Another 4 horse race?

[Lionsman66]

So are we seeing the premiership big guns with a good cash flow being the only viable play off teams again even before a wheel is turned? 

Aces 

Witches

Tigers 

Lions 

[SaddlebowRoad]

not if the lions team is as suggested with howarth for lawson

top three likely to be bv ippo & sheff with their big heat leaders but 4th up for grabs

[TTT]

I don't think Leicester will make the play-off's as it stands tbh even though it's rumoured to be 6 returnees from this year.

I just think Howarth for Lawson is too big of a drop off considering the Fricke/Lawson partnership was Leicester's one two punch that got a lot of 4-2's and 5-1's.

I also think Sheffield are vulnerable, Fantastic top three but the tail end still has to take 12 combined rides per a meeting which levels itself out imo.

[szkocjasid]

39 minutes ago, Lionsman66 said:

So are we seeing the premiership big guns with a good cash flow being the only viable play off teams again even before a wheel is turned? 

Aces 

Witches

Tigers 

Lions 

Why again? These clubs weren't play-off certainties before a wheel was turned last year. Oxford were in the top four, while Leicester were struggling.

If the same top four continues for multiple seasons, then yes you could ask that question.

[SamKM91]

As it stands without injuries, I can’t see Lions or Tigers making top 4… with the rumoured teams I think the top 4 will be Witches, Aces, Stars, Spires

[TTT]

30 minutes ago, SpeedwayFan91 said:

As it stands without injuries, I can’t see Lions or Tigers making top 4… with the rumoured teams I think the top 4 will be Witches, Aces, Stars, Spires

Same top 4 I've got and in that order as well (Based on Oxford getting a No.1)

King's Lynn are being underestimated with this Ht 13 & 15 talk, At Home they've got a 1 & 5 more than capable of getting 4-2's and 5-1's because it's a team of track specialists who've got proven pedigre when it comes to winning big Heats against Elite riders around the AFA, Plus all it takes is for Kvech to fully adapt on the Away tracks and then King's Lynn have a No.1 with solid backup throughout the team.

I think Sheffield are being way overrated based on a couple of riders, Flint has done nothing for years, Gilkes isn't anywhere near good enough to be a No.6 (His average dropped by 0.41 this season as a RS) and Rowe is unproven in the 1-5, He's only done two meetings in the 1-5 for KL and that was against a team who were going through the motions as they were already thinking about the play-off meetings after being handed 1st place by the higher ups which made those KL meetings pointless.

[AceBelle]

2 hours ago, Lionsman66 said:

So are we seeing the premiership big guns with a good cash flow being the only viable play off teams again even before a wheel is turned? 

Aces 

Witches

Tigers 

Lions 

Lions won't be there if the reported line up is what it is ?Lynn will get last play/off spot depending if oxford get a big hitter at number 1 ? 

[AceBelle]

46 minutes ago, TTT said:

Same top 4 I've got and in that order as well (Based on Oxford getting a No.1)

King's Lynn are being underestimated with this Ht 13 & 15 talk, At Home they've got a 1 & 5 more than capable of getting 4-2's and 5-1's because it's a team of track specialists who've got proven pedigre when it comes to winning big Heats against Elite riders around the AFA, Plus all it takes is for Kvech to fully adapt on the Away tracks and then King's Lynn have a No.1 with solid backup throughout the team.

I think Sheffield are being way overrated based on a couple of riders, Flint has done nothing for years, Gilkes isn't anywhere near good enough to be a No.6 (His average dropped by 0.41 this season as a RS) and Rowe is unproven in the 1-5, He's only done two meetings in the 1-5 for KL and that was against a team who were going through the motions as they were already thinking about the play-off meetings after being handed 1st place by the higher ups which made those KL meetings pointless.

Sheffield also have got woffinden coming back from a bad injury?

[castrolargh]

4 hours ago, TTT said:

Same top 4 I've got and in that order as well (Based on Oxford getting a No.1)

King's Lynn are being underestimated with this Ht 13 & 15 talk, At Home they've got a 1 & 5 more than capable of getting 4-2's and 5-1's because it's a team of track specialists who've got proven pedigre when it comes to winning big Heats against Elite riders around the AFA, Plus all it takes is for Kvech to fully adapt on the Away tracks and then King's Lynn have a No.1 with solid backup throughout the team.

I think Sheffield are being way overrated based on a couple of riders, Flint has done nothing for years, Gilkes isn't anywhere near good enough to be a No.6 (His average dropped by 0.41 this season as a RS) and Rowe is unproven in the 1-5, He's only done two meetings in the 1-5 for KL and that was against a team who were going through the motions as they were already thinking about the play-off meetings after being handed 1st place by the higher ups which made those KL meetings pointless.

I agree with most of that apart from your assessment of Anders Rowe. Last season he may have only had a couple of outings out of reserve but he was still regularly beating opposition no 6 and second strings.

