Steve Shovlar

Nathan did the usual inexperienced rider mistake of waiting. He should have said to Danny, do I have a team place, and if the answer was not sure, start phoning around straight away. To wait, then discover no spot, and then further discover no places elsewhere is basic error. Get yourself fixed up asap.

Found it.

Thanks Steve but it was the second leg I was after.

Anyone got the link,on YouTube?

I remember some Poole fans did leave after heat 8, and got ridiculed at the dinner dance. What a night that was.

There’s no real money in that. Travel expenses plus a little bit for time. Not enough to make a living I should imagine. BSN is surely run on a tight budget and can’t squander money on guest commentators.

Think he would be doing extremely well to get out of a reserve berth. Can’t see that happening at all. Newman is more than likely to outscore Adam. If Newman got into the top five, then we would be even stronger at reserve with Zack Cook or Jack Thomas.

He hadn’t.

Yes there is. Ben Cook is a better rider than his younger brother at the moment.

How was Doyle doing at 23?

Happy New Year to all Pirates fans! This coming season is going to be another good one with the silverware likely staying put for another year, baring any injuries.

Was dialled in to a home track with virtually no passing. Gate and go. I wish Flint well as he is a Brit but Zach Cook is an impressive rider with lots of potential. Not so sure with Flint.

Wasn’t meant as negative Steve. Just pointless talking about riders who are not coming to Poole next season. May as we’ll be talking about Zmarzlik being our new number one. Neither are going to be riding for us. Lets be realistic and talk about our touted 1-7 and how we compare to other Championship sides, instead of fantasy riders who are not coming into the Poole team. Happy New Year to you and other Poole fans. Let’s hope 2023 is as successful as last season was.

Zach Cook is a better rider than Flint. Flint might have a higher Champ average but Zach Cook came on leaps and bounds in the second half of 22. Check out his scores on the Speedway updates.

Panthers got a tiger at reserve in Ben Cook. Give him a month to settle and watch him go. Once he has his setups sorted he will be very fast and score a sack load at reserve. Big year for him an his brother at Wolves. But like his brother, just hope he stays safe for his home club.

You have been going on and on about this Aussie. But he has never been part of Poole’s team in 23 and you have been told in numerous ocassions. You know the team. That’s it. It’s good enough to win this league again and it’s a lot cheaper than importing a rider from the other side of the planet.

Yes Ben Cook is not yet on a par with Kerr, Barker or Charles Wright. But he is better than the others, though Brennan shows very good potential. With the ability he showed in the second half of last season and would pick him over all the others. He is very fast out of the gate and doesn’t give up. I would be disappointed if he didn’t achieve a 7.5 average next season. He has it in him.

Or perhaps I meant it. No one knows what will happen. But happy with the touted team.

It was meant a little tongue in cheek.

Looking at the other teams, I seriously can’t see past us making it a hat trick of titles, injury dodging accepted. Think we are just going to be too strong again, though it could be tougher than this year. Experience at the top, the Cooks very likely to improve, Jack Thomas on a bargain average, and our experienced reserves who should see off the majority of their opposition fairly easily. Backed up by management who are very good at getting the best out of the riders. Happy New Year to all Pirates fans. I believe another successful season awaits. Is there another club in this league capable of giving us a proper challenge?

It’s always interesting how others view the Poole team. To me we look a notch above all other teams. No weak link like last season. Two top performers, two young Aussies who improved massively as last season progressed, an up and coming Brit at number two who proved his capabilities at Oxford last season and two experienced riders at reserve capable of whipping the arses of most of the other named reserves. I get the feeling that many on here don’t yet realise the full potential of the Cook brothers and view them as 5-6 point average riders easily beaten by their counterparts. If that’s the case I see why some are viewing the Poole team as not looking special.

It’s like saying there’s no home advantage at Belle Vue when clearly there is masses of it.

