szkocjasid

Guess we won't agree on that prediction, think they'll be too good at home for that. Agree they don't have a strong second heat leader, not all clubs will though. Anyway be boring if everyone agreed all the time, the joy of pre-season predictions, anyone could be right.

I'd call Allen a heat leader based on his overall average, but agree he's not strong away from home.

I can't see it being that team as they could've kept Foord rather than Starke with the points remaining. Any team with Starke surely has to come to at least 39.5 otherwise there would be no reason to drop Foord?

That wouldn't make sense to me, I'd have Foord rather than a new 4 point rider.

Feel some people are being a bit too negative regarding the Scunthorpe team. Of course it's weaker than this years team they finished on 43.83, so have to drop lots of points to fit under 40, only Poole finished with a higher figure. Suggestions of only one heat leader are a bit daft, Allen is clearly a 2nd/3rd heat leader. In a weaker league, I also see Lambert & Mountain as an acceptable middle order pairing. As long as Declan can get close to his starting average, they'll always have two food reserves, looks as if some other clubs will have 2 x 2.00 riders at reserve (or at least one) so a definite advantage there. I don't imagine they'll get many (if any) away wins, so big home wins & bonus points will be their target. Hard to judge where they'll finish till more teams are completed though.

Exactly @lewy the "numbers game" is just an excuse for promoter's to use to avoid getting flack from the fans when dropping a popular rider, well in this instance especially. Once Ben & Tom left the remaining riders could have returned if Poole wanted them to. Poole have every right to build the team however they like obviously. But the points limit didn't stop Foord returning, Poole did.

I wouldn't have gone for that team, just naming riders rumoured to be in Poole's side. I'd have gone with Foord with Thomsen, not Starke & whoever.

Can't see Cairns riding in the ExtraLiga, just the U24 league. He'll certainly get plenty of racing, almost wonder if he'd be better not signing for a Champ team, just ride as a guest he'd get plenty of match I'm sure & be available on a 2.00 average for 2026. Assuming he signs for a play-off team, I'm positive that'll turn them into Champions.

For a start his Championship average is above many riders who have higher Premiership averages, such as: Sedgmen, Kerr, King, Worrall, Z Cook, Howarth, Wright & Zischke. So if he can beat them in the Champ, he should be able to beat them in the Prem. Then he showed what he can do on his best day with 16 points at Sheffield. His 2024 average for Oxford & Leicester was 5.40 (from 14 meetings). The reason he has a lower starting average must therefore be due to having low scores in final 6 meetings in 2023, which is not so relevant when judging his form ahead of 2025. I also said "but with Cook, you can never be sure what he'll do" but there's plenty of reasons for Leicester fans to be positive imo

40.76, above the points limit. 2 x 2.00 riders at the bottom & it fits.

Sam Masters lol!

With Kerr, Rowe & Starke all heavily rumoured, it was a case of finding the best rider left under 2.96. Maybe one (or more) of those three, aren't in the team & it'll look very different?

I assume you mean Hagon? To fit him in means, Poole wouldn't be able to get Kerr & Rowe.

So how about this now? Richard Lawson 9.17 Lewis Kerr 7.76 Zach Cook 6.23 Anders Rowe 6.11 Tobias Thomsen 4.41 Paul Starke 3.36 Ace Pijper 2.93 Total 39.97

I'm surprised Thomsen is back, only because Foord isn't, looking at the rumoured signings I assumed it was a choice of Thomsen & Foord or 5 pointer & Starke. I wasn't expecting a Thomsen & Starke decision (I know it may not be).

Just pointing out this post is for confirmed signings, Boughen has been confirmed by Oxford, not Glasgow.

Average is too high. My sums say Berwick have 7.33 left for their final two riders.

Would be very good reserves, a strong top 3 at home. Much would depend on Bowes imo.

Personally I think Cook will have a good season, push Howarth to reserve, where Kyle's scoring will then pick up. But with Cook, you can never be sure what he'll do.

How about? Charles Wright 8.37 Danny King 7.88 Michael P Toft 7.80 Jason Edwards 6.18 Jake Mulford 4.27 Adam Roynon 3.46 Tom Spencer 2.00 Total 39.96

Ipswich had more points spare than Leicester, especially after the Dan T reduction, but they were a stronger team than Leicester last year (till injuries). Don't see how Leicester could've built a team to rival them, unless making wholesale changes.

Very solid top 5, but I'd probably try & strengthen at reserve. Replace Vissing & Coles with Fredriksen & Ablitt or a new 5.00 foreigner?

Because they were above the points limit. Not easy to strengthen up in that scenario. While they are weaker, I don't see any of the riders picked being particularly bad choices.

I noticed the Workington post announced the signing of Etheridge as having a "false average" I'd disagree with that, he has that average for a reason. But he certainly has the potential to improve that figure, even if it's only by a little, still a good signing, as I expect the improvement to come elsewhere in the team Zischke/ Vuolas / Foord.

To be fair there's not many 2 pointers who i'd expect to excell next season (apart from Cairns). Think they all may end up a similar standard. I'd say Jody Scott & Max James are two of the more promising ones, but there's not a lot in it. Hard to say if there's better options than Perry when you don't know who else has signed up 2 point reserves. Glasgow will likely miss a high scoring reserve, but their top 5 could almost do enough on their own.