[noaksey]

The top 3 look nailed on barring disasters 

It'll be a good scrap between Leicester, Lynn and Oxford for 4th, any one of them could get it but if Oxford do get Musielak it should be them 

[SamKM91]

37 minutes ago, noaksey said:

The top 3 look nailed on barring disasters 

It'll be a good scrap between Leicester, Lynn and Oxford for 4th, any one of them could get it but if Oxford do get Musielak it should be them 

Musielak nailed on at Birmingham apparently, Oxford will make top 4 if they get a decent number 1… if not then I think Tigers might scrape 4th and join Witches, Aces and Stars in the top 4

[StarBoy]

8 hours ago, TTT said:

I don't think Leicester will make the play-off's as it stands tbh even though it's rumoured to be 6 returnees from this year.

I just think Howarth for Lawson is too big of a drop off considering the Fricke/Lawson partnership was Leicester's one two punch that got a lot of 4-2's and 5-1's.

I also think Sheffield are vulnerable, Fantastic top three but the tail end still has to take 12 combined rides per a meeting which levels itself out imo.

Whilst I agree with you in principle, the BV tail can be exposed just as much as Sheffield’s.

Mulford will never make it at Premiership level; Zischke is coming back from a horror crash and has barely turned a wheel in the top league; and they’re replacing a 7 point rider in B Cook with his brother or Rew. Whoever his replacement is, and how they go this season is the deciding factor in my opinion. Can Kurtz, Bewley and Lidsey carry them to 35-40 points week in week out? 

[AceBelle]

15 minutes ago, StarBoy said:

Whilst I agree with you in principle, the BV tail can be exposed just as much as Sheffield’s.

Mulford will never make it at Premiership level; Zischke is coming back from a horror crash and has barely turned a wheel in the top league; and they’re replacing a 7 point rider in B Cook with his brother or Rew. Whoever his replacement is, and how they go this season is the deciding factor in my opinion. Can Kurtz, Bewley and Lidsey carry them to 35-40 points week in week out? 

Mulford will probaly be replaced by cairns in june Zischke has just won a state title in Aussie so he's on the right path back Rew goes very well at NSS  Lidsey had a poor season but he can up his average by 1 pt at least and we all know what Bewley & Kurtz can do ? Blodorn will hold is own he improved last year on away tracks & our home form is excellent so all in all we are going to be in with a great chance we were wrote off last season we all know how that ended up !! my thoughts are a Aces/Witches final ?

[1 valve]

10 minutes ago, AceBelle said:

Mulford will probaly be replaced by cairns in june Zischke has just won a state title in Aussie so he's on the right path back Rew goes very well at NSS  Lidsey had a poor season but he can up his average by 1 pt at least and we all know what Bewley & Kurtz can do ? Blodorn will hold is own he improved last year on away tracks & our home form is excellent so all in all we are going to be in with a great chance we were wrote off last season we all know how that ended up !! my thoughts are a Aces/Witches final ?

How will Cairns replace Mulford with the former riding for the Lions? 😉

[SamKM91]

1 minute ago, 1 valve said:

How will Cairns replace Mulford with the former riding for the Lions? 😉

I thought Cairns said he wouldn’t ride for Lions whilst his dad was there…

[AceBelle]

5 minutes ago, 1 valve said:

How will Cairns replace Mulford with the former riding for the Lions? 😉

he as already said in a podcast he doesn't want to ride for his dad ? and already riding for the colts & would be the right move for him 😉

[AceBelle]

8 minutes ago, SamKM91 said:

I thought Cairns said he wouldn’t ride for Lions whilst his dad was there…

he did you are correct he said it on a podcast !!

[TTT]

2 hours ago, StarBoy said:

Whilst I agree with you in principle, the BV tail can be exposed just as much as Sheffield’s.

Mulford will never make it at Premiership level; Zischke is coming back from a horror crash and has barely turned a wheel in the top league; and they’re replacing a 7 point rider in B Cook with his brother or Rew. Whoever his replacement is, and how they go this season is the deciding factor in my opinion. Can Kurtz, Bewley and Lidsey carry them to 35-40 points week in week out? 

I agree.

They'll drop Mulford for Cairns as soon as he's available imo.

Zischke may take a while to get going but when he does he'll be solid at reserve around the NSS imo, May struggle away from home though.

The Ben Cook downgrade will be BV's biggest issue in 2025.

[dontforgetthefueltapsbruv]

Can riders be added to the Rising Star list mid season?

[noaksey]

3 hours ago, SamKM91 said:

Musielak nailed on at Birmingham apparently, Oxford will make top 4 if they get a decent number 1… if not then I think Tigers might scrape 4th and join Witches, Aces and Stars in the top 4

Interesting re Musielak, I wonder who Oxford might go for