szkocjasid

No one said they have to "flash the cash" or break their budget, doesn't mean they shouldn't look to strengthen up though.

The problem with waiting to use a tac sub in heat 14 is that's an unnecessary risk. If they're not 6 down, Harrison gets a 4th ride & Harris doesn't get an extra race. If they used the tac sub earlier / didn't use Klindt in heat 3, they'd have more options available, if they really wanted to, could give Harrison a 4th ride & replaced Iversen with Kvech in heat 13. There would've been no harm in Harris replacing Kvech in a ride, Kvech can still come out in any heat.

They don't have to pay the amounts they currently pay to riders, let's say they pay 10 x the amount riders get in GB. Half that payment & riders will still give Poland priority over GB.

I'm not a Belle Vue fan, but I think they are nailed on for the play-offs. I'll go as low as 99.99% sure of their top 4 spot. They could lose every remaining away match 60-30 & still comfortably make the play-offs.

If it's just a case of keeping competitive & having an ok season, it's a good result. But if they had any belief they were still chasing a top 4 spot, then it's points they couldn't afford to miss out on.

Think the Lynn manager should have planned the rides out better. Not using a tac sub when 6 points down, meant no extra ride for Harris, then giving Klindt the first r/r outing left Harrison taking 4 rides. From the updates Harrison was competitive, but if they want to challenge for the play-offs, need to be more ruthless / tactically wise!

The league / play-off scenario makes it easy for clubs not to care. In this case Belle Vue will have less points money to pay out, one less travel expense to pay out, doesn't hurt their home crowd & even a 70-20 tanking wouldn't hurt their title chances in the slightest. Get rid of the play-offs & clubs would care more!

I don't think that's a rules just something clubs put in their contracts. What would happen if a top rider put his foot down & didn't agree with having to pay back his signing on fee? Zmarzlik for example, you can't tell me if Lublin weren't gonna sign him in his terms that there wouldn't be another 7 Extraliga clubs after his signature. But no rider ever stands up to the Polish clubs tbh

Well I appreciate there being a reason for using r/r at 2, as opposed to the usual "everyone uses it at 2 logic". I still wouldn't want to use Fricke at 8 against a "rising star" though. If Douglas & Howarth had to ride together, I'd then put r/r at 5. Use Howarth in heat 4 (meets a reserve) Use Fricke in heat 7 (against opposing number 1) Use Douglas in 11 Use Masters in 13 (as usual) Swap Douglas & Howarth around (Douglas at 4 means he avoids two-on-the-trot with his r/r outing). Still have a heat leader racing with a reserve (except heat 4) in r/r outings, plus 3 extra strong heats when Fricke & Masters are paired together?

I'd put Howarth at 2 & r/r at 4. Don't think it's the best use of your top rider (Masters) getting an extra outing against Blodorn & Mulford when he's capable of beating all the opposition riders.

I wouldn't say Killeen was "thrown in the top league" he was on the RS list & obviously agreed to the position. I don't understand the reasons why they did that, it weakened their team to secure Killeen for this season (when the rules would've allowed them to pick Jenkins instead). For Boughen it seems like he's tried to force the first 5 years of his career into half of that time, rather than conquering a level & moving up, he jumps up straight away, wether that's his thinking or advice from others I don't know? It's hard to believe he's still only 17 as he seems to have done so much. Boughen only had 1 full season in the NL, then left it behind, he was only a 7.51 rider, so while that's a fantastic first full season, he obviously had room for improvement / more to learn. Then after less than 10 Champ fixtures as a 16 year old, signs as a "rising star" for Oxford, doesn't even get a full season before he's moved up to number 6. Was there a need to rush up into the top division, would he have learnt more if he tried to progress more gradually? Every rider is different, what works for one may not work for another, but when I read a great many people talk about him backing off on tight first bends, it does seem that something went wrong in the route he took up the leagues. Finally, was Glasgow the best choice for him, they are a team that wants to win & will make changes if it's not happening, so their riders will be under more pressure (same as at Poole) than at other clubs. As much as I criticise Schroeck for his awful tactics, he does tend to give riders more time, rarely strengthens them team (to the detriment of their chances of success) and if you're a struggling second string, you'll still get 4 rides as higher scoring reserves don't get used properly. Sounds like a good team to go to to progress!

Ta for the correction, I remember thinking why return for the International "friendly" but he got injured again before that. I remember him saying he rode because he didn't feel any pain, but I wonder if he considered "what happens if I fall again"? Obviously riders could crash on any meeting, but if it happens when you've not fully recovered you can keep putting yourself out for longer. I guess Doyle doesn't think about that? Tbh not many riders do.

2 years ago, he was falling down the rankings, but last year was challenging for the title till he got injured. So can understand him thinking "what can I do with an injury free season" of course we'll never know now. If he can get fully fit & have a good last couple of rounds, may feel he's good enough to challenge for the podium / title again next year.

Mickie Simpson signed to replace Matt Marson (on official green sheets). But I haven't read anything about than on Plymouth's socials?

I agree Workington are poor, I agree Workington should look to strengthen up. But that doesn't mean sign a rider who's been going worse than your current 7.

The SCB usually announce any bans, so I wouldn't believe it unless they've posted about it.

I'm not saying he's a good replacement for MJJ, but if Birmingham aren't willing to look abroad, there ain't a lot of options. Barker? Batchelor?

I can't see any reason for signing Steve Worrall at all, apart from the "principle" of wanting a full team. Think Leicester would be stronger with r/r or Prem guests, there's always a chance Worrall may take a guest booking or two when every Prem club is riding (bar one) and options are limited, but when they have other options could pick a stronger guest than Worrall. I don't think the rules encourage teams to make changes, as in this case Leicester look stronger keeping Becker in the 1-7. If Becker drops down the teams averages, then guests will be more worthwhile, but at the moment r/r should work.

Just as long as it doesn't happen in the play-offs

His 2025 average is below every one of the Comets, can't see how he would strengthen the team.

I totally get your point, but I was thinking, what if after the GP he thought like you "that was a bad idea, I shouldn't have ridden" then pulled out of Monday's match. Then the aggro would've come. I think his biggest mistake was his first comeback for the Poland vs Rest of World match, that was the most unnecessary fixture he's ridden in imo. Then had he listened to his Polish club & not ridden for them that weekend (thus not suffered another crash), would he have been fully fit now?

When Tolley said it was a. 100% trier, Bachelor doesn't come to mind, that's why I went with Barker.

I'm gonna predict Ben Barker will be the replacement for MJJ. If so, team will be 7.12 below the points limit. Tobiasz Musielak 7.31 Matej Zagar 6.67 Keynan Rew 5.98 Paco Castagna 4.97 Jonas Jeppesen 4.30 Ben Barker 3.65 Sam Hagon RS Total 32.88

Yet he keeps getting heat 1 as the R/R option.

Can you imagine the grief Doyle would've gotten on here, had he come through the GPs unscathed & then not turned up tonight? Did he ride in Poland yesterday?