Jonny the spud 2,281 Posted December 20, 2012 Seeing as there's a similar thread in the premier league forum, what's the prognosis for the national league next year ? Who do you think is going to be the team/riders to watch and why ? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
arnieg 3,662 Posted December 20, 2012 rider to watch - must be Adam Ellis 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Islander15 1,065 Posted December 20, 2012 Most improved will be Adam Ellis and I can see the league number 1 being between Tom Perry and Stefan Nielsen. As far as teams are concerned Mildenhall look strongest atm but Isle of Wight and Dudley aren't far behind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Islander15 1,065 Posted December 20, 2012 Most improved will be Adam Ellis and I can see the league number 1 being between Tom Perry and Stefan Nielsen. As far as teams are concerned Mildenhall look strongest atm but Isle of Wight and Dudley aren't far behind. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vog 200 Posted December 20, 2012 Most improved will be Adam Ellis and I can see the league number 1 being between Tom Perry and Stefan Nielsen. As far as teams are concerned Mildenhall look strongest atm but Isle of Wight and Dudley aren't far behind. I reckon I could beat the currently declared Mildenhall team...mainly because they don't have anyone yet! Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
MrMungo 708 Posted December 21, 2012 I reckon I could beat the currently declared Mildenhall team...mainly because they don't have anyone yet! Difference between not having anyone and not having them announced, young Vog! For me, Dudley look awesome. They will take some serious stopping. They are the standouts to me, no doubt. IOW have pretty much all of their eggs in one basket, but I'm pretty sure it will work out for them and definitely expect them to be in the top 3. King's Lynn look pretty solid so far. Can see increases for Hazelden and Kerr. Definite possible contenders depending on the final signings. Coventry look good as well. Will be great having them in the NL. Mildenhall are always strong. Stoke have an interesting side. Really hard to predict. All-in-all, it looks like being a very competitive league next year, which has to be good news for all teams. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
vog 200 Posted December 21, 2012 I'll go along with that. Dudley are relying on Clegg and Greaves primarily. They should improve a lot, and you would think that one will stay at reserve all season. I can't see much more improvement from Morris, maybe half a point, and Blackbird should up his (And become a better rider on the tight Monmore track) We have no idea about Buxton yet. Will be interesting to see how their 3 pointer go, and they have the ideal captain to help them progress. Coventry will do well. Missing an out and out number 1, but I think Jacobs could continue and up his average to over 8. Greenwood will be up over 7, but a lot depends on their final signing. IoW are relying on 2 riders for their improvement, and how they go on will define their season. Ellis could well be pushing 8 by the end of the season, and Freemantle is capable of around 5. Perry will be a top guy on most tracks, but Bekker and Hopwood can be very hit and miss. Kent? No riders officially announced, but assuming they have Coles, Morley and Steve Boxall, they will be solid enough. KL have made a good start, and Hazelden is a rider I wanted to be at Stoke. Should be potential there, but again seem to be missing a top rider. Mildenhall have no-one yet, but you can usually rely on them to have a good team. If they can keep Nielsen, Halsey, Bates and Stoneman, they have a good basis for a team there. And finally, my team, Stoke. Lee Smart, if over his injuries, will be a top rider. Ben Reade has the potential to put a touch on his average, and Kyle Hughes, if his head and machinery are right, is a 9 point rider. That could be the makings of a very strong top 3. Luke, being back at a track he knows very well, could nudge his average up to about 6.5. Shaun Tedham didn't really impress me for the Spitfires, but if he achieves 3 then he has done his job. I've not seen Emerson Jones ride, but by all accounts he sounds like a good prospect. If we can get a solid rider in for the final place (Someone who can up from 4.5 to 5.5) then we have the basis for a team that could challenge. So, on that basis, I'm going with: 1) Dudley 2) IoW 3) Stoke 4) Mildenhall 5) KL 6) Coventry 7) Kent 8) Buxton Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
21st century heathen 220 Posted December 21, 2012 I don't think we'll be top, but we should be top 4 with a little to spare. The club have done a cracking job of re-building. Mildenhall will be strong and are also likely to be in the PO's. I fancy Cov to take a PO place too. Good top three should get them there, but where in the top 4 is down to the last signing I think. Stoke have a good team on paper but too many what if's for my liking. What if Smart can't regain his form from two years ago? What if Reade consolidates this season rather than stepping up again? What if Hughes doesn't step up to the plate? It'll be a tough season if they don't all do well. KL will be much more competitive in 2013, which will be good to see. Somewhere mid-table and very respectable for them. Kent and Buxton likely to be the bottom two, but shouldn't be shouldn't be cut adrift as much as KL and Buxton were last season. That leaves IOW who I expect to be the team to beat. Perry will be one of the top two in the league again I think, Bekker will be a good number 2 (he partnered Perry most of last season so his average doesn't reflect how well he rode - 8.69 with BPs and was in stunning form when he crashed out for the season), Ellis is an absolute steal and could easily end up as one of the top 5 in the league. Hopwood and Ritchings are a solid middle order and Freemantle should easily improve significantly. Stoneman should improve to over 4 next season and is another former Heathen so knows Tom and Darryl well I assume. I think that snapping up three riders from the Heathens' table-topping 2012 squad is a smart move because the banter in the team was fantastic last season and I think they will fit in well and that will help off track as well. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Islander15 1,065 Posted December 21, 2012 Interesting to see that you three all seem to rate Coventry, whereas I don't. No disrespect to Joe Jacobs but I don't see him as a true #1 and I think the same about Sarjeant. I can't see much if any improvement from Trevor Heath and I suspect their 3 pointer won't get close to what Greaves would have got. All in all, I can see them being hard to beat at home, but not so good away. Whilst I think Buxton could end up with a good team. If they go for Blacklock, Branford & Wright that still leaves 6.20 for a solid middle order rider, and Atkin will look after the reserves I'm sure. So as Vog has done, I'll go out on a wim and predict a very early season table: 1. Mildenhall 2. Dudley 3. Isle of Wight 4. Stoke 5. Buxton 6. Coventry 7. King's Lynn 8. Kent One thing though I can definitely see happening is no-one will run away like Dudley and Mildenhall this year. And seeing as this is a 2013 thread, any date for the AGM in January? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
21st century heathen 220 Posted December 21, 2012 I'd guess around the middle of Jan but not heard anything official. Hopefully someone can fill us in. Re Cov. I do see JJ and Sarj improving to provide a potent spearhead, and I also think Greenwood should move forward again. A lot will depend on the last signing as well. Remember a handful of last season's big hitters will be missing from the NL in '13 so a few more heat wins will go the way of last season's 2nd/3rd heat leaders even if they don't improve a great deal. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonny the spud 2,281 Posted December 21, 2012 I think a lot of it can depend on if teams can get some pre season team days going. Some riders, Tom / Adam etc, are also racing premier league and will get a chance to " hit the ground running" but the team that gels early in the season is going to be hard to beat. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
greyhoundp 990 Posted December 21, 2012 Winning or losing early season, means nowt, its how they are going at the back end, coming into form in September is what counts, and steering clear of injuries. 1 Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Jonny the spud 2,281 Posted December 21, 2012 Don't know about meaning nowt. I used to try to win EVERY race in my day. It's easier to defend a lead than make up a deficit Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
builderbob 44 Posted January 8, 2013 1 Milldenhall 2 Dudley 3 IOW 4 Stoke or kent depending on who they sign 5 as above 6 Buxton 7 coventry 8 Kings lyn Perry and Neilsen to be top riders both getting close to 11pt ave Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
