Not many teams ever get put together where you have quite probably one of the best two riders for that position in the league... The top two are both genuinely World Class... Brennan is a perfect third HL level rider, not quite good enough to be a one or five yet consistently, but ideal at Number Three... Both King and Ellis can be very inconsistent as a 3rd HL, but, again, perfect top level second strings when matched against all the other twos and fours... And, in Dan T, they almost had a cheat code at reserve given his development this season... Add in the RS was the best available, (shouldn't he have gone to Brum under the rules?), and you had a team well above the team limit by brilliantly using UK talent in the main... A huge advantage in team building versus the other three in the play offs, (especially when Woffy got injured), so it means all the pressure is on them to deliver now over the next few matches... If they all click then, statistically, they win comfortably., however, they won't possibly ever get a chance to put such a team together again, so, that in itself, will bring some added pressure to deliver the trophy.  

I'm sure this season was the first of 3 years at a 40 point limit. As the limit should average at 42, that means a weaker league. But when they vote for a 3 year plan, it doesn't always last!

I don't know if I thought they'd win every meeting, but I did think Ipswich were massive favourites. I guess that was partly based on them having 2 x near 10 point riders. That hasn't happened this year.

I wouldnt be averse to the points limit going up?

Maybe they feel both Doyle & Brennan wouldn't beat an opponent in heat 13, with Doyle more likely to win heat 12? Personally I'd have the top 2 at 1&5.

So, the play off place orders are sorted and the semi final opponents seem to be a fair reflection on performances over the season. Not sure what the statistics are but, physiologically, it is always considered that it is preferable for the second leg of a meeting/match (in most sports) to be at home. Hence the incentive for a top two finish. Unfortunately in speedway, the weather can intervene and suddenly, the second leg becomes the first leg, even at this important stage of the season. It does make you wonder, even in this squeaky clean sport of ours, how much effort teams with the first leg at home are prepared to put in when they have to battle with wet tracks or the prediction of later rain. Or is the order of home and away legs really that important after all, maybe not?