szkocjasid

As someone suggested a few posts ago, if you don't agree then you don't have a team, 10th best rider then becomes a number one? Not sure if really want to go that way (forcing someone to go where they don't want to) though.

At home Josh Pickering or Chris Harris seem the best options. Away from home Erik Riss on his Premiership home track? In the KOC & BSN, Poole may have more options. If he's not out for long, maybe guests won't be needed? Until we know his injuries, I always try & think positively. Get well soon Ben.

I understand where you're coming from, but avoiding talking about guests will not make Ben recover any quicker. But people discussing options could end their posts like I will. Get well soon Ben.

I've never been a massive fan of too many restrictions, feel once you have a points limit then it's up to clubs to decide how to build their team. However I wouldn't be against the top 9 riders in the league being shared out (1 per club) then after that build your team to the limit?

No offence to Sam McGurk, but he could be considered an "ambitious youngster" but I'd never pick him ahead of Paul Starke.

There's plenty of heat leaders & second strings who just ride in the Champ. I'm sure many would want to double up, but there's not enough Prem team spots to allow that. Rory Schlein, Danyon Hume, Jye Etheridge, Paco Castagna, Kye Thomson, Lasse Fredriksen, James Pearson, Matic Ivacic, Jack Smith, Cameron Heeps, Ben Barker, Alfie Bowtell, Tobias Thomsen, Jake Allen, Simon Lambert, Troy Batchelor & Claus Vissing.

They finished top of the "qualification" league & won the KOC, one disappointing loss doesn't mean there was anything wrong with the team picked. Bound to have to make changes due to the points limit anyway.

Yeah I thought that too, have to go find the anti Chris Harris posts on FB & comment on them lol!

I suppose technically, all four play-offs teams agreed to change the rules. Should never have happened though.

Don't think he'll get a wild card, so will have to qualify.

Not really, still got to race the play-offs regardless of injuries. Whoever wins the league will know they won under the rules agreed to.

Harris did very well, if you told me before the match he'd score 12, I've had said that's Sheffield into the final

Could do, I think Edinburgh beat Workington by 28 & the Comets win the return leg by 32 in 2018 (wasn't the final). Must've been some meeting for the Comets fans.

Unless they both get battered.

I'll go for Sheffield 49 - 41 Belle Vue

That's so bad, it's almost hard to believe. Like you say, they need to better for Belle Vue to progress.

Douglas drops to third in the averages for October (no r/r for Fricke) so Leicester won't be wanting any postponements of the final.

Personally I would've put Holder at 5, think heats 13 & 15 will be important. Maybe Harris will prove me wrong,but it's a tough heat for him, when I'd be expecting a 5-1 from the Holders

Yeah I know that. My comment was a reply to someone saying a plus point of finals is giving riders a second chance if they've had bad luck earlier on. My thought is what's the logic of getting a second chance if you get an ef in your first heat, but not the final?

That argument could be used against any (non injured) rider. If they're good enough they should qualify & not need a wild card.

For me the best news about that, is it means there will be a NDL next season.

Retain: rising stars Replace: the play-offs (will never happen I know)

Think you're on the wrong thread for Poole's team plans. I know it started with wether Brennan would be available for Edinburgh, but this isn't the thread for who Poole may use.

I don't think Tai deserves a wild card at all. That being said I don't think it's time to retire from international racing or that he should move on. If he wants to race in the GPs, he'll just have to do something he's never managed before, get through the qualifying system. If he does that, then he deserves to be there.

Would that not make the racing closer though? Means a reserve is capable of beating 6 of the opposition team? Ideally you want the gap between the top & bottom riders as narrow as possible for close racing. So hopefully doesn't mean 4-6 point riders get dropped for new 2.00 riders. But with the likes of Pickering, Ben Cook & Brennan possibly not riding in the Champ next year, Plymouth not having a number one all season, will Schlein ride next year? Where will the heat leaders come from?