DC2

Using 7.34 on Josh, no Holder or Newman on bargain averages and Woryna reassessed on 6 or more - blimey, Poole will struggle next season. Could be the worst Pirates team since 2009 ..... err....... or last year.

Fact is, Poole sacked Newman while Swindon stood by Ellis despite him not being an asset. Poole have always gone for pragmatism - or indeed sharp practice - rather than loyalty.

Really???? Despite the fact that in the 145 riders you have proposed for Poole, you haven’t mentioned him once???

Nope. Signed as a heat leader

..... but Holder finished 10th in the GP standings, ahead of Piotr Pawlicki, and yet he could be 7.16 next season while Pawlicki may be 9. That makes no sense in terms of fairness regardless of Holder riding here this year. Why shouldn’t Pawlicki remain on his 2014 average of 7.32?

I think those statistics might prove your point if you were dealing with an inanimate object, but I’m not sure it does with human beings, being riders whose form and personal life ebbs and flows and declines or improves.

50 divided by 1.4 is 35.71, divided by 42 makes 85%. On this statistical basis you can argue that the league has been reduced in quality every year that the team building limit is less than 42, but in reality I wonder if this is the case.

Could you explain that?

You often say Musielak was a number one in Poland, but he was not. He was 45th in their averages.

Was it? It didn’t seem any weaker than any year since the draft reserves were introduced and going further back Adams and Crump regularly exceeded a 10 point average while this season Doyle got only 9.67.

Col must be gutted that Masters has signed already when he spent four months last year saying he wouldn’t sign for 2017!

Leicester and Somerset had 4/5 point reserves this season and look where it got them. It’s doubtful that many more teams would choose such reserves. Regardless, Smith rode against them this season and achieved 1.7 so with that experience he should achieve 2 next season.

Yep, me too. 14 points in the bag. Sad really, Poole used to be competitive.

Yep, Karol Baran is ready, willing and ............ about as able as the rest of the 2018 Pirates!

Yeah, but a number one for Poole. I mean, come on. Stevebrum could’ve got into that side!

Right, Scott, step up to the plate, you owe us all a pint!

Nope, fair play to Prof Starman being a stickler for spelling and grammar.

Didn’t it used to be the case that you could drop back down a league on your old average, so Zach could return to the Championship on his 2016 Somerset average of 2.67?

Of course he was; so he can get his annual advantage, fiddling Holder in on 7.16.

Surely the 5 berth is as hard as the 1 berth, both riding twice against the other team’s number 1 and 5 and then heat 15?

For me, any current or previous year GP rider should have a minimum average of 8. The fact that they are GP standard should overrule any lower average that they get. Chris Holder’s current average has several explanations, none of which fairly makes him a true 7.16 standard rider for next season. This season’s personal issues and unhappiness at Kings Lynn (whether intentional “average dropping” or not) should not allow a team to take advantage of that next season. A minimum 8 rule would not affect those who achieved more, such as Doyle and Lindgren.

And we now get a 1.3 multiplier between the leagues instead of this year’s 1.2 and previous years’ 1.4. The averages for Woryna and Holder need adjusting in the interests of fairness.

Wouldn’t Palm Toft also be in the Danish League on a Wednesday?

He’s ridden for two years too. Oh, brill, three years. Thanks.

Why would Zach get a reduction? Isn’t it just for two years and he has had those with Somerset and Swindon?