2024 Premiership Predictions

[noaksey 345]

4 hours ago, FishersGate said:

I would have waited for Birmingham to finish there side but I predict it won't be strong enough anyways to make a big impression. These predictions are based on if every rider stays fit (un likely I know)

1. Sheffield - 9/10 side. Super strong top 3 at home and real hard chargers in Howarth and Pickering.. Good reserves with room improvement also. Can Chris Holder do the business away from home though? Not so sure. Still a great team though.

2. Ipswich - Best two riders in the league plus plenty of room for improvement with Ellis, Thompson, Jenkins and Rew. Great side and will annoy everyone in heats 13 and 15. 

3. Leicester - Basically have 5 heat leaders at home. Fricke, Lawson, Masters, Douglas are track specialists. Abit like Oxford we have arguably the best 2 and 4 in the league. Weaker at reserve but Thompson will have plenty of practice in the NDL. Becker is the secret weapon here. Like wolves team last year which everyone rote off they still finished in the play offs. 

4. Oxford - Set up like Leicesters but with a stronger number 6. Just lacks a little quality to support Majec. But it's super solid with smart signings like Bomber, Wright and Klindt. Like this side a lot.

5. Belle Vue - Could easily have put this side in third and will probably will regret it. Great heat leader trio but can't see Blodorn and Cook improving much on those averages. Home form is crucial for the aces. I'm torn on this side and il keep changing my mind. 

6. Kings Lynn - Much better than last year, but still not enough. Great number 1 and will be strong at reserve all year. But there's too many inconsident riders in this side for me. Outside chance of the play offs but won't win enough away from home.

7. Birmingham - Unless Lingren signs they don't stand a chance. Based on previous seasons Tolley doesn't know how to build a good side. Flint, Brennan and Worrall are good riders but that's it really. God I hope they pull off a surprise signing but I doubt it. 

I'd have Belle Vue ahead of Oxford but otherwise looks right to me

[szkocjasid 3,027]

Now Leicester are complete, probably won't change.

1. Oxford

2. Ipswich

3. Leicester

4. Sheffield

5. King's Lynn

6. Belle Vue

7. Birmingham

[Spiderman1 183]

Another year of teams changing riders, Sheffield looking too good throughout 

[Teromaafan 586]

1 Ipswich

2 Sheffield

3 Leicester

4 Belle Vue

5 Oxford

6 Kings Lynn

7 Birmingham 

[Phil The Ace 2,860]

Ipswich 

leicester

belle vue

oxford

sheffield

lynn

birmingham

[4BM 116]

1 Leicester

2 Sheffield

3 Ipswich

4 Oxford 

5 Belle Vue

6 King’s Lynn

7 Birmingham 

[TheSmiler 420]

Ipswich
Sheffield
Oxford
King's Lynn
Leicester
Belle Vue
Birmingham

[hyderd 1,216]

         Ipswich

         Sheffield

         Belle Vue

         Oxford

         Leicester

         Kings Lynn

          Birmingham

 

Edited December 13, 2023 by hyderd

[SpeedwayFan91 101]

Sheffield

Ipswich

Leicester

Kings Lynn

Belle Vue

Oxford

Birmingham

(Stars and Aces will be very close)

[Wee Eck 703]

Although Birmingham are not yet complete, there aren’t many riders left to move them away from being favourites for the wooden spoon. Neither Leicester nor Belle Vue look particularly inspiring - where are the riders who are going to really up their averages? Ipswich and Sheffield are powerhouse teams so should be close to the top and Kings Lynn, probably thanks to having Rob Lyon involved, have three of the best ex-Peterborough riders plus Musielak. Had they moved faster on Harris, that could have made them play off finalists. They might still be. And that leaves Oxford. I seem to recall that many were unimpressed with their 2023 CL team yet that nearly topped the league. A lot depends on Janowski. He had a poor year in 2023 - though still good enough to bring home the World Cup for Poland - with an abysmal Cardiff GP, then a bad ankle break and the loss of his GP place. Has double fatherhood mellowed him or motivated him to return to being a world class rider? Magic on top form will take Oxford close to the top so my top four are Oxford, Kings Lynn, Ipswich and Sheffield with either Oxford and Kings Lynn or Sheffield and Kings Lynn contesting the final.

Knowing my ability to predict the future, that means the final will probably be between Birmingham and Leicester

[Pumpy 17]

Really like look of Oxford team , solid . The Ipswich top pair are scary, but two great riders don’t win matches alone. If Brum can get a decent. No1 , should be a great season all round

[Pauldoveyspeedway 144]

On 12/14/2023 at 9:20 PM, Pumpy said:

Really like look of Oxford team , solid . The Ipswich top pair are scary, but two great riders don’t win matches alone. If Brum can get a decent. No1 , should be a great season all round

And a good number 5...

[uk_martin 1,606]

On 12/13/2023 at 11:49 AM, Wee Eck said:

Although Birmingham are not yet complete, there aren’t many riders left...

There are dozens of riders on the continent who have never riden in the UK before who can do a better job than those "few" that you refer to. Broaden your horizons, think laterally. The "PL class of 2023" isn't the sole source of talent in the world.

Edited December 17, 2023 by uk_martin

[Wee Eck 703]

11 minutes ago, uk_martin said:

There are dozens of riders on the continent who have never riden in the UK before who can do a better job than those "few" that you refer to. Broaden your horizons, think laterally. The "PL class of 2023" isn't the sole source of talent in the world.

Apologies. I was being suckered in by the names being bandied about. If Zagar is to be number one then the gaps need to be filled with riders with potential rather than some of the names being bandied about.
I will await the grand reveals to come with interest, but maybe also a little apprehension. I’m prepared to be wowed, but will that happen? 

[uk_martin 1,606]

3 hours ago, Wee Eck said:

I will await the grand reveals to come with interest

As do we all. But here's a prediction that I'd be delighted to be proven wrong...namely that the Brummies #1 won't be revealed until the last minute (or some time in March in any case)

And don't forget the new criteria for signing riders - it has to be a name that the team manager can pronounce properly. 

Edited December 17, 2023 by uk_martin