Berwick v Oxford CL 02/08/25 7-00pm

[Normski]

Bandits welcome Oxford in a match they must win to have any remote chance of a playoff place. Althought the bonus point looks out of reach 2pts are much needed. Bandits are at full strenghth with Nick Morris replacing Craig Cook. For the Cheetahs they use r/r for Jordan Jenkins, with the new averages giving them a bonus of Sam Masters taken one of his rides. Jonathan Grahn guests for Francis Gusts with former Bandit Jonas Knudsen forming a powerful reserve pairing alongside Luke Killeen. Lovely sunny weather here in Berwick today hopefully plenty trackwork able to be done before todays footie. Looks like another close meeting so will go 48-42 tothe Bandits. 

Bandits: Nick Morris, Sam Hagon, Jonas Jeppesen, Drew Kemp, Peter Kildemand, Dayle Wood, Jack Smith

Cheetahs: Sam Masters, R/R Jordan Jenkins, Jonatan Grahn, Mitch McDiarmid, Cameron Heeps, Luke Killeen, Jonas Knudsen

Edited yesterday at 11:44 AM by Normski

[szkocjasid]

So Masters will take his r/r outing against Hagon & a reserve!

Don't understand why managers do this, doesn't seem the best use of the leagues top rider!

[szkocjasid]

Can see Oxford doing well with their strong reserve pairing. Morris needs to ride like Cook (when he's there) for Berwick to win imo.

[IainB]

15 minutes ago, szkocjasid said:

Don't understand why managers do this, doesn't seem the best use of the leagues top rider!

Higher chance of 3 points, they all count

[szkocjasid]

1 hour ago, szkocjasid said:

So Masters will take his r/r outing against Hagon & a reserve!

Don't understand why managers do this, doesn't seem the best use of the leagues top rider!

 

1 hour ago, IainB said:

Higher chance of 3 points, they all count

But lower chance of 3 points for other r/r options. If Masters can win any heat, why put him in the easiest heat?

Obviously an ef means he didn't win heat 8 anyway.

[IainB]

5 minutes ago, szkocjasid said:

 

But lower chance of 3 points for other r/r options. If Masters can win any heat, why put him in the easiest heat?

Obviously an ef means he didn't win heat 8 anyway.

I'm not saying they're free points but surely you take them when you can rather than risk being beaten by a stronger opponent. How often do you see a tac sub being made in a normal race and they trail in at the back or in 3rd, too often I'd say. 

[szkocjasid]

2 minutes ago, IainB said:

I'm not saying they're free points but surely you take them when you can rather than risk being beaten by a stronger opponent. How often do you see a tac sub being made in a normal race and they trail in at the back or in 3rd, too often I'd say. 

I just think it's a negative tactic, something I'd use if I expected to lose heavily, but wanted to limit the damage.

Not something I'd do if I needed a win to make the play-offs.

[IainB]

5 minutes ago, szkocjasid said:

I just think it's a negative tactic, something I'd use if I expected to lose heavily, but wanted to limit the damage.

Not something I'd do if I needed a win to make the play-offs.

It's worked a treat for Leicester

[szkocjasid]

Looking at Knudsen's score, strange he didn't get more rides.

I'd have put him in heat 12 instead of Grahn. Luckily for Oxford it didn't cost them.

[screm]

Berwick`s play off hopes safely over for another season.

[Fromafar]

3 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

So Masters will take his r/r outing against Hagon & a reserve!

Don't understand why managers do this, doesn't seem the best use of the leagues top rider!

Would it not mean using R/r.in a different position inthe Team though.Maybe gate positions and use of reserves come into play.In a normal match the fans would be expecting the home No2 to beat the opponents No2 so it strengthens the heat in some way.Just my opinion.

[Bandit59]

1 hour ago, screm said:

Berwick`s play off hopes safely over for another season.

Realistically that happened last Saturday where,3 points were up for grabs and we couldn't even get 2

[szkocjasid]

1 hour ago, Fromafar said:

Would it not mean using R/r.in a different position in the Team though. Maybe gate positions and use of reserves come into play. In a normal match the fans would be expecting the home No2 to beat the opponents No2 so it strengthens the heat in some way. Just my opinion.

Oxford didn't have an obvious "number 2" after Masters the others could really have filled any position from 2-5.

Pre match I would've favoured them to have the beating of Hagon in heat 8, whoever went in position 2. Masters is the only one I wouldn't have put in that heat.

If they worry was a weaker Oxford rider wouldn't win in heat 8, put McDiarmid at 2 maybe?

[Hamster00]

9 hours ago, szkocjasid said:

Oxford didn't have an obvious "number 2" after Masters the others could really have filled any position from 2-5.

Pre match I would've favoured them to have the beating of Hagon in heat 8, whoever went in position 2. Masters is the only one I wouldn't have put in that heat.

If they worry was a weaker Oxford rider wouldn't win in heat 8, put McDiarmid at 2 maybe?

Just about every team manager uses R/R at 2 these days, don’t understand the consternation around this as in 3 of the heats the replacement is with theoretically the teams strongest rider and then in heat 8 you get to use said rider. It worked nearly perfectly for Oxford last night too as they got 2 x 5-1’s, 1 x 4-2 and would have had another if it wasn’t for Masters running out of fuel.

Peter Schroek makes some strange and terrible decisions but putting R/R at two was absolutely the right thing to do and seems to be the consensus thing to do these days. I found it more odd he didn’t use Knudsen in Heat 12 and put Killeen in heat 15.

[soupy]

One or two decent races but overall not great with Sam Masters the stand out rider.Great to see Ricky Ashowrth at the meeting.Spoke to my relation Ashley  on the second bend from Belford and has been a long term supporter of the banditoos.Not been for a few years now and like the place etc but racing is what it is.

[Shadders]

Bandits last three home meetings 

Oxford (44-46)

Glasgow (45-45, lost golden heat)

Edinburgh (37-35)

 

Bandits reserves combined average - 3.17

Away reserves combined average - 6.22

Edited 6 hours ago by Shadders

[Fromafar]

2 hours ago, Shadders said:

Bandits last three home meetings 

Oxford (44-46)

Glasgow (45-45, lost golden heat)

Edinburgh (37-35)

 

Bandits reserves combined average - 3.17

Away reserves combined average - 6.22

Our reserves have been outscored at home by the opposition most of the season.Borke not being fit and dropped spoiled the set up of the Team .Hagon would have been the prominent reserve.