Ben91

This is why the asset system needs to be scrapped. Riders should be free to move where they want between seasons.

Kennett was the only positive from the side that started last season for me. He did do the job of a number one but the team was too weak for him to carry it. I can see the same happening this year. As I said before there are too many question marks. I fear for us going away to places like Sheffield, Peterborough and Workington as we'll be lucky to pick up more than a point or two from reserve. Can't blame Greenwood for going to Somerset to be honest, did we even make him an offer though? Looking at some of the sides declared already I'm fearful for this season.

He's been a snip on his average ever since he came over here. One of the most overrated riders about.

From that press release it seems not. Good start to team building for the Kings without a doubt.

The Raiders are going to be looking to develop riders, Kent are looking to win the leagues no real clash of interests there. Talk of potential thrown meetings on either part etc will happen of course but I can't see that happening tbh. Simple solution is to ensure the sides race each other home and away early in the season when there is still a lot of racing to be done.

A lot of better riders in the draft this year. Won't be that clear cut.

Tai was never known as a gater at Rye to be fair. Kasper is a hard rider which is positive. From his last spell at Rye my only criticism other than his poor gating would be that he doesn't like to try the outside and just plugs away trying to push the bloke infront out of the way. That may have changed last season of course.

Can't see that. Always a danger with riders like Charles Wright that one thing goes wrong mentally and they'll plummet. Seems a rider very dependant on confidence to perform.

Sheffield have made a very good start to team building. Why ruin it by signing Risager. When he first dropped down I expected he'd be a good PL heatleader but he's fallen well short. If you go with Bates and Ellis at reserve then your tail is too long IMO as well. Don't get the hype over Josh Bates personally and I think Ellis would perform better with a strong partner to cover him if he has a poor meeting. Hope Sheffield have a good season in 2015, the signings made so far are pointing towards that happening.

Plug Auty's 4/5 point EL figure from 2013 in with the likes of Blackbird who averaged 8 odd because of the fast track heats last year and there's a big disparity. All the tier one riders rode PL last season, not all raced in the EL. Makes more sense to order them on averages gained in the same league. The FTD riders last year were poles apart in some cases too meaning the top riders were getting points pretty much handed to them in the reserve races, something which shouldn't happen as often next year.

PL is a better indicator of their actual ability than last years EL scores though. Some shocking names on that list. Benji Compton, Simon Lambert, James Cockle.

The bloke is going to go where the money is of course. He'd be a fool not to. If Joe Public gets offered the same job he already does but on a better wage of course he'll take it. Or if he has to cut back on one of many commitments he's obviously going to drop the least lucrative one. It has been known for years that the top riders have seen Britain as third/fourth choice in terms of being a league to race in. What did they want? Less meetings and a set race night. The fans agree this too, we want to see the best riders in the world in our top league. It's not too hard to implement this and yet again an AGM has come and gone and it hasn't happened. Don't blame Tai or the other top riders not racing here, blame the people at the top who won't bite the bullet and commit to bringing the Elite League into line with the other top speedway leagues in the world.

Bowen Morley Mason Chessell Harris Watts Sheppard Possible line up, fits under the current points limit, would need rejigging if that changes obviously and not taking the situation regarding Bowen's eligibility into account.

5 riders in the draft list have a higher PL average than Newman so he's not the best rider in the draft list. The system set in place seems to make sense but it could have been made simpler.

Benny Johansson. Case closed.

Which I do agree with. You can't compare Jakobsen and Palovaara on just one meeting though. Using a low averaged assessed rider from overseas is more likely to displace a young Brit from a team spot than using an assessed rider on a seven point figure. Look at Palovaara and Konopka, they'll both probably be in Premier League reserve spots next year, why them and not say Sarjeant and Clegg for instance who are probably every bit as good on track. My views on assessed riders haven't changed because we have signed one, I'd personally like to see assessed riders revert to their assessed figure if they don't meet it across the season.

Not at all. I don't think Jakobsen will meet his average, I said as much in the post you quoted. I never said Lunna was rubbish either but by all means catastrophize.

Will reserve judgement on Jakobsen til I see him but can't say I'm overwhelmed by the side. Be surprised if he meets his assessed figure. Too many ifs around the side again. If Bowen can get going again. If Boxall has settled back in and has decent machinery. If Nelson will improve after a season away. If Garrity will ride to his true potential. If Jakobsen will be competitive. If Kasper has learnt to gate.

When Glasgow signed Palovaara this season I looked at his results from his Swedish racing and said on this forum there's no way he'd be anywhere near his assessed average and was just another second rate import. I was shot down by most Glasgow fans. Palovaara averages south of 3 points a meeting. I was right. Didn't need a YouTube video. The sad thing is that he will be back in 2015 probably and taking a young Brit's spot on his 3 point average. The same as Konopka at Redcar. If Lunna averages over 3 he has done well, which begs the question: why not use a 3 point Brit?

He's always seemed to be a veteran, well for as long as I can remember at least! Can't see him having any issues carrying on for a couple more seasons either as long as he steers clear of injury!

WUFFY WUF... Linus Sundstrom.

Tony Atkin is 48 I believe and has recently said he wants to carry on for another two years.

I agree with you on this definitely. The riders who raced in the FTD seemed to benefit from having more meetings, so why not let riders such as Ellis race NL too? As long as there is an age or experience cap on these lads racing in the NL then I can see no problem with that. A lower points limit would stop all these top end riders ending up at a few clubs and hopefully they'd be evenly spread out and doing their NL racing for experience more than for earning.

I don't think they do to be honest Chopper, if the points limit goes down allowing more young riders to come through the standalone sides will still be able to try and build winning sides within this points limit. The way I see it is that the more old hands allowed in the league the bigger the gulf will become between the top sides and the bottom sides and the league will then be less competitive as a result. Fantastic news that the two clubs have been saved.

Klindt is at his level. If we sign him and he gets dialled into the Rye track well he might put his figure up to about seven. Might. It's still not a signing I'd be averse to as he'd be forming part of a back up trio to Kennett with Garrity and Nelson. Reserves will be key, Greenwood is a must and he needs a strong partner from the off. Hopefully we'll see Boxall at reserve and then a rider around the 6 point mark to complete the side. Then we should always have a strong reserve and Greenwood's improvement will be a bonus.