szkocjasid

It also depends who is available, for example a 5.5 rider who you expect to rise to 6.5 may be a better choice than Lambert, but a 3.00 man who could get up to 3.75 isn't! No point in people being negative about Lambert unless than can point out better options available!

I don't think you are far wrong

Well apparently the following riders aren't wanted by the majority: Auty, Newman, Shanes, Morris & Sedgmen and there's not a lot else out there, it's not easy to pick a team of available riders! Birmingham 2022? Ulrich Ostergaard 7.96 Paco Castagna 5.52 Adam Roynon 5.08 Jack Thomas 4.79 Vinnie Foord 2.00 Josh Warren 2.00 Kai Ward 2.00 Total 29.35 I know this won't be the team, but the point I'm trying to make is that's it's easy to say "no I don't want rider A,B or C" but harder to suggest available replacements, which not many do!

I don't think team managers do "think ahead", when teams have r/r for a few weeks in a row, they always seem to use the riders in the same order for r/r outings. They don't seem to change plans based on who the opposition is!

Who would you prefer then?

Plus if a team has r/r at number 2, they can use their strongest r/r in heat 8!

I'm pleased Lambert has got a team spot, can't understand the negativity from some about his signing. You know what you'll get from Lambert 6-8 points at home, 3-5 points away, not bad at all for a second string.

Two thoughts on this, what if these missing riders will be out for months? Also fans who have booked hotels in advance will be out of pocket, if meeting cancelled.

Tbh I don't know what average he should've been given, previously world class, but had missed many seasons!

I don't get your point? He couldn't drop below 4.00, but any rider can drop below their assessed average.

You're right to question that position, they could finish higher up!

Slightly different as Crump was on an assessed average after many years out, not on an injury reduction

Exeter won in 2000, I think it was quite a few years after the bonus points were dropped. I know Swindon were unhappy as they had won more matches than Exeter but finished 2nd!

CRC now Championship riders Championship, doesn't have a great ring to it though.

Well Tai was born in Britain, so he doesn't have to "claim" to be British! If Connor gets a 2.5% reduction, I'll consider him British!

I think Exeter are less likely to have win using the current system, though they did win a couple of away matches. But I was more thinking win all your home matches, pick up losing points away, then qualify in the top 6, followed by winning on aggregate! All possible without away wins (but not likely)

I'd love to see the 4TT back!

It is technically possible to win the league without winning a single away match.

But if it's not been announced, how do we know that's accurate?

Sounds harsh. Any reason why? They both performed better than Anders Rowe in the Champ.

As long as a rider hasn't been announced, that makes him fair game for team predictions imo!

Who would you pick instead of Rowe? It's easy to say don't sign someone, but harder to offer a sensible alternative!

It is, but it's a pointless exercise. Peterborough could have Hans Andersen & Chris Harris protected in heat 8, but Jordan Palin not protected in heat 9!

Given that second strings can ride from numbers 2-5 I'm not sure how number 4 is risky for Ben Cook but number 2 isn't? If a team manager was trying to be "tactical" he could have moved Schlein to number 4 to counter Brennan / Pickering in the finals last season, but no change was made! Likewise when Plymouth put their weakest top 5 rider Bowtell at number 3, Poole (if they raced them) could've countered by putting Cook at 3! However very few managers, if any, swap riders depending on the opposition. Very little "tinkering" is done!

I get the point you are making that having Zach Cook "out of position" means he'll score less in the top 5, but isn't this countered by having say Ricard Lawson "out if position" at number 3, so scoring more than he would do if he was at 1 or 5?