Tigers vs Lions KO Cup 16/04/26 19:30

[r8gdp]

5 minutes ago, Manifesto said:

Against BV they were all 3 seconds faster than tonight’s. Not sure why track was so different 

Track looked wet to start but after a couple of races when the dirt moved out it seemed to dry quick .Not sure if they we re expecting a little rain .on my way home had a few spots of rain on the car 

[Fromafar]

1 hour ago, Trotter65 said:

Not a massive shock for me…I said Sheffield were not as strong as people said…Flint is not a consistent top 5 rider , Killeen gets a lot of publicity and hype and really is quite overrated and Etheridge isn’t going to get any better now….Rowe is inconsistent for a top 5 rider ….they have defeats in them with that line up

Flint and Etheridge have to gate to get points most weeks.Also Flint in Top5 won’t find the points as easy as last season.Dan Thompson is still improving though,has had a good start to the season.

[bringbackHalifax]

Changing tracks always hurt the home team more. Before everyone jumps on the who’s to blame bandwagon. The three heat leaders only managed 6 wins between them. When their wins drop to 2nd  places, the second string and reserves 2nd and 3rd places drop back also, hence 1s and zeros. Won’t be a season full of home wins as on any given day all bar Northampton (current team) can win away from home An unpredictable season ahead.

[PhilTheAce]

Result does not shock me. 

 

Results like this will happen all season. And as I've said previously elsewhere. This will be a good close season where everyone has a chance of a top 4 or even finishing top. 

 

Why is this??? Well because all teams look crap. So gonna be a good season 

[YeOldPitGate]

9 hours ago, YeOldPitGate said:

Is the old swearer their tonight ? hope his recovery is going well got to respect his incredible mental strength but he's a terrible advert for British speedway with the constant f bombs.

 

9 hours ago, Cue Ball said:

Thought Woffy was quite refrained for him - think he only swore twice! Doesn’t bother me either way, he is what he is. Nice to hear/see that he is getting back on form

Not an exciting meeting, track looked very dry and dusty with no grip - hence the times were all 3 seconds off the normal pace I’m guessing. Fair play to Leicester and a deserved win

Don't get me wrong Cue it doesn't bother me personally I swear lots myself but for whats portrayed as a family sport with kids under say 15 and for sponsors its not a great look, can you imagine the scenes if Ronaldo was interviewed on Sky Sports after a match and launched into a tirade.

As I say his mental strength to come back from looking death in the face and pretty much learning to walk again is massively impressive and he's probably Englands greatest rider ever.

This has been done through sheer hard graft as I don't have him down as having the natural talent of riders such as Loram or Screen but at his peak he had a fantastic racing brain for reading where other riders would head on the track.

Just feel he could be so much more when the time comes if he decided to give something back to the sport when his riding days are over but given his temperment and the old guard its a marriage that would probably last a week.

[PhilTheAce]

28 minutes ago, YeOldPitGate said:

 

Don't get me wrong Cue it doesn't bother me personally I swear lots myself but for whats portrayed as a family sport with kids under say 15 and for sponsors its not a great look, can you imagine the scenes if Ronaldo was interviewed on Sky Sports after a match and launched into a tirade.

As I say his mental strength to come back from looking death in the face and pretty much learning to walk again is massively impressive and he's probably Englands greatest rider ever.

This has been done through sheer hard graft as I don't have him down as having the natural talent of riders such as Loram or Screen but at his peak he had a fantastic racing brain for reading where other riders would head on the track.

Just feel he could be so much more when the time comes if he decided to give something back to the sport when his riding days are over but given his temperment and the old guard its a marriage that would probably last a week.

this is half the problem with the sport, being portrayed as a family sport, we need to step away from that, especially now families have been priced out of it, sell it as what it is, an extreme sport 

[IainB]

Special mention to Joe Thompson, looked like he was going to pick up his scoring drought where he left off last season early on at Belle Vue but then since has showed some real signs of progress 👍👏

[TTT]

Leicester were my dark horse pick before a wheel was turned this season, I've been lapping their 1-7 up for a good few weeks now and last night's result isn't that much of a surprise to me.

The last time we had a weaker PREM, It was won by a strength in depth side and that's the route the Lions have opted for this year.

Sheffield as I said when the 1-7 was announced are a boom or bust outfit, If Flint and Etheridge ride well then it's BOOM! but if they ride poorly then it's BUST! literally no inbetween and we've seen the good and the bad already.

Sheffield are still my pick for the title but the tail end has to be consistent and back the Top 3 up.

[YeOldPitGate]

43 minutes ago, TTT said:

Leicester were my dark horse pick before a wheel was turned this season, I've been lapping their 1-7 up for a good few weeks now and last night's result isn't that much of a surprise to me.

