Bagpuss

Nothing against Nicholls, but why would you give a nomination to a rider who has failed time after time on the GP stage? The same could be said for Bomber over the last two series - neither will enhance the GP in 2010. Personally I think that Tai needs one more season before he is ready. Fair enough Richardson has failed at this level before, but he has had a break form the GP's and seems to be riding better than ever in all countries. He desereves one more shot at it.

Ok then, it would have been more packed Is he? Too early for the young man in my opinion. Might get a sniff if he wins in Croatia next month but otherwise I can't see it. Lee Richardson would be the Brit pick for me; fair enough he has been there and failed before but he seems to be in the form of his career right now and impressed greatly during his SWC appearance.

I think he will be cannon fodder but he deserves his chance. Bomber and Scotty have had umpteen opportunities and have losued them all up....Richardson for a Wild Card if the organisers want a Brit in the series.

I've got no problem with Peter Yorke but the cost is ridiculous in my opinion. Compare it to fifteen quid for 25 heats of SWC at Peterborough in July; however good tonight's meeting is (and it will be good if they are allowed to prepare the track properly) you ain't going to get value for money compared to that. Its a shame they have decided to charge the earth to get in as I along with lots of others won't be going. If it was £15 the place would be packed.

The lack of posts on the GP threads nowadays says it all unfortunately. I just hope they start getting tracks prepared properly sharpish as the next batch of likely GP riders will entertain given the right conditions, ie Holder, Woffinden, Ward, Jonasson, Hougaard.

Apart form gating poorly, choosing the wrong lines and looking slow, I think our two boys are doing well

5th for Curly....no doubt he will be disappointed but not a bad effort at all

To be fair I can sympathise with Nicholls a little, you would expect all squad members to be given a call before both meetings to be told whether they were in the team or not. However I'm quite happy that he didn't get picked for reasons explained to death over the last fortnight or so. Its still not clear to me whether he was invited to be in the pits or asked to stay away....of course it may have been neither and if so he has missed a trick by not being in the pits and part of the Team for both events. Lee Richardson and Edward Kennett were right in the middle of it all even though they weren't riding and that speaks volumes for their commitment. If Nicholls wasn't told to stay away then his absence says an awful lot about him as a team player.

Damn right

You've got an answer for everything...are you my wife?

Not the best move by Tai...get in there and help by all means but not wearing that.

Yep, respect for that one

Hurrah! The first thing you have come out with this week which makes sense.

Or on the other hand its probably made them more determined to come back stronger next year and in Kennett's case sort his big track game out. No doubt if Bridger had been given the choice this time last week to either sit it out on Thursday night or ride and not score he would choose the former every time. As for leaving Lewis and Danny out of rides, thats part and parcel of SWC speedway. Denmark and Sweden did the same thing, is that going to destroy their riders too

With respect, what a load of horse manure. Lewis was not 'off the pace', and was quite clearly demoralised by the fact that he'd suffered an EF and a tapes exclusion. The experience he has gained this week will be invaluable to him for the upcoming World U21 Final, and next year's SWC (as well as many after that).

Hopefully Russia, but I imagine Poland will win at a canter.

On that we can agree.....quite how and when Test matches can be fitted in I'm not sure but they need to be. I accept that but I'm sure that Rob's management has squeezed extra points out of them both compared to Jim Lynch's approach last year.

Bridger & King only contributed a point but no doubt they learned in one night what a season's worth of league racing would teach them. They are our future, not a GP struggler on the way down. And the fact that those two 'full strength failures' were so much better than last year must tell you something. Scott Nicholls was overlooked for what must be a very good reason....I look forward to hearing it in the coming weeks.

To be fair its only the Lynn haters and the Rosco lovers who want Rob out, and they are in the vast minority. Toogood has already come out and publicly backed him, so he is here to stay What a load of old squit. The guy has a cool and calm approach rather than bleating and blahing like Rossiter....the fact that a great team spirit has been generated from not having one at all says everything about what Rob brings to Team GB. The benefits of this week will be seen in years to come....I can't believe that a few are being so obtuse and can't see it. A young side nearly qualified for the final last night, whereas a 'full strength' one last year came nowhere near.

Nicholls quite obviously hasn't been interested this week, unlike Richardson who has been a credit to himself. Only the obtuse few can't see that. I hope that Rob and the lads read this forum as the vast majority of people are behind them and their principles....as they say 'you reap what you sow', as I'm sure we will all see in a few year's time

But its not an acceptance of being third best - its the recognition that last years effort was shambolic with our 'strongest team' and that we have a group of young riders who can be serious contenders in a few years time if they are given the experience. And if you think that Lee Richardson riding on Monday instead of Danny King would have given us a chance of winning the meeting then I can only laugh The fact that Scott Nicholls was not in the pits either on Monday or tonight speaks volumes for his commitment......surely he can't be surprised at being dropped from the team after a quite awful season so far. And someone remind me how he faired in the Lezno GP? People were crying out for his exclusion from the team after a dreadful start to the year, and when that happens people moan! Hopefully Test Matches can be arranged, but as Trees says fitting them into rider's schedules is the hard bit.

Well after the debacle of the last two SWC's this week has put some pride back into Team GB for me. Nobody gave us a prayer tonight but the lads only lost out in the last few heats when a full strength Swedish team finally showed up. I would much rather be a second rate team with promise than a second rate team with none, ie last year's side. Who would you have picked instead? Kennett was dreadful on Monday, and Nicholls obviously doesn't want to be involved after being dropped for the first meeting. Nonsense. His official FIM programme had the gates down as per the first running of the heat. And he is a bloke who keeps his cool rather than ranting and raving all over the place. Cool heads are needed in pressure situations.

I would imagine that Peterborough's shale has a little less clay in it, but thats the only difference. Its a myth that the NA track is three feet deep in dirt, and that line is usually trotted out by people who haven't even been!

I thought it looked slicker than normal last night, but at the same time it was smoother....I think the secret was the work done after heats 5, 10, 15 & 20. Went to the EL pairs in 2005 and the racing was poor, so having class riders doesn't always mean great racing....the GP's so far underline that. The track has to be right too.