Ben91

People need to stop suggesting one big league it's a horrendous idea. The simple, simple answer is that the EL needs to go to one race night and use squads. If tracks cannot race on that night then tough, drop out of the EL and race PL. There are plenty that could commit to racing once every fortnight at home on a Monday. They do when Sky are in town. An eight team EL, no B fixtures, just fourteen league matches, then play-offs. How do you fill the empty dates? Run an NL side. Help the future of British speedway. People who want their fix will go to watch NL meetings and have to pay less to get into them too. The one race night in the EL would help the PL too as teams will be able to track their full 1-7 every week because there will be no fixture clashes. British riders will be able to ride in both leagues and that will benefit our riders and our nation's chances on the world stage too. The answers are there but people are too scared to upset an already rotten applecart.

NBJ would be my only definite to retain at this point. Now he is an asset Kennett will stay I think, he's a proper number one so there can be no complaints about that. If NBJ carries on as he is Kennett might not even be at number one next year. Of the rest I'd keep Kasper on the right average. Mellgren has never kicked on as he should have, yes he's had injuries but we can't keep bringing him back to average six. Boxall, no. He's had far too many chances now. Robin is too inconsistent. Maassen shouldn't have been signed in the first place. Luke I'd like to see lead the Raiders side. I'd like to see us make a move for Branford as our bottom averaged rider. If he is enjoying his time as a Raider it isn't inconceivable he would be willing to swap Edinburgh for Rye in the PL. If we have the powerful top two of NBJ and Kennett we can certainly build a team to challenge for the title and if we don't then it would be an outrage.

The side with the highest scoring reserve pairing will win this. Branford v Bowen in particular is the key battle.

Think Bates is one of if not the most over rated British rider about at the moment. Rye have a history of making average reserves look like world beaters around their home tracks. Remember Danny Warwick scoring almost 20 for Berwick against us round Shielfield Park one year, of course though he did go on to win the world title didn't he. Garrity is a good rider and will develop further no doubt but only to a point because his attitude seems to leave a lot to be desired.

I see Len seems to be complaining about fans having their own opinions in the local press again too. Maybe for once he should listen to the people paying their way to watch the team each week rather than tell them they're wrong constantly. We won at Berwick yes but they seem to be a team in crisis at the moment. What I've noticed in press releases this year too is an acceptance that we are going to go to away tracks and lose. As a travelling fan you don't want to hear that despite how true it may be. He may have been when he was at Sunderland but times change and if you're good at your job you will change with them.

FWIW I don't think he's much better, if at all, than the likes of Ellis, Branford, Clegg etc. If he is going to ride as a Brit he shouldn't be held back from riding in the PL, James Sarjeant has competed in the NZ championship before and wasn't saddled with a five point PL average.

Ten years ago, doesn't seem possible. The good old days!

In which case he should have started the NL season on a three point average and be eligible to guest/ride for a PL side on a three point average too.

The one thing that annoys me is that we've never had a satisfactory answer as to why the guy is riding NL as he isn't British.

Paid seven is more than Greenwood scored in any meeting he rode for the Rockets. Luke is the best rider available on that four point figure. The issue is with the reserve pairing on the whole, the Maasen signing was crap, lets not sugar the pill. It's not too late to make more changes for this season, it's too late to save the season though.

Well yes he is, born in France maybe but his parents are British and he races as a Brit.

And? He's not even British.

Maybe one day he'll be as good as Mitchell Davey.

This is why I've been avoiding Rockets meetings and going to watch the Raiders. Who sat down and actually thought Maasen was the answer? Other promotions are proactive we are reactive and very slowly at that. There are plenty of riders out there who could have come in and kept Robin at reserve. It would be so easy to build a winning team at Rye, the track lends itself to one that offers home advantage, when prepared right the racing can be good too. The more time goes on the more it seems that the 2005 and 2007 title winning sides may have fallen into place by good fortune rather than planning.

PL teams weren't interested because there are a lot of Friday night meetings in the PL that he would miss due to his Lakeside commitments. At least that's my understanding of it. Nothing to do with his ability but as a young Brit he should be encouraged to ride as much as possible, even if that means in all three leagues. BWD is probably running at a higher average than Ellis without checking, is he too good for this level too Alex? Shall we chuck him out too and make Eastbourne use Niall Strudwick instead?

Don't be daft, or would you rather see a young British prospect without a team spot?

Doubling up should be for Brits only. If you're not British you ride PL or EL simple. Any Brits stepping up to the EL for the first time should do so on a three point average if they aren't in the draft, not a converted PL figure. This promotes the use of British riders. Again, simple. These things shouldn't be done to pander to Brits, they should be done as something of a selfish move to help our riders progress first and foremost and improve British Speedway as a whole in the process.

Of course but that is the nature of the sport. Greenwood wasn't cutting the mustard and I'd rather see us try to improve the product on track than stick with someone who is not scoring well enough. Bowen is probably the best replacement about that could fit. Though personally I would have replaced Boxall with a rider who has an average higher than Robin to keep him at reserve and tried another three pointer in the place of Greenwood. As it is there will be a lot of pressure on Luke to perform and carry Maasen I think.

That's a little bit extreme, it's not like working your notice, if you're a speedway rider and your head isn't in it then you have to stop going onto the track for your own sake and that of other riders. Luke's future may be in the NL, he may have a strong end to the season for the Rockets and be one of our key riders for the rest of the year, it's too early to judge. Even though we now have nothing to race for realistically.

I was there. So basically you're holding a grudge because it's your grandson? Racing speedway is dangerous, Bowen of all people would know about that and he wouldn't intentionally impede another rider/team mate. I'll say what I like too thanks.

Maybe Bowen was just quicker than Morley.

James McBain was scoring well in the NL last year before his injury/retirement. Better than Ruddick.

Would never work. Much too close to Rye, the track would be tiny too. Possibly one of the smallest in the country.

Nobody to blame but ourselves. Maasen coming in when we have a free scoring reserve thus pushing Robin into the team was an atrocious decision in the first place. Trying not to sound like I'm getting on the bloke's back but it's just baffling. Luke did more than Greenwood would have today but our reserve pairing before the changes would have scored as many if not more than today's reserves. Especially as Robin could have taken two R/R rides while at reserve and he would have scored more from a reserve berth than he did in the team. Our season hinged on the cup and we've blown it. It isn't hard, play to your strengths, in Kasper and Robin we had a good reserve to back up a strong top two and we have decided to ruin that before our most important meeting of the season.

Maasen, awful signing.