Nickinho

I've seen a lot of teams being proposed on this thread but everyone seems to have given up on Bastian Borke. Seems like a wasted effort bringing him in last year to gain experience if he isn't going to be included in this year's team. Paring Paco with Kye this season won't help Kye at all but pairing him with a quality team rider like Vissing would help him a lot and would leave space for Borke to return as the number 2. Kye and Claus would be a far better 3 and 4 than Glasgow's pair Flint and Starke if Claus becomes a Monarch. Also, the second heat leader has to be Riss because Sedgman would be a really underwhelming signing imo (ask any Glasgow fan if you don't believe me) 1 Pickering 2) Borke 3) Kye 4) Claus 5) Erik 6) Coles 7) James

This would be a strong looking septet: 1) Josh Pickering 8.63 2) Bastian Borke 4.00 3) Kye Thomson 6.48 4) Claus Vissing 6.24 5) Erik Riss 7.35 6) Connor Coles 2.63 7) Max James 2.00 Total 37.33

You're assuming that Allen will be the number five for Scunny but with the average they currently have they could bring in Riss and still have 4.96 left over for their number 2. Schlein, Barker and Ben Cook are all better than Sedgman and when most teams roll into town they will line up with THREE riders who are better than Sedgman. Signing Sedgman at 5 would be a poor move imo especially with the poor form he exhibited at the end of last season (and no that wasn't him trying to bring down his average either)

It is a very good side but I don't agree that Zach Cook is a heat leader. He's a 24-year-old six pointer who has never impressed me around certain away tracks especially Ashfield where he has often looked like a reserve but Poole definitely look like potential title winners for 2024.

Thanks. That's a shame for the lad

Does anyone know if Jordan Palin has fully recovered and wants to return to speedway after sitting out 2022 due to a bad injury? I think he's still only 19 and had an average of around 5 points.

Hans Nielsen?

He didn't do too badly at Poole during 2023 and he knows Armadale well. I'm not a huge fan of Roynon's but Paco, Lasse and Borke are hardly world beaters at this level either and having Paco at number four next to Kye would be signalling defeatism before the season has even started imo. A top four of Pickering, Howarth, Riss and Thomson would offset any failings Roynon has and I can genuinely see him being able to attain a 4-point average at number 2 in a weakened league, which you have to remember has a lot of younger 2-pointers at reserve this coming season who will probably struggle initially.

I've had a couple of Morgan's Spiced rums tonight but how about this for a new look team for 2024? 1 Pickering - 8.63 2 Roynon - 3.42 3 Riss - 7.35 4 Thomson - 6.48 5 Howarth - 7.76 6 Hodder - 2.00 7 James - 2.00 Total points - 37.64 *I know Roynon isn't ideal in the main body of the side but he does know Armadale well after riding for the Academy side last year and he would free up room to allow for the possibility of four heat leaders in a weaker league and seeing as Poole are tracking a couple of 2-point riders I'd be prepared to see Hodder and James given a chance at 6 and 7. After last season what is there to lose?

I was really impressed with Connor in the u21 final, he finally added an often lacking component to his racing - toughness. I think he could take a really big leap this year if he is able to keep that kind of edge to his racing.

The "exciting news" is that the snack bar is keeping prices at 2023 levels next season.

Heat 13: Edinburgh 1 - 5 Glasgow -- Harris 3 Worrall 2* Riss 1 Sedgman 0 Heat 15 Edinburgh 1 - 5 Glasgow -- Worral 3 Harris 2* Sedgman 1 Riss 0 That's the reality if Sedgman and Riss are the two heat leaders next season.

Craig Cook comes in as Workington's number 1 I have to say that if I was the promotor I wouldn't have touched him with a bargepole but maybe this season he won't walk out on his club at an important time of the season, who knows.

Any opinions on the Tigers moving up into the top league next season? Birmingham and Oxford have done it this year and it's not like Edinburgh bring over enough fans for those 3 derby meetings per year to be missed from a financial perspective so I'd really like to see a change of setting next season especially with fewer of the better riders like Basso able to be accommodated in this league even if he wanted to thanks to the new lower points limit which has been set at a measly 38. Bit of a controversial opinion but I just wondered what other people's thoughts on this are. As we've seen from international meetings (especially the GP qualifier) the track would be very condusive to elite riders riding it so the racing would be even better than it already is.

That Plymouth teams looks like it will struggle as badly as it did last season.

I'm surprised no Polish teams have come in for him

If I was the Poole boss I'd bring back Joe Thompson on a 3.51 Towards the end of the season he was looking like a number 4 and his performance in the u21s around Ashfield was terrific. And speaking of Ashfield, in the first leg of the Championship final he beat Tarasenko fair and square and really impressed me. Bringing in a 4.00 foreign rider could have its disadvantages and being old fashioned I'd rather see places go to British riders.

I think this would be better if Kye could show a bit more of the form which led to that 15 point maximum against Berwick and the 11 points from 4 rides against Plymouth but i would understand if others don't agree with me because he was so inconsistent during 2023: 1 Pickering 8.63 2 Borke/Hook/Fredricksen/Joe Thompson 3 Thomson 6.48 4 Castagna 5.30 5 Riss 7.35 6 Coles 2.63 7 James 2.00 I wouldn't take Sedgman if i was the team manager as he's just not a heat leader imo. I wouldn't be confident putting him out in Heat 13 against the likes of Oxford who track Masters and Nicholls at 1 and 5.

Could he not learn anything from Rory Schlein last year?

Nathan definitely improved last year after a very difficult 2022 with Poole in which he stepped into a strong Pirates team well before he was ready for the Championship. He's worthy of a reserve spot in the league this year.

He's good but he's certainly NOT one of the hottest prospects in world speedway. His averages over the last three seasons in the Championship (according to the speedway-stats website) are; 2021 7.05 2022 7.17 2023 6.93 This leads me to believe that he has stagnated a bit or maybe even reached his peak but who knows, perhaps he just needs a change of scene and riding for the Tigers and not being given the captain's armband might do him the world of good* *Although i have to say that i've never been impressed with him around Ashfield in the past.

Pretty sure they signed him to be a reserve not a heat leader and as a 2 pointer he will definitely increase that with a good run in the team. I like his riding style and he seems to have a good set-up so at the moment it's looking like a good signing for the Scorpions

Danyon is a great signing for Berwick. He's a tough competitor and i really thought he would kick on after his season at Ashfield in 2022 but last year was disappointing so here's hoping he will be back to his best in 2024. Dickson is quietly putting together a strong looking team in the borders.

Luke Harrison is a great signing. I saw him a few times last season and he never looked out of his depth and at 16 he can only get better.

No to Sedgman. He looked disinterested in the play-offs guesting for Edinburgh and couldn't buy a point and his average is way above what he gives imho. For example who would you take from Sedgman (7.69) and Brennan (7.15) if given the choice? There's really no contest.