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I think Chessell fired himself onto the scene in 2011? So hardly around a bit, this being his second full season. Averaged 4.5 last season, and from watching him, he would average higher if he could stay on consistently. It's a shame for Liam, but his average is a pain for some teams.

So, Plymouth fans...what does Jake Anderson bring that Ben Reade didn't? Is it just the Aussie accent?

I would guess for Stoke his average didn't fit. He is on a 3.61, so it would have had to have been in place of Chessell.

I'm sure the rule in the PL is different, whereby once you have had your initial team ratified, then you can have a facility for them.

Can Jake do both? Is he a British passport holder?

663 It wasn't the best meeting, and that's being kind. Riders seemed to struggle with bends 3 and 4. For Stoke, Smart was solid, Branford was dependable as a guest, Chessell rode well in one race, but had a nasty looking fall. Hughes was off the boil a bit, and Priest scored well. As for the reserves, Jones looked good until he was wiped out by Williamson (Stupid from Williamson. I'm putting it down to being an inexperienced rider, but it could have been a lot lot worse) and Tedham was awful. Him not being on the pace is one thing, but just giving up in one race is unacceptable. For Buxton, Wright was fantastic, Woolley was alright, Blacklock was erratic as always, Mckinna was solid. Atkin had bike problems, Widman was the best reserve on show, and Williamson looked ok, his clash with Jones apart. All in all, the rain didn't help, the broken PA didn't help, the lack of a mic didn't help. The fact that the announcer said he was waiting for someone to give him a new mic at around heat 6, and then didn't get one, seems a bit unprofessional. The burger place seemed to be run by new people, and they did a nice cup of tea. Every cloud and all that.

The reserves looked the worry on Saturday, as neither really looked on the pace. Whether that was teething problems with machinery, who knows. As for the top 5, they will win meetings on their own at times. Smarty looked back to his best, while Kyle Hughes looked quick after an off first ride. They could easily be 9+ pointers each. Priest looked up and down, but looked good when passing Atkin in his first race. Reade looked a bit down on power, and Chessell was great for anywhere between 1 and 3 laps. If he could stay on he could put a point on his average easily. Could be a hit and miss season!

That's not Stoke's bar...that's a local pub

To be honest, I would make everyone qualify. You already have a field of 16, plus 9 seeded, that's 25...is it such an ask to add 7 more riders? Grade everyone by previous average, and then split them into 2 even semi final's. Have them on different days within the same week, so that if a rider can't do one date but can do another they at least have a chance to swap. I don't like the idea of riders at NL level having to miss out on a national tournament due to having work commitments.

Criteria? What criteria? I assume they just picked a few names out of a hat. The seeded riders were the obvious ones, so Garrity, Nielsen etc...past that, it's smoke and mirrors.

Nope. It was a one semi final affair. The other 9 riders were seeded straight through to the final.

Reading the updates, he stayed upright, which was enough to get him points! Still, good luck to him! I would be interested to know why Emerson Jones wasn't included in the line up though!

Stoke's team looks about right. And as far as I know Eazy - Rider are back as sponsors this season.

Completely forgot he had signed there! My point remains valid

I would say your top 3 all have a chance of PL. Where they go from there is anyones guess. Jacobs probably would have been ready this year Sarjeant has all the ability in the world, not sure if he has the right advisors though Greenwood was fantastic in his first full season (And even that wasn't a full season due to injury) and if he stays fit could well be pushing for a PL place in 2014.

http://agriculture.newholland.com/uk/en/Pages/homepage.aspx I'm assuming this is them...

That's such awful bait it is funny.

Stichaeur, Poole and Wells...part of that fantastic Stoke team of 2011...

I'd rather someone with a chip on their shoulder than someone who doesn't believe they have a chance.

So, he's back. Tbf, even after this "will he/won't he", we still can't form an opinion on his ability as 95% of us haven't seen him ride! All that I can say is that, should he come in and do well, all of this will soon be forgotten. So long as his head is in speedway, and he gives his all for Stoke, that's all I can ask!

I wouldn't say he is the "only" option. I'm still pinning my hopes on this being an elaborate con to get Rob Lambert in. However, when Lee did ride for us, he never really impressed me. I know that sounds odd because he scored well at Dudley, but I was there that night, and the phrase "You gotta finish to score" was never more appropriate. Still, whoever it is to be, I just hope they give their all. At times that is all you can ask.

I'd take Stoke's middle order (Kyle Hughes, Luke Chessell and Luke Priest) over yours, but I think Greaves and Clegg at reserve for you will make all the difference

If memory serves, it's around 5.1ish

Ah Gareth, the enigma of many a Stoke team. On his day, he can beat most in the NL, but you never know when he turns up to the tapes, which Gareth you are getting. If confident, and over his injuries, he could increase his average, but he needs to be more consistent. There was nothing more annoying for a fan than seeing him win his first 2 races, then suddenly miss the gate in his third and trail off at the back, looking like a completely different rider. Still, good luck to him!

He made the step up before, with King's Lynn...unfortunately he had a 9 point home average and a 3 point away average for a few seasons. He also rode for a few other clubs, including Stoke at one point.