Steve55

If it is 2 points for new riders from the NL Sheffield ought to get Jack Smith at reserve with JPB (been good for the Brummies this year) this will give more points to play with the top end. Will have to wait and see what they dream up at the meeting this time!

My heart wants Sheffield to win, but my head says Somerset. Let's hope heart beats head!

Somerset have chosen their reserve guest pairing very well and IMO they will be the difference over the two legs. Josh G has been scoring well all season and Tungate came into good form towards the end of the season. Wright and Stark have also been consistent throughout the year and Wright was outstanding in his last visit to Sheffield last month. If Howarth, Bates and Sissis ride out of their skins again and the guests do their bit we might keep it competitive at Owlerton, but will get spanked at the OTA. But that was my prediction in the last two rounds and look what happened. So hope I'm wrong again, c'mon the Tigers!

At the end of the day however much track grading is done it's the same for both sets of riders so it's difficult to lay blame for a teams performance based on that alone.

Dunno if Steady will be fit for next week, can't see it, think this depends on who the Guests are for both teams, think it will be close!

Somerset waiting to take on the Tigers, well one of them!

Looks like Sheffield giving it their best, but can't understand Heeps as a choice of guest. Hope the team manager takes the hint tonight and give one of Greaves rides to Arthur, can't understand why yet again the lad had four rides last night!

There are quite a few Sheffield fans that think Bates needs a season or two away from Owlerton to help him develop. Being away from Sheffield and all the family ties, might help him grow up a bit. Having said that it didn't help riding for the Rebels at Glasgow did it? Somerset might be a good club for him, plenty of recent success and a similar track. Can't remember how he's performed there this season, but he's not been that brilliant around Owlerton this year IMO.

Speedway racing is dangerous and incidents happen, wether it's our National League, The Polish Leagues or the GP series. Riders get injured as a result of other riders actions or their own. But I think it would be very wrong to infer that they are deliberate actions, if so nearly every meeting would see riders scraped up off the track and carted off to hospital, some never to return! The laydown engines, exhaust systems and track issues play a big part in riders lifting and coming together at times. Throwing the bikes at each other would more than likely cause them as serious an injury as well as there opponent, so it just doesn't make sense. However an 'on track' incident as with Bates and Bach, or Lingren and Cook (EL play off final) are probably far better sorted after the race, with the old 'Sticks and Stones' saying. But Bates probably went too far, bruising his own knuckles on Bachs' helmet, but as I've said many times before he's got an excuse, "he's from Barnsley". So it's happening again tonight, think you all need to take a deep breath, count to ten slowly and see what happens on the track!

That must be the case as I'm 5 miles north of the stadium and it's been raining on and off all day here, with one really heavy shower this afternoon. However the sky is now blue with the sun breaking through some fluffy white clouds. See you there at 7.30!

Cant see this being on it's rained through the night and is raining quite heavily now (I'm about 5 miles from the stadium). The forecast is for more showers throughout the day, some predicted to be heavy!

Is this going to be the running order of the team on Thursday? Surely Bates should be at 2 and Auty at 3. With Auty at no. 3 riding with the R/R at least we'd have a chance of 3 points in heats 3, 5 & 9, he rides Owlerton far better than Bates.

Not a lot for the Sheffield fans to get exited about, apart from when we went 10 points up after heat 10, but I guess we all knew they'd pull it back again and I suppose we're all expecting another good thrashing at Brough on Sunday! So not a lot of expectation of progressing to the semi's.

Well lets hope there's no truth to any of it, otherwise whose going to employ him!

Well Bates has said Sheffield are not going Elite league, so if it is just the two leagues next year we'll be in the lower one. Whatever it's called there should be quite a few more teams in it than this years Premier and I would think the points limit will most likely change in a downwards direction to accommodate the National league riders. All this may delay team building for next year. As for Jason coming back next year unfortunately I can't see that happening. But we will have to wait and see as usual.

Heard some rumours last night regarding Garrity and I emphasise these are rumours. Garrity or his mechanic has been disqualified from driving (reason unknown) and that Rentruck have taken his hire van off him. This has apparently caused some friction between the rider and both promotions he rides for. At Ipswich when he declared himself unfit to ride, Boocock told him if he wasn't riding that night and the Friday, he wouldn't be riding at the PLRC on the Sunday and at that point the exchange got physical and Garrity had Boocock by the throat, Josh B tried to intervene and also had a physical exchange with Garrity. As a result the Sheffield promotion immediately dispensed with his services and when the Coventry promotion were informed of the circumstances, they also sacked him. Don't know the accuracy of these rumours, but if anyone knows different please correct this.

Whatever team we turn up with at Newcastle we're going to get stuffed. If we can win the home tie by twenty points plus we'll have a chance!

From what Simon said after the PLRC it would appear that he's considering retirement, and if he gets the chance I think he would be presenting alongside Nigel Pearson on Sky, giving Tatum the chance to concentrate on his managerial job with Lakeside. Howarth has had a reasonable season, sometimes looked really good, but had the occasional off night. Berge is definitely ok around Owlerton, when he gates, didn't see him pass many when he didn't, and he didn't do that well at the away tracks did he? Sissis might perform better with improved machinery under him. Greaves needs to concentrate on the National League. Garrity won't be back if he's fallen out with the Bates clan. although I'd like to see him back as he's provided the most entertainment this year. Bates, I didn't want to see him here this year, but when his family is running the show, can't see him going elsewhere, please let me be wrong!

Tigers poor away form continues..............

When the council cone off 400 yards of carriageway, just before the stadium, 35 minutes before the start of the meeting some people couldn't get there in time - Not their fault! Plus there was no chance of a rain off last week.

Can't see Greaves having any joy this evening, the one point he should have scored was nicked on the line by Bewley as he was wide awake and Greaves obviously not! As for the starts, the referee did penalise the Tigers last night every time it was an 'unsatisfactory start'. Nobody touched the tapes though! Just hope everyone stays safe tonight.

This subject was discussed on the Sheffield V Peterborough thread over a week ago, it's ok talking about it, but talking ain't going to resolve the issue. Greaves just isn't going to improve no matter how harshly he's spoken to, he just isn't ready for the Premier league. Actions speak louder than words and as was said over a week ago it's no good waiting whilst things get worse. If changes are to be made, make them now.

It would appear that most Tigers fans think Greaves should go. Unless he gates there's no way he gets into the points, he just isn't capable of passing anyone, where as Sissis obviously can. Know he's coming back from a serious injury, but the team needs points from the reserves especially now when Simon and Josh, both seem to be struggling for form. Can't wait for Jason Garrity to come back, but again it might take him a few meetings to get back to where he was prior to getting injured.

Need the change now, not when it's too late!

Think uncle Damian will do that? Who would they bring in for Josh, any ideas? As for Greaves what about James Shanes, or is he hooked up elsewhere, know he has quite a lot of grass tracking commitments.