Leicester Lions 2022 Line up

[Skidder1 7,636]

Josh 'Chunk' MacDonald on 4.00?

Edited November 18, 2021 by Skidder1

[Ron 27]

Anders Rowe 

[szkocjasid 3,022]

On 11/18/2021 at 11:05 AM, KingoftheTrack said:

1 to go then.

 

1. Nick Morris

2. Connor Mountain

3. Kyle Howarth

4.

5. Richie Worrall

6. Dan Thompson

7. Joe Thompson

James Sarjeant (4.16) would be my pick to complete that team!

[FishersGate 522]

Just got a funny feeling Dan n Joe won't be back at Leicester. Dans average especially is high and Stewart Dickson left Connor Mountain last time out stating his average was abit inflated. With Dan n Joe staying Dan would ride at 5 with Joe at reserve. I could maybe see the twins going to Birmingham (if they run) or even Sheffield on a low rising start rule. With the twins in the team I personally think it ain't good enough to win the league and Leicester are a club with ambitions to win it every season. Opinions guys?

[iainb 5,004]

49 minutes ago, ScottyJ said:

Just got a funny feeling Dan n Joe won't be back at Leicester. Dans average especially is high and Stewart Dickson left Connor Mountain last time out stating his average was abit inflated. With Dan n Joe staying Dan would ride at 5 with Joe at reserve. I could maybe see the twins going to Birmingham (if they run) or even Sheffield on a low rising start rule. With the twins in the team I personally think it ain't good enough to win the league and Leicester are a club with ambitions to win it every season. Opinions guys?

I think it would be terrible if they were to get rid of either of them. For me they give the club a bit of identity, being relatively local lads (I think) and associated with the club for a number of years now unlike some of the here today gone tomorrow riders we've had since the club came back out of retirement.

I don't see why twins/brothers always seem to come as a job lot either, bogof?   

[stevethelion 192]

I think they'll stick with Joe, because his average is low & there is room for improvement, but like you say Dan's average is inflated because of his spell at reserve. When he rode in the main body of the team his scores were disapointing , I know people on here previosly have said he earnt his average which is true, but he got it mainly from reserve, if as expected Howarth is the 4th signing, Dan  wouldn't be at reserve & would find it difficult to maintain that average. It would be like fielding a side with 3 reserves, 1 decent 2nd string & 3 heat leaders. Like you say not good enough to win the league, but do you keep both of them in the hope that they really kick on this year & hope for a play-off spot?

[Jaizer 2,863]

4 minutes ago, stevethelion said:

I think they'll stick with Joe, because his average is low & there is room for improvement, but like you say Dan's average is inflated because of his spell at reserve. When he rode in the main body of the team his scores were disapointing , I know people on here previosly have said he earnt his average which is true, but he got it mainly from reserve, if as expected Howarth is the 4th signing, Dan  wouldn't be at reserve & would find it difficult to maintain that average. It would be like fielding a side with 3 reserves, 1 decent 2nd string & 3 heat leaders. Like you say not good enough to win the league, but do you keep both of them in the hope that they really kick on this year & hope for a play-off spot?

Just an opinion from afar, but if sign a sarj or Rowe you'd start a season with a proven second string at reserve. After which all 3 could potentially swap positions throughout season between second string and reserve. While neither particularly exciting signings, have held their own in 2nd string position over the years. Sarj done it many time in Dickson made teams at Glasgow. Tbh my bigger concern in that make up would be mountain as senior second string, you'd really need him to step up to almost a 6.5/7

[BartoszZmarzlikFan 491]

I've included Dan Thompson in my team as well as his brother as I feel they would've been mentioned in the press release with Douglas, Andersen and Zaine if they weren't returning.

I do agree with the majority though that Dan would be a bad signing on his average. 

