Ben91

Not to mention it also being a load of pony.

It's between Glasgow and Sheffield for me with Ipswich just behind.

You're welcome to him at Belle Vue then.

That's not a very good side. Fair play to Somerset assuming they've assembled it within their means however. I can see them being near the foot of the table though.

Rather have Robbo in the pits than Batchelor any day.

Strudwick young? There will probably be reserves in the NL next year that were still in nappies when Strudwick started riding and they're probably miles better than him already too.

I'd rather have a rider that looks interested at all times not just when things are going his way.

Pleased enough with that. He's signed on with Redcar too and I'd assume he'll get a NL place so he'll have lots of time on the bike. No pressure on him to do well, if he can beat his opposite number in heat two at home most weeks and pick up a few points here and there in other heats and away meetings then he'll have done his job. Who owns Perks out of interest?

Mellgren is a shell of the rider he used to be. Heeps is too inconsistent and Rob was better last season. Wethers has had his day. Between Rob's 4.60 and 5.65 the only rider I'd have considered who isn't signed up elsewhere so far (or announced) is Alex Davies but he seems to be on a downward curve too after looking set to become a PL heatleader a few years back. Branford is the rider the Rye fans wanted and he's the rider we've got. That means a lot to fans, especially those who have in the past seen Jason Doyle dropped to accommodate Steve Boxall amongst other things of a similar ilk.

They're all round. Bates has been in the top flight since 2014, he's obviously going to have seen more of the tracks than Branford.

Quite the opposite actually. Not the place to discuss it but I think leaving the EU is an awful decision. I'd just prefer to see British youngsters take places in British teams over imports, not as if our lads are getting a look in any other countries after all.

I think that's pretty obvious. They're the only five I'd be bothered about missing out, especially when there are overseas riders on similar averages in team declarations already.

I'd say he's on a par with Bates. This isn't the EL anymore it's PL plus. He'll do just fine. Got a feeling our last rider is going to be Nathan Greaves. Wouldn't be my choice.

Buxton are a small club though, I assume they make little to no profit each year but continue to run because of a love for the sport from those behind the scenes. That isn't small club mentality from Buxton it is them telling it how it is. They assemble a team every year, sometimes they put a team out that isn't competitive granted but they do it within their means and there are years when the riders they have helped to develop all click and they do well, they won the league as recently as 2010 with a team containing Craig Cook, Nick Morris, Jason Garrity and Rob Branford. I don't know much about Pipe, he seems to have plenty of detractors though, but if he is putting time and effort into helping Buxton run he has to be commended for that at the very least.

The five in bold are the only ones that haven't got a team in either division so far that I'd be bothered about not having clubs. Of those it seems that Starke and Bewley are fixed up but haven't been announced yet.

Because over time the number of existing foreigners that are not up to the required standard will go down and eventually teams will only employ those that they believe are truly worth investing time and money in. There are not too few British riders. There are plenty without a job in the top two divisions at present.

Branford is the rider Rye fans wanted and rightly so. Will be close to his starting average come the end of the year.

Last winter many called out Campton as a poor singing and were shot down. Ultimately those that said he was a poor singing were right and the same thing is happening this winter.

Branford has made his biggest strides in the last season and is still young. Certainly nowhere near peaking yet IMO. I've seen Busch ride, considering he's nearly 30 I'd suggest if he's not riding consistently well by now he's going to struggle to do so going forward. From a team building point of view I'd want the rider that will add the most points to his average in 2017, for me that's Branford. He's a different prospect now to when he was at Redcar before from what I've seen. Watching him then and comparing it to his showings last year for Rye House it would be hard to believe he is the same rider. Hope the Bears have a good season, the team looks competitive, if the bottom end clicks it could be there or thereabouts for sure, the fans definitely deserve to see the side do well.

I can't see how anyone would pick Busch over Branford who was averaging over six in the PL last year, two points more than Busch achieved, but each to their own.

People have been moaning for the last however many years that there aren't enough riders around, now there is a surplus. That says to me that we didn't need doubling up for the coming season or at least there should have been a cap. When the likes of Morley, Stefan Nielsen etc. may not have a club in either of the top two divisions at the start of the year and the likes of Busch, Grondal, Gappmaier and Wallner are on similar averages and have team spots that is unacceptable. I'm not against overseas riders, they enrich the product but when there is a homegrown rider just as good, if not better that could fill the team spot then they should be given that chance. Two rounds of fixtures in both divisions mean that riders are getting plenty of rides having just one club in 2017. So far there are seven riders declared in sides at both levels, five at Coventry granted, those are: Danny King, Jason Garrity, Lasse Bjerre, Lewis Kerr, Josh Bates, Jack Holder and Kyle Howarth. There are riders around that are completely unattached and could have taken a a spot from one of these riders at one of their clubs. If we had a scenario where riders were not riding for a team in each division it would give the play-offs more legitimacy for one and also open up the potential for a cup competition encompassing both divisions which equals more fixtures.

Hall's the key man in the team. He's had an awful couple of years but generally before that has been a solid second string in the second tier. If he can recapture that form he'll relegate Busch to reserve for the duration and the Bears will have a solid top five and decent enough reserves when compared to the other teams. It certainly looks competitive. If they'd swapped the bottom three for their asset Rob Branford, Ben Morley (who doesn't look to have a place currently) and a two pointer then it would be a lot better side IMO.

If the top four all ride as they can it is the best top four in the division without question (even without seeing what some other sides are going to declare).

Branford has improved massively in the last two seasons in my opinion. He averaged over six in his meetings for the Rockets last season, his average is only 4.60 because of his carried over scores from 2015 at Edinburgh not being knocked off by his guest appearances before he signed on as a full time Rocket this year. I fully agree with the second part of your post about there not being any three pointers around that will do much better than a two pointer, however retaining Branford has been received well pretty much universally by Rye fans, and rightly so in my opinion. In the second tier he is on a bargain average, while in the top league he is on an average he should hopefully be able to retain, which should be seen as a success given the high points limit that has been put into place.

Are you joking? Branford is the best rider there by a long stretch. Averaged over six in the PL last year for Rye House.