1. Poole - If the rumoured team is correct, Pirates will be the team to beat again. I am taking it as read we all know the expected lineup. Top two are number ones and pretty rock solid. The Cook brothers improved beyond expectations. Ben Cook rode like a heat leader and still has plenty more to show. Zach was very impressive from mid season onwards. Both riding the Premiership will give them even more track time. Jack Thomas is a steal on a sub 5 average. And if it is Kyle Newman and Adam Roynon at reserve, they will have the beating of the majority of their rivals. After the first set of GS I wouldn’t be surprised to see Kyle and Jack swap places. 2. Redcar - Looks a very good lineup. Strong heat leaders in Riss, Wright and King. The second strings are not as solid as Poole’s. James Shanes lives in Dorset so a long way to go for home meetings. Hume still has a little more to give. The reserves are not as strong as Poole’s. Edwards likely to swap with Shanes. Weak at 7. 3. Plymouth - Strongest team they have ever had and likely to go through the fixture list unbeaten at home. Will hand out some thrashings as well, meaning they will pick up lots of aggregate points. Howarth, Worrall and Barker are good heat leaders and Starke is on a bargain average. Gilkes returns from injury but showed great form around Plymouth before he hurt himself. On his travels not so good but lots of room to improve. Reserve Trigger looks a weak link and it depends who the final name is. The worry for other teams is keeping it close at Plymouth to be in with a chance of progressing in the playoffs. Plymouth could get an Exeter sized home advantage and the new points system is in their favour. 4. Glasgow - A good looking team, but not title favourites for me. Harris, Basso and especially Brennan are very good. But CH is not young and for BB this league is not his priority. Brennan has lots to give though. Vissing is well past his sell by date. Nowak should be solid at home, but away? Not so sure and Poland his priority. Complin is a very decent reserve. Pjiper will struggle away. 5. Oxford - Good heat leaders in Masters, Kerr and Nicholls. Masters likely to top the league averages again. Kerris good around Cowley. Scotty is now in the very twilight of his excellent career. Is this one season too many? Hopefully not. Heeps is a poor signing imo. Has done nothing in the last couple of seasons and surprised he got a berth. Dan Thompson would have been a much better option but team building points clearly gave Heeps the gig. Atkins and Killeen are very weak reserves. 6. Edinburgh - Not as good as lasts years lineup imo. Cook and Pickering are solid heat leaders but CC is not the rider of a few seasons ago. Thomson, Fredericksen and Castagna are at their level and can go AWOL at times. Hook and Bickley are decent reserves and better than several clubs. Not a team to challenge. 7. Scunthorpe. Ryan Douglas is a great number one, but he lacks backup. Allen and Palm-Toft blow hot and cold. Mountain is far better than his average and should be a solid second string/third heat leader. Lambert is what he is, a second second string, and could well be swapping places with Kennedy at reserve. Joe Thompson is a decent number 7 and should improve. 8. Berwick - Jorgensen, Flint and Schlein will find the going tough against other clubs heat leaders. Flint is really a second string and Rory has had a year out. He sold all his gear so new machinery which could help or hinder him. Knudsen is a good second string with a future. Etheridge is at his level. Coles and Stoneman could both struggle against other reserves. 9. Birmingham - Nick Morris is a good number one, but the rest of the team are journeymen, and I can’t see them getting off the bottom of the league. Each on their day will have decent/good meetings but up against the top teams should be beaten handsomely. I know that Brum have a limited budget but success brings in good crowds. A losing team and fans stay away. Getting the balance right is important and Brum are a heat leader short of that. I wish them well. Poole the team to beat. But the real danger is the team Plymouth have built to get a huge home advantage. It would not surprise me to see 55-60+ scored at Plymouth on a regular basis which would be devastating to other teams in a playoff situation. Of course this prediction doesn’t take into account any injuries which May/will occur to teams during the course of the season. Roll on March and let’s enjoy!

Interesting fact. Jack Thomas only ran 4 last places in 2022 on his home track. All four were against Poole. In the first meeting he had bike issues in his first two but came out with 8 from his last three. He then made an attempt to come back from his wrist injury in the B fixture which resulted in two last places before being withdrawn. Looks like a rider who once dialled in can be a real force on his home track. Needs more consistency away from home and if he stays clear of injury could be very popular quickly with Poole fans. A sub 5 average needs to be improved or he will be at reserve after the first GS.

Excellent show tonight with lots of interesting questions answered.