Col

Not been checking in much.... What happened with Holder?

MPT has signed for Kings Lynn.

Hayley Bromley is the centre green announcer at NSS usually. if that is who you mean, she also writes a column in the programme. She's far better than Porkie from Monmore and the guy at EoESg. I don't mind the guy that does it at Owlerton & Perry Barr as much as those two, but she's more knowledgeable than him IMO.

Hopefully Bydgoszcz on Saturday & Poznan on Monday. Don't really wish to watch follow the leader at Gdansk again.

Hoping to be in Poland this weekend, Friday at Torun, Sunday at Grudziądz. Don't think Rybnik is close by but the other three are. When is it likely to be known which meeting(s) are on the Saturday & Monday? Racing at Poznan any good?

Don't know if it has been mentioned previously but GiveusaB Comlin wish is not happening, he's signed or Glasgow

4.79 I think.

Solid if unspectacular team. Except for Thompson there is no potential improver. Maybe Fricke will have a better year away from NSS, he had a very poor year in the GP's (Warsaw aside), perhaps he's peaked. Maybe not riding in Ekstraliga last year affected him, not the case this year. Morris & Lawson you'd think have peaked, Sedgman & Harris are on the downward spiral. But if they make the playoff's, they could surprise someone. I'd put the Lions behind Sheffield & Belle Vue, but as good if not better than Kings Lynn. But better than Wolves. Think allot depend on the (final) signings for Witches & Panthers as to whether they'll be nailed on for playoffs or in the mix for 4th spot.

You can't keep protecting riders though, I'd say Poland have it right except for the U24 position should be only for a Pole. Sadly there is not the conveyor belt of talented youngsters coming through the ranks in Britain that there is in Poland.

But it isn't like any of those are successful! And I was brought up going to the Hawthorns every other weekend, usually Villa or Walsall when West Brom were away. Aston Villa have been crowned English league champions 7 times, Wolverhampton Wanderers 3 and West Bromwich Albion once. The last time the English league champions were form the West Midlands was 1981. Compare that to the other big cities in England. Liverpool (& Everton) have 28, as do Manchester (City & United). London has 21. 11 for the West Midlands. And now the closest professional Rugby Union team is in Gloucester or Leicester with Wasps (Coventry) and Worcester going into administration.

The only one I remember seeing last year was Thomas, but I would remember him as he was at the Brummies in previous season so saw a fair bit of him then. The only visiting RS that I remember being impressed by at the NSS was Flint, as Mountain & Brennan are no longer RS's.

But will they do it consistently, I'm pretty sure Flint will.

I'm sure KK will do what KK has always done, blow incredibly hot & cold. Expect a fair few 3 0 3 R. It's whether the 3, 2, 3, 1', 2 nights occur as often as the 0, R , R. The thing is with the Stars septet, Klindt is almost as inconsistent. It will be Jorgensen most of the year, I'm sure of that. Not convinced he'll prove to be better than Kerr and possibly Blodorn over the course of a season.

You do Doyle a huge disservice putting on par with Masters. I look at once, it looks good, next I can't see a heat win, third time I can see very few 0's on a scorecard. Agreed... But they have the only RS who will take a point off none RS's in the league. Do you think Jorgensen will prove to be better over the course of a season as #6 than Blodorn & Kerr. I'm not convinced. I think this Stars team is relying on MPT to recapture his 2021 form. They have a very solid engine room.

Klindt, Pickering & Edwards.

Klindt & Pickering?

Not listed in the Grudziądz squad on the Ekstraliga App.

Morris averaged 10+ last year, you don't do that inconsistently!

so.. its.. Nick Morris... An.other ... Stefan Nielsen, James Wright, Justin Sedgeman, Alfie Bowtell, James Pearson... Do I spy a Paco Castagna sized void at #2? No... I haven't done the averages sums.

Zagar was an absolute pleasure to watch at the NSS all year, but his away scores were generally disappointing. Fricke was better away from the NSS but I'd expect Bewley to be better. Kurtz was pretty good away from NSS score wise as was Wright. I actually think Belle Vue maybe less dominant at the NSS in 2023 than they were in 2022 but better on their travels.

Unless Zagar is signed by another team... not sure if he's contemplating retirement as not announced as riding in Poland or Sweden AFAIK.

I don't think he does.... From https://www.bellevue-speedway.com/news/belle-vue-aces-2023 I have assumed Lidsey starts at reserve, as his average is the 6th highest ignoring Brennan's 25% RS reduction.

Ekstraliga stats for Lidsey compare well with Premiership 2022 riders.... 26. Jaimon Lidsey 1,628 27. Frederik Jakobsen 1,616 28. Jack Holder 1,602 Elitserien less so... 28. Rohan Tungate 1,700 32. Luke Becker 1,667 41. Jaimon Lidsey 1,425

Lidsey should & Brennan maybe, Blödorn is only 18, would expect him to be at reserve after the first set of averages.. And if he averages enough to get out of the reserve berth he'll be doing well. Needs to improve his away form, but showed signs of doing so at Foxhall & Owlerton in the playoffs with some crucial points.

Too many ifs. Bewley needs to do what Doyle did for Ipswich in 2022, Bewley was better than Doyle in GP's, Elitserien, Zlatá přilba but not Ekstraliga. Same again from Kurtz & Wright. Lidsey needs to be the big improver. If Brennan & Blodorn maintain their averages out of the reserve berth, no more can be expected but I'd imagine both will spend time at reserve. Don't expect much of Mulford, averages less than Jack Smith in NDL. What is this massive home advantage? No Zagar, no home advantage. Lidsey has quite a void to fill. Announced Tigers with Ellis as final piece in jigsaw look stronger. Are Wright's bones being infused with adamantium while the residents of Wakanda build him race suits?