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The 3 league rule only lasted one year, Hagon is ineligible because his Champ average is over 4.

Do we expect Luke Killeen to remain in the NDL next season?

Found the article I was looking for https://watch.britishspeedway.co.uk/articles/spires-riss-bliss?fbclid=IwY2xjawG27Z9leHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHVa6dkbQ9aVZTUKKD5xRoHI2lIK5Hu_wkNQCmrG85dm7uW-73DmAiP1Kog_aem_mWtSPBh7pCjkRjPJ9eP5pg Highlighted a few comments by Schroeck about Riss: OXFORD boss Peter Schroeck believes that Erik Riss can be a huge star “once he realises how good he is”. The Spires have snapped up the hugely-talented German for their ROWE Motor Oil Premiership campaign in 2025. Riss joins up with Rohan Tungate, Charles Wright and Luke Killeen at Cowley for next season. He said: “I really want to step it up and be consistent all the way through in 2025. “I’m very excited to be back at Oxford next year and thank Peter (Schroeck) and Jamie (Courtney) for putting their trust in me. “I really enjoyed my time at Oxford in 2024 and we had a great team. We will also have a great team next year and I am already excited to be riding at Sandy Lane again.” Schroeck is convinced that Riss can be a big-hitter for the Spires. He said: “He’s a top rider and in the right environment we get the most out of him, as he showed last year. “Once Erik realises how good he is, he will be even better. We are very lucky to have him back on board and I am obviously delighted.” If Riss is a good as Schroeck believed he is, why is everyone concerned about the lack of a number one? Does Schroeck know something we don't know? If Riss is as good as Schroeck believes he can be, then Oxford could possibly challenge for the title (if they build to 40 points).

Oxford make the first NDL signings for next year. Ashton Vale (6.17) & Senna Summers (3.44) returning to Cowley.

Unless the rules have changed Sam Hagon, Joe Thompson, Nathan Ablitt, Luke Harrison & Jake Mulford won't be allowed to ride in the NDL any more.

Interesting, as I was typing a post, you've come out with virtually the same point.

Unfortunately there's not a lot of encouragement for Poole to enter a development league, what have they done since they last rode in the third tier in 2010? Run one junior meeting last year (because they had to). Yet they've apparently signed arguably the most promising junior since then (Cairns) for the team in June next year. If they can spend no money on developing junior riders, yet still pick up the best prospects, what incentive is there for them to do any more (than they absolutely have to)? As much as I'd like them to enter a development league, if they run Speedway to make a profit & don't feel the need to help develop riders for the future, they don't have to. Certainly is a shame they don't.

Quick glance at the averages, Belle Vue had the highest team average at the end of the season, if they dropped Hagon (no longer eligible) for Shimelt, they'd still be 3 points over the limit. I wonder if some higher averaged riders may ride for one team & lower averaged riders find it easier to race for 2 clubs?

My idea would be riders racing for Kent in the league would also race for Kent in the trophy, so no clashing of riders. Imagine if Cairns made his debut in the trophy only & guested 3 times in the league, he'd be starting on a 3.00 average this season (if only league matches count).

I'll disagree, there is an option to ride in both if another club assisted them? For example if Kent said, "we'd like to ride in both competitions to make it more worth our while, we don't want to rent a stadium for only 4 meetings a season" what's to stop Oxford for example saying, "ok in that case we'll go in the Trophy & you can take our place in the league" Maybe they didn't ask, maybe no current team thought to offer. All they would've been doing is replacing 5 home league matches for 5 home trophy matches, helping Kent & giving riders more matches. For the sake of new stand-alone teams etc I'd like to believe such a scenario would be a possibility.

I'd be happy with Roynon if there was only 3.50 available, but there's gotta be better options nearer or above 4.

I didn't realise Mark Riss had retired, just assumed he carried on racing on the Continent.

It isn't easy making strong looking teams, especially with a low points limit. But I notice you never give alternative teams or ideas to strengthen a team I've put out, just keep telling me they're awful! It's very easy to say a team looks bad without suggesting a better one, anyone could do that. If you think my teams are so bad & must clearly think it's easy to pick a stronger one, why not show me how to do it, you could easily say "how about rider A&B instead of C&D etc.

You wouldn't, this would be the plan if they couldn't find a part time top rider. For example I don't imagine they'd want to sign a 5 point rider, start 3 points below the limit & hope they have enough points available for Nicholls once he's fit.

I'm not sure why you're confused, but I can't help that, except try to explain my ideas. My suggestion wouldn't have required Kent to find 7 new riders, the current NDL riders would just be shared around the 6 league teams, like happens every season with transfers, plus any newbies.

Kent would sign 7 riders who wouldn't ride for anyone else. These riders wouldn't be looking for a second team as they'd be getting double the fixtures just riding for Kent. You wouldn't even need any extra riders, currently there's 6 teams x 7 riders so 42 riders needed. If Kent raced in both & another team went into the trophy, still only need 42 riders to cover both competitions. As for Lynn's replacement (if it was needed) maybe one of the league clubs would be happy with 4 home fixtures instead of 5. Or maybe Scunthorpe / Sheffield would race 2 home matches each instead of 3 & 2 if entering the Trophy? Mind you if a league team entered the Trophy to even up the numbers, they wouldn't end up with less matches than the league sides would as both competitions would have 5 teams. But that would surely be a better alternative than a 4 team trophy (3 home matches each). Hopefully Lynn do enter & alternative plans aren't needed.

If Oxford can't find a top rider to replace Nicholls, how about a solid team with strong reserves instead? Sam Masters 9.15 Cameron Heeps 6.37 Jordan Jenkins 6.21 Dan Gilkes 5.08 Nathan Ablitt 4.91 Jacob Hook 4.19 Luke Killeen 3.85 Total 39.76

Best rider I can see for Workington's last rider would be Jake Mulford, but I'm guessing he'll be back at Redcar, so Jacob Hook would be my next pick. Unless they find a suitable 4.00 newcomer.

I don't want to discriminate because of age. If he wants to try & make it as a rider, he has every right to. Same as 30 somethings Luke Crang or Jason Garrad etc.

If you read Peter Schroeck's comments about Riss, he thinks he's good enough to be a number one. If everyone was a positive as Peter, you'd wouldn't be worrying about not having a number one lol! Can't find the link to share / quote from, darn!

There's loads of 3 point riders who guested in the NDL or rode in Nora matches to fill reserve spaces if needed: Owen Booth, Max Broadhurst, Billy Budd, Josh Couzins, Kieran Douglas, Jacob Fellows, Lee Harrison, Nathan Hargrave, Wayne Hutt, Chris Laidlaw, James Laker, Rhys Laker, Nick Laurence, Eli Meadows, Sam Ward, Morgan Williams, Charlie Wood & Sam Woods.

Those two points don't really clash though? What has someone wondering how the averages work got to do with riders getting track time? You can be very happy riders are getting opportunities whilst still curious about averages.

Would've preferred 6 man teams (5 rides each). Also a tad surprised Kent didn't enter both competitions. Wonder what the plan is if Lynn don't enter, will a league team go into the trophy? Delighted that riders will get more fixtures, well done to all the teams taking part, especially Championship ones as this fills some blank dates in the fixture list.

I wondered that to.

The fans can make it viable by turning up in the same numbers they do for Championship fixtures. Here's hoping they do.