, Poole, Glasgow, Edinburgh & Scunthorpe. Berwick need away wins & haven't looked like doing it.

I know clubs try to be positive, but thought this Plymouth FB post is far off the mark! https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ea6F22vx8/ Plymouth’s weekend of three meetings in three days ended without a league point, but the bigger picture is not as bleak as the raw results suggest. The Gladiators came through a difficult run at Edinburgh, Berwick and Redcar with their play-off hopes still intact, and with several sides above them having games in hand, the Championship race remains finely balanced. I think the weekend was far bleaker for their play-off hopes than they admit. The Friday defeat at Armadale set the tone for the weekend. Edinburgh won 52-38 to strengthen their position in the top three, and the scoreline also saw them take the aggregate point. Taken together, it was a weekend that showed both the challenge and the opportunity facing the Gladiators. The challenge is clear enough: Plymouth have completed 12 meetings, more than Redcar, Glasgow, Edinburgh or Poole, and that means the sides around them all still have extra chances to build points. Poole, in particular, have only raced six meetings and are almost certain to finish comfortably inside the top four. That leaves Plymouth chasing more realistically after Redcar, with Glasgow also in the conversation if their form dips. Not sure why they're talking about catching Redcar or Glasgow, Glasgow look safe, Redcar won't make it & they've completely forgotten about Scunthorpe. The encouraging part for the Gladiators is that they have already banked league points, plus two aggregate bonus points, and they have shown they can compete with sides in and around them. Not sure the point they're making, that sounds like team near the bottom, saying they're not so bad? Wins against Redcar and Scunthorpe, along with that close-fought meeting with Edinburgh, are reminders that the league table does not tell the full story. When it comes to pride in your performance or enjoyment, of course the league table doesn't tell the full story, but that won't help them make the play-offs. The remaining run-in gives Plymouth a route back into the race. Home meetings against Poole, Workington and Glasgow are still to come, along with the away trip to Poole, and those fixtures will go a long way to deciding whether the season finishes with a place in the play-offs or a frustrating near miss. The challenge now becomes turning the promise shown in patches into the points needed on the board. After a weekend like this, there is no escaping the fact that Plymouth need a strong finish. But the hope is still there, and the next few meetings will tell us whether the Gladiators can make it count when the season reaches its decisive stage. To me this post would make perfect sense if the top 5 or 6 made the play-offs?

Vinny definitely should be riding at reserve, I suggested dropping Jakobsen when he was still on his 5.00 average, but got a few replies saying he had promise.

Don't forget Berwick have the KOC final to come, plus either Redcar or Berwick in the BSN final.

I'm not convinced Lindgren will get a wild card, if he's made a comeback for the league but not GPs, organisers may think "if he doesn’t prioritise us, why should we prioritise him"?

I'd like to use that average GP score system to choose would cards, if your average score wouldn't put you in the top 7, you're not eligible for a wild card?

Some rider's can be brilliant in the leagues, but not able to do the same in the GPs, while others can perform on the big occasion.

100% disagree with that. I'd argue it's better to have a weak field that qualified than a strong field who got seeded. Problem with using averages is some positions are harder than others, riders could miss difficult meetings through injury, Zmarzlik's team mates don't race against him or are they in fact hindered by finishing behind him if bonus points didn't count. I do believe it would be better running the GP challenge after the final GP, top qualifiers vs bottom GP riders for the remaining spots, probably more chance of the top riders qualifying then.