Islander15

Honestly? About 6-8th in the league. A good showing in the Trophy group where I think any of the 3 could top it, but the Warriors could be let down by having several riders new to the track. Based on Kent's showing yesterday they'll just about edge the KOC cup, but again I think it will be close as will the potential next round against Coventry. As to the Pairs, Compton and Cockle may have large averages but I don't see them as strong as some pairings but Cockle knows KL well so that'll help. But Baseby & Smart are strong 3rd & 4th averaged riders, so I think they can make the Fours final.

I haven't seen Bewley yet but based on his winter champs scores at Scunthorpe then he's a talent. But having not ridden NL yet, I assume the PL is too soon right now.

In the speedway star season preview Jon Cook has put Lakeside 1st and Coventry last! I think that's biased or stupid or both

For anyone at the practice session last night, which NL riders turned up?

What's a good website to look at last year's league tables?

Hughes confirms his broken leg near the ankle on Facebook. He's having an operation tonight or tomorrow to have it screwed. Best wishes to him!

Welcome to Kelsey and Compton. Its great to see Kelsey given a chance this year after an unfortunate winter for him. You have to feel sorry for Perks in all of this, having left two clubs already this season! Best wishes to him and I think he'll add points to his average wherever he ends up this year. I'm sure we'll see Brendan around this year!

It's a very good opportunity for Mildenhall to get some early away points in the bag.

I agree that Holder, Kurtz and Newman would all make the team stronger but Rob is loyal and a man of his word so I can't see him going for someone else after promising Lyager a place.

Yes, true that! It's down to interpretation again and presumably the conversation that they had at the AGM.

Jakobsen isn't riding on Thursday but Huckenbeck is, yet Peterborough don't have a meeting. So that makes it look like NBJ is number 8. I though number 8s had to be new to British Speedway, not just the EL, which meant they were a 4.00 and not on a converted PL average.

Nor did the riders by the looks of Twitter!

Awful news! Did Devils fans know this was imminent and that they had to turn up last week? I wonder if they'll be back in the NL next season.

That maybe the case. I took the wording of new to just mean that they can't make any signings because the rider would then become new to the club! But yeah, if you already have assets then you can keep them.

Cradley have announced Basford & Chessell as assets. How does that work?

There aren't any in the NL this year! But if the away side is losing heavily and they're just being outgated, then it adds something to the second half of the meeting imo. I dislike it when teams win the meeting because of the 'extra' points, give them something to race for by all means but I don't think it's fair when they win 47-46.

Football stadiums have them too.

If someone says they aren't going to a live meeting because someone is videoing it on their mobile phone then I don't believe they ever had intentions of going in the first place!

A great meeting with action up to the line on several occasions! Heat 15 was a brilliant race and the best I've seen this year Wilko has a small break in his collarbone but is attempting to ride for KL on Thursday apparently. A tough breed these speedway riders haha!

Nicki's response was more entertaining haha.

Fair enough, I wasn't thinking that Branford wouldn't have ridden yet. Yes because the Isle of Wight had no facility for Bekker when he got injured in preseason a couple of years back.

They aren't clubs under the jurisdiction of the BSPA though, are they? The amateur league follows a completely different system where they make up their own rules and league structure.

Yes, facilities are allowed for 'any other reason' in the NL. It doesn't just have to be injury.

But both should be allowed to happen within the rules and the rider should be allowed to choose whether he wants to sign for a Poole or a Buxton! If a EL club spots a talented rider (I think Neil Vatcher saw Adam Ellis first) then by all means let the EL club promise him this and that and sign him up and loan him to the NL (IOW at the time), and if the rider is happy with that then let it happen. If a NL club spots a rider (take Jason Pipe and Ryan Burton as an example) and gives him his first team place and gives him practice sessions (I know the pair have often been to Scunthorpe this winter) then give the rider the option to sign as an asset of that NL team! NL teams have lots to offer because at the end of the day the most important thing is competitive track time, and you get that in the NL!

The new ruling only prevents standalone NL sides from signing assets, and the situation you describe is completely allowed. The whole rule change stinks!