Islander15

He’s not really kicked on at all so hopefully a change of track will finally get him back on track in his career.

An ageing team but nevertheless a lot better than I think most expected. It should be happier home fans this term with a genuine number 1 and always a strong reserve whether that be Nicholls or MPT or someone else!

So we’ll need a new man in charge and inevitably new ideas! If he can cope with the workload I think there’s only one man for the job. That is Barry Bishop! If that’s a conflict of interest then I think there’s another obvious appointment, if he has enough time on his hands: Connor Dugard!

We will see if he’s ‘easily a big scorer’ but he has been signed to replace the second heat leader yet he has never achieved an average over 7! Even if by some miracle he does excellent this season, is he really going to be promoted to the Diamonds set up and be a prominent figure for years like Clegg is looking like he could be and other Gems like Freeman and Halder could be?!

He halved his average last year and is nearer state pension age than Flint’s age!

Who wants to watch Wallinger rather than Flint? This decision is a shame for Newcastle fans and those of clubs that the Gems will travel to.

Have Poole forgotten that there’s promising young Brits around, or did they look straight Down Under?!

Yes Phillips said he wanted to run some practices first.

Flint is one of the best riders in the league, in fact he has the 4th highest average of NT riders (and that includes Clegg). Brough Park will be a new track for most NL riders and I’m sure Leon will get some practice in too.

Quite a nice blends of youth and experience. I do think that team will struggle on the away tracks with a couple of riders in there who haven’t ridden an awful lot but Clegg & Flint will nearly go through the card every home meeting. Tbf Clegg could go through the whole NT campaign home and away unbeaten! But the main point is to get experience for them all which they will get at Brough Park and good to see Rob Grant putting effort into the venture.

With Flint & MacDonald joining Newcastle, that makes it even less clear who is going to ride for the Devils.

I feel like it’s another rider who’s getting on because of his motocross background rather than instant ability on a speedway bike.

Chattin’s local ish though. Possibly the worst reserves in the league but tbf we’re all making assumptions about Woodward. It’s a decent top 5 though so should ease the pressure on the reserves.

More second teams but less stand alone teams which Rye House would be.

It says 6 or 7 home meetings. So are they running 3 or 4 challenge meetings to supplement the NT?

Swindon & Leicester were also allowed to pick riders of other teams upto the normal points limit. They got little criticism as they didn’t build ‘super teams’ whereas Cradley cherry picked all the best riders.

Sounds a good idea to me. I’ll try to make it up when the Warriors are there.

Made it clear how?

So Masters it is then. That leaves you quite a bit under the points limit so if you wanted 6 of the 7 back, why not sign a stronger rider than Nicol?

They’ve shut this idea down because the BSPA want to shut down the wholeness league! Their idea is clearly a 2 tier concept with a genuine training league like the MDL so why would they effectively let Reading step up from the MDL to the NL when they want to shut down the NL anyway?! The name thing is all a cover ploy to stop a new team entering a league that they don’t want to exist.

It’s 8% but I’m not sure whether they get that only once or per season. But you have to be injured and not just choosing to take a season out.

The only way he could get an average discount is if he missed the whole previous campaign through injury, which obviously he didn’t.

Yes so if Hume signed, it’d be 7.02 for 2 more riders.

Warriors complete with Tom Woolley. A stronger team this year! Morley is a stand out rider in the league and can hold his own anywhere. Campos & Woolley are a dependable middle order and there’s average improvement definitely in Campos. Woolley, I think, will improve slightly with a stable home base and he’s tasted second tier racing now. Hopefully Coles fares a bit better than his last Smallbrook spell but he’s improved as a rider since and also has second tier experience now. Those 3 aren’t big names as 2nd & 3rd heat leaders, unlike BV, but there’s strength in depth and none on a downward trend. But I believe the real strength is at the bottom. Wirtzfeld & King have both had a season now and impressed at times last year and should again add 1-2pts to their averages. Leek is a new recruit but was having a great season last year until injury and should be one of the best 3.00 riders and could add 2pts himself. Any bad spell by any of the 3 will drop them to reserve to reignite their season with no worries over who steps up to number 2. More than happy. I can see a play-off campaign coming, a close call between the Warriors & Mildenhall for the NT, a decent KOC effort, a strong NL Fours run and not forgetting hosting the NL Pairs!

That was announced via the official channels last week, so no secret.