[stevethelion 192]

4 hours ago, Jaizer said:

Just an opinion from afar, but if sign a sarj or Rowe you'd start a season with a proven second string at reserve. After which all 3 could potentially swap positions throughout season between second string and reserve. While neither particularly exciting signings, have held their own in 2nd string position over the years. Sarj done it many time in Dickson made teams at Glasgow. Tbh my bigger concern in that make up would be mountain as senior second string, you'd really need him to step up to almost a 6.5/7

Agree with you that Mountain is a concern as senior 2nd, but I think he can step up. As for Sargent it would have to be no thanks, he's had enough chances over the years, at least a youngster like Rowe has got room for improvement. But I'd still have concerns over the makeup of any team with Dan in the main body, although like you say he would probably swap during the season.

[1 valve 558]

5 hours ago, KingoftheTrack said:

I do agree with the majority though that Dan would be a bad signing on his average. 

Dan should be retained simply because he will improve on his 2021 average due to more than maintaining his home record and increasing his away numbers due to learning from previous visits at tracks where they were his first time. 
 

[szkocjasid 3,022]

10 hours ago, stevethelion said:

I think they'll stick with Joe, because his average is low & there is room for improvement, but like you say Dan's average is inflated because of his spell at reserve. When he rode in the main body of the team his scores were disapointing , I know people on here previosly have said he earnt his average which is true, but he got it mainly from reserve, if as expected Howarth is the 4th signing, Dan  wouldn't be at reserve & would find it difficult to maintain that average. It would be like fielding a side with 3 reserves, 1 decent 2nd string & 3 heat leaders. Like you say not good enough to win the league, but do you keep both of them in the hope that they really kick on this year & hope for a play-off spot?

How is Dan's average "inflated" because he spent half the season at reserve, but Joe's average isn't when he spent the whole season at reserve? Besides Dan's good scores came from the harder number 6 position, so the jump to second string shouldn't slow him down much! I'm not sure why his scoring tailed off so much? 

[stevethelion 192]

11 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

How is Dan's average "inflated" because he spent half the season at reserve, but Joe's average isn't when he spent the whole season at reserve? Besides Dan's good scores came from the harder number 6 position, so the jump to second string shouldn't slow him down much! I'm not sure why his scoring tailed off so much? 

The simple answer is at present Joe isn't quite as good as Dan yet. The answer to why Dan's scoring tailed off is obvious, he moved into the main team, that's why he shouldn't be given that burden from the start next season.

[Wee Eck 703]

One of the criticisms from many fans is that teams don’t stay loyal to riders and riders don’t stay loyal to teams.

In my view, both the team and the fans should stay loyal to both Dan and Joe, two lads who are still only 17 and have ridden all of their professional careers with Leicester. 
They have worked their way up from 125/150cc bikes through second halfs, British Youth Championships, NDL and CL but there’s lots more to come, I’m sure.

Dan has an average of just over 5 after the reduction, which I reckon he’ll easily improve on in 2022. The way teams win leagues is by having riders improve on their start average. With a potential top two of Nick Morris and Richie Worrall, neither of whom are likely to increase their averages substantially, Leicester need riders lower down who have potential, and that surely has to include Dan and Joe.

And, let’s face it, if Leicester let either or both go, then they’ll quickly get team places but I’m not sure where Leicester would find adequate replacements. 

[The Dog 413]

On 11/21/2021 at 8:33 AM, ScottyJ said:

Just got a funny feeling Dan n Joe won't be back at Leicester. Dans average especially is high and Stewart Dickson left Connor Mountain last time out stating his average was abit inflated. With Dan n Joe staying Dan would ride at 5 with Joe at reserve. I could maybe see the twins going to Birmingham (if they run) or even Sheffield on a low rising start rule. With the twins in the team I personally think it ain't good enough to win the league and Leicester are a club with ambitions to win it every season. Opinions guys?

I never understand it when team managers say that a riders average is inflated. They've obviously rode well enough to earn that average. 

[szkocjasid 3,022]

3 hours ago, stevethelion said:

The simple answer is at present Joe isn't quite as good as Dan yet. The answer to why Dan's scoring tailed off is obvious, he moved into the main team, that's why he shouldn't be given that burden from the start next season.

But that doesn't explain why Leon Flint & Jordan Palin carried on scoring well after moving into the top 5! Their form suggest the jump up from reserve isn't so hard?