szkocjasid

These riders won't all be in the Aces team though, if Belle Vue have Bewley / Kurtz / Lidsey as heat leaders, they can't have Cook as a second string, unless there's no Blodorn. As a neutral, Doyle & Sayfutdinov best top 2 and I fancy the Witches as having stronger second strings. Also Witches have the better RS, even if Cairns signs. I expect Belle Vue to make the top 4, but Witches to top the qualifiers fairly easily. But over 2 legs in the play-offs anything can happen.

With the new rules Zmarzlik could've won the British GP, finished 10th & missed the semi finals, next year he'd still be in the meeting.

Who would've you picked then?

Was there not a season where they pretty much announced "we haven't made any decisions yet, you'll have to wait"?

You're entitled to your opinion, but completely disagree. Can see this Ipswich side being one of the most dominant teams for many a year.

Leicester must be happy with their number 7 as they "protected" him as their RS.

I can't disagree, can't really blame Brennan or Ipswich for wanting to win things, which I why I think the limit should be 39, so the best riders get shared out amongst 7 teams not 6.

If Brummies pulled out saying they couldn't build a competitive team once last year's star man went elsewhere, I wonder if Ipswich would get any flak or people would just say - that's sport!

They'll win at Birmingham surely?

It's pretty simple, it's to share the available riders out amongst the competing teams. With the amount of heat leaders leaving the Champ in recent years: Riss, Morris, R Worrall, Douglas, Basso, Tarasenko, B Cook, Pickering & Brennan from memory - who would come in to allow all teams to build to 42. I'm pretty sure the more clubs would close once Poole, Oxford & Glasgow took up all the available heat leaders? Workington have done tremendously well introducing Zischke & Vuolas to British Speedway, but they may not remain in the Champ for long.

But if Ipswich & Glasgow have completed their teams. Does that mean everything has been decided before listening to the fans voice reps?

If it's a low points limit (anything below 42 is weaker than last season) it'll be very tough to have a reserve stronger than Bailey / 5.00 newcomer at reserve. If Lightcap was available on a 4.00 average, could slot in at reserve.

That rings a bell, 3.00 becomes 2.925 which I thought got rounded up to 2.93, which would've put Scunthorpe 0.01 over the limit. Using these rules Ace would be 2.92 also.

Same here, it's not a rule that gets used often so hard to remember it.

Well the other clubs might be keen on having Doyle or Sayfutdinov lead their team, so call Ipswich's bluff lol!

I'm really not sure, for example a rider on 2.01 doesn't drop below 2.00 with a British reduction. But you rarely get riders who have previously averaged above 3 then dropped below it, so it's hard to know if the rule still exists (& if it includes British reductions). Most recent cases are Adam Roynon & William Lawson (stayed on 3.00) while Kyle Bickley dropped below 3.00. So consistency is lacking somewhere.

Swap Starke with Cookie & it'd be competitive.

Agree with everything @Beirao said, 2 riders who didn't meet the minimum 2.00 averages can only be described as a weak pairing. Even if every team had 2 x 2.00 riders I'd say they were all equally weak. Good luck to the reserves, always good to see Brits getting team places & hopefully they'll improve.

What do Monarchs fans think about giving Dayle Wood another shot at reserve? He's certainly improved since he was thrust into the Champ (before he was ready) last time.

Don't know what points limit you've built to, but that looks horrendous. If it's a low points limit might be ok, but other (rumoured) line-ups suggest it'll be a 40 limit. Edit: that team only comes to 34.78

Zagar would be a great signing at Belle Vue, but I wouldn't take him at any other Premiership club, especially if he's as expensive as rumoured.

I think you're underrating Lynn purely because you're comparing them to Ipswich. Any team will look weak compared the the rumoured Witches 25 line up. I'd also disagree that King & Ellis are better than Iversen & Klindt, but there's not a lot in it. Even if the Lynn side is "bang average" that's still an improvement on their last few seasons. Plus an average side could make the top 4.

Would be hilarious if they did

But Birmingham need to strengthen up. Ben Cook for Pawlicki (retaining Brennan) would've done very nicely!

Don't disagree with any of that, would be a fabulous top end of the team. Plus I see great improvement in Edwards. Just pointing out that Ablitt / Mulford / Spencer was considered too weak at the bottom end.