Ben91

The Buxton side looks pretty solid but the Brummies are favourites for the title for a reason and I don't think any of the Buxton lads have had any meetings yet this season. Can see a big home win but I'd suspect it'll be a closer affair when the Hitmen return to Perry Barr in the league.

What's his average when guesting out of interest? Compare that to his actual average and then you'll have some kind of answer to prove the point either way.

John Sampford knows a lot about the sport at this level and is currently out of a job in the sport.

Len Silver was unhappy that you signed Spiller, he was wrong in my opinion to complain about you making the signing, he didn't have any issue with Spiller himself I'm sure though.

Bowen's performance at Mildenhall is a one off I'd suggest and it's understandable considering the injuries he has had over the years that he'd not be that thrilled about going out on a track which he may consider unsafe. Once the new averages come out their entire top three are likely to be on averages over eight, Joe Jacobs is without a team at this level, Ben Hopwood will be available again soon, Kyle Hughes could even be an option further down the line if he returns to fitness and can't be accommodated back at Eastbourne. Marc Owen may want to make a comeback later in the season. Dan Spiller could be an option for someone come the summer if there's not a space for him at Eastbourne too. There are/will be plenty of options out there for teams with problems at the top end.

You can make whatever changes you like if you re-declare under the points limit, if the team total is over the points limit you can only replace a rider up to his average though. If the total team average has gone up to say 42 and you want/have to replace a 10 pointer and a four pointer you have to replace them like for like and not with two seven pointers.

Mear did more white lines (on the track) than grandmaster flash the last time he was a Rocket.

Indeed, shame he's averaging 4 points less than that right now...

A nice even spread of the scoring for the Rockets, Karger again disappointing. Going to need those kind of scores consistently at home from Lanham and Heeps, even against stronger opposition. We're one rider (and another learning to gate) short of a half decent side. Surely the promotion have seen enough of Karger now to realise he's not going to be anywhere near that five point assessed average.

They're EL draft reserves who are eligible for the NL, there's no problem. It's not like Harris and Nicholls have been allowed to join NL clubs. Some people need to get their knickers out of a twist.

He rides in the Elite League, doesn't make him too good for the NL, let's not kid ourselves.

No rain at present, grey skies though about a mile from the track.

I spoke to a bloke on the street today, he said if it rains he'll put his umbrella up, slowly at first but once it starts pouring he'll open it fully.

Reckon it'll be Cottham if he fits.

I can't see how Birmingham could have accommodated Ellis this year and still built such a good team anyway. Is this going against the grain of the NL? Of course it isn't, he's 20 and a young British talent. If it is going to help him in his progression then we all may benefit in future if he makes the GB squad in the coming years. He's been scoring well for Poole, perhaps he feels that the extra meetings in the NL will help him keep his eye in. Eastbourne are a standalone NL side and need to do what they can to be successful. That said I still think Birmingham and Kent have better sides at present, the Eagles look on par with Cradley, Kings Lynn and Mildenhall in the play-off scrap. Personally I think they'd have been better going along the lines of Owen and Dan Spiller but perhaps those avenues weren't open at this time. The club can't be accused of not trying and not being proactive though.

So to sum it up, you're pleased to have signed Morris?

Branford is better than Karger and has an average a point and a half lower, that frees up a point and a half to sign a better rider further up the order. If we don't sign Branford in the PL someone else will and Branford will end the season with a higher PL average than Karger.

Wouldn't be many if any fixture clashes and we could use guests in that instance anyway.

You could bring in Owen and Dan Spiller for Hughes and Andrews, then you'd have a stronger side than you started the season with.

Agree, Hopwood's a good NL rider but that's it. Hopefully Branford's return will coincide with him replacing Karger in the PL team, then both of our big hitters in the Raiders side will also be Rockets, which ultimately should be the point. Priest has started really well but he's too long in the tooth to go any further than the NL now too IMO.

Not sure what makes it a poor showing when our promotion have said that we're looking to use the NL to develop our lower order riders and due to the top heavy nature of the side we have a lot of those.

I don't know the ins and outs but he was declared in the team, then sold to Ipswich who loaned him to Birmingham. Whether Brum waved the chequebook is conjecture really, only Hume and the Brummies will know that.

What makes him too good for a reserve spot out of interest? Because he's been better than a majority of the other draft reserves over the last couple of seasons? His Premier League average is still below seven, if that's a rider who on the whole is too good to be an Elite League reserve then I worry for the state of the sport. This year is huge for Newman, he'll move into the main body of the side potentially, then when he hasn't got two reserve heats each meeting we'll see how good he really is. He needs a big year at PL level too.

Letting go of Hume looks like a huge mistake right now.

The BSPA had put them on ice in the hope that they could be rescued and they were. He was and is still in the declared Plymouth 1-7 as far as the rules are concerned. Has it worked out well for Hopwood? He'll likely be out of a job again once Branford comes back to the UK, more like making the best of the situation.