The last time we had a weaker PREM, It was won by a strength in depth side and that's the route the Lions have opted for this year.

Sheffield as I said when the 1-7 was announced are a boom or bust outfit, If Flint and Etheridge ride well then it's BOOM! but if they ride poorly then it's BUST! literally no inbetween and we've seen the good and the bad already.

Sheffield are still my pick for the title but the tail end has to be consistent and back the Top 3 up.

I've also got a feeling Ippo will be there or there abouts as well as again built with strength in depth and three riders who could put a point plus on averages as you say this year isn't like the last 2-3 years where I strength in depth side needed to have the match wrapped up prior to heat 13 if facing two world class big guns.

Jack Holder still world class and Chris can more than hold his own in this league but being older and having had two terrible crashes he's probably 60-70% of his previous peak self so not quite the shoe in of winning heats 13&15 that his brother, Bewley,Kurtz or Fricke would be even in current league.

[DaveWayne]

51 minutes ago, TTT said:

Leicester were my dark horse pick before a wheel was turned this season, I've been lapping their 1-7 up for a good few weeks now and last night's result isn't that much of a surprise to me.

The last time we had a weaker PREM, It was won by a strength in depth side and that's the route the Lions have opted for this year.

Sheffield as I said when the 1-7 was announced are a boom or bust outfit, If Flint and Etheridge ride well then it's BOOM! but if they ride poorly then it's BUST! literally no inbetween and we've seen the good and the bad already.

Sheffield are still my pick for the title but the tail end has to be consistent and back the Top 3 up.

Tigers lost last night on the gate. None of the 3 heat leaders were getting out of the gate well, and also Flint was struggling compared to last year where his gating was key to his scoring.

Not sure what has happened to Jack Holder, but his gating was poor last year for both Sheffield and in the GPs, and it looks to be continuing.

Killeen could be a very good RS from what I have seen in the 2 home matches. Once he gets used to the track he could surprise a few. Battled in every race but just couldn't find the pass.

[GeneralMelchett]

Leicester have a decent record at Owlerton - didn't go last night but they have won there previously so not as much of a surprise i perhaps many felt. Not having Fricke means they do look strong all the way through and its good to see Joe Thompson getting some points has he has struggled sometimes.

Also have a lot of time for Dan and good to see him scoring well, beating Holder in heat 1 is a decent scalp!

[4thbender]

This match was won in bends one and two, which Leicester controlled in every heat. Sheffield never really had a look-in; they looked disjointed and out of their depth.

Leon has definitely gone backwards and, despite Steady's complimentary comments in the programme about Etheridge's improved form, I'm not seeing it from the terraces. Sheffield definitely has a team with three reserves and I think we're going to struggle unless something changes.

[Bagpuss]

I think Leicester and Ipswich have every chance with their solid line ups, however like Lynn last year an injury to a key team member has the potential to hurt them significantly.

Looks like an interesting season ahead.

[GeneralMelchett]

7 minutes ago, Bagpuss said:

I think Leicester and Ipswich have every chance with their solid line ups, however like Lynn last year an injury to a key team member has the potential to hurt them significantly.

Looks like an interesting season ahead.

yes it seems that unless Northampton chuck their hat into the KOC its a Lions v Witches final.

The season will be interesting as looking at the Leicester line up for their win last night - its weakened to last season but looks a decent line uop when comapred to others, Kemp will stand out at Reserve if he gets his head right!

Edited 16 hours ago by GeneralMelchett

[ouch]

Anyone going to discuss the elephant in the room here or are we just rearranging the podiums on the deck of the Titanic?

[Aries]

4 hours ago, GeneralMelchett said:

yes it seems that unless Northampton chuck their hat into the KOC its a Lions v Witches final.

That would give us our best opportunity in the final (if we finish the job). Leicester would be a far better track for us than either Belle Vue or Sheffield.

[r8gdp]

7 hours ago, IainB said:

Special mention to Joe Thompson, looked like he was going to pick up his scoring drought where he left off last season early on at Belle Vue but then since has showed some real signs of progress 👍👏

Agree with you he held his line in his racers and no last places Leicester the best team last night solid from 1 to 7 all riders chipping in .

[RS50]

4 hours ago, ouch said:

Anyone going to discuss the elephant in the room here or are we just rearranging the podiums on the deck of the Titanic?

What "elephant" are you referring to?

[IainB]

[Whitelinehugger]

6 hours ago, ouch said:

Anyone going to discuss the elephant in the room 

Here he is but be careful what you say, he can hear very well with them size ears.