Ben91

Do what’s best for the sport. If that means riders noses are put out of joint and they have to get jobs on the side so be it. The competitor should bend to the will of the sport they want to compete in, not the other way around.

But the point of the play-offs isn’t to get big crowds, it’s to decide who wins the title… isn’t it?

If, as has been suggested, Cook is suffering from mental health problems then he absolutely needs to get those sorted before he considers resuming his speedway career. That can be a long and winding road, mental health problems are for life, not just something that will go away. Sadly he may have burned a lot of bridges over the years even if unintentionally. Cook has probably overachieved in his Speedway career given how late he came to the sport. We’re talking a former Grand Prix rider here, yet people have seemingly knocked him more than built him up during his time in the sport. Whatever happens I hope he is in a good place. If he can come back to racing, be safe and enjoy it then even better for everyone involved.

Given the state of the sport it sure looks that way.

Small leagues and two home and away against each team is so boring and repetitive. Things will never change. I’ll remain a stick record but it’s so frustrating as someone who loves the sport.

It’s a very British mentality. When someone starts doing well it’s immediately the thing to do to dislike them. It happened with Tai, it’s happening with Robert Lambert and it’s even beginning to happen with Dan Bewley.

A side can pick and choose horses for courses. It gives an advantage. It’s not that hard to understand why it’s not fair.

If so that’s a joke. Guests should be the same for both legs, and Harris rode for Ipswich in one leg of their semi.

The worst line up the GP series has seen for some time. It can be as simple as the best 15 riders in the world making up the field plus a wildcard each round. I may as well be riding in the series in Kvech’s place. I’d have as much chance of winning it.

No lack of effort from Hume for sure but sometimes you have to know when to settle for your position. Could cost Ipswich massively come the end of the tie on Thursday evening.

Speedway Gonzalez

Richie Hawkins is really pulling off the Mexican looking anxious at the US border look tonight.

It is but I’m still yet to see any of these so called advantages. It isn’t boxing. One has improved, the other has regressed.

I’m not sure what these “advantages” are. He’s just a class above. If Emil and Laguta were back in the series next season he’d be head and shoulders above them too. Emil would probably finish second.

Zmarzlik is just a different gravy. They could race all the rounds away from Poland and he’d still win the series at a canter. He does what he has to when he has to do it. In the clutch there is no rider anywhere near as good as he is. League averages are a comparable metric of riders but very few people will give a toss who was top of the Polish averages in years to come. What they will care about is who won the world title.

The Grand Prix series is used to decide who the best rider in the world is. For me that means Sayfutdinov and Laguta should be involved. If they are however it won’t matter. Zmarzlik is the best rider in the world by a long stretch. Probably the best to ever throw a leg over a Speedway bike. And with it, he’s a very likeable bloke too.

It was all but over after the first leg. While the weather could have been a leveller tonight it’s been quite the opposite. Shame.

I think this is the problem. Once the horse has bolted once it’s easy to let it do so again and again. A strong step to take would be for the authorities to enforce the deadline with no excuses. People won’t take the piss in future that way.

The sport would be a poorer place if all tracks were the same. In the last 20 odd years we’ve lost some real diverse tracks and the sport is poorer for it.

Not a fan of the play-offs but that was great viewing. The racing was decent enough (by the NSS’ high standards) and the scoreline drama going to the wire added to the entertainment. That heat 15 alone would have been worth the entrance fee. A great race with so much riding on the result.

King not even looking for Hume there. You’d think he’s been around long enough to be able to try shepherd his partner home in this scenario.

If Harris doesn’t do one meeting for every team in the play offs then it’s not a fair scientific test and therefore the entire season is rendered pointless.

This will depend massively on what Doyle does. Hasn’t been great around the NSS this season and could have a hangover from that nasty crash last weekend still. If he’s on song it’ll take a big performance from Belle Vue to take the aggregate win.

Assume Jordan Palin will be in Scunthorpe thoughts too if he comes back next season?

Entertainment is a by product of sport. It’s never guaranteed regardless of the event. There have been countless World Cup, Champions League and FA Cup finals devoid of entertainment. They’re not there to advertise the sport, they’re there to decide who is best at the sport.