Here are my thoughts on how we'll fare this season , for what it's worth , and Tiger 2799 it is only my opinion before you start jumping up and down .
Why would I be jumping up and down? If we all had the same opinion Forums like these would be a very boring place.
NOW here is my OPINION of the season and the riders we have signed. So don't go jumping up and down Paulco
I'm looking forward to this season I must admit it. Ok we do not have the usual two big dominant heat leaders that we are used to, but lets be honest with ourselves apart from the season in which we were lucky enough to sign Danny, Shane AND Kauko having a top two has given us nothing except from two pairs titles, and yes while they were enjoyable days, we have to ask ourselves how much home track advantage played into our hands on both occasions.....
Anyway I Digress...........
This season we have an out and out number one still, and although we might have liked some proper back up to him on paper, we should still think ourselves lucky we have one at all, considering teams like Edinburgh, Berwick, Stoke and Newport have all lacked one in recent seasons.
Instead of that however we have, in my opinion, something far more exciting we have 6 riders who are on the up.
Trent comes in as the second heat leader and while his position is of such we should not all go expecting him to start racking up double figure scores everywhere we go. Lets just enjoy watching his progress at his own speed, without the added pressure of living up to the Birds, Stancls, Watsons, Grieves. His time will come as a Premier League top liner. If it is this year great, if not then so be it.
Robert comes back for a third season and although he had a relatively quiet 2007, we should remember that we are comparing that season to the one he had before when he had the leisure of staying at reserve all season. So in my opinion Robert is another rider who is improving ever season and I am confident he can put at least a point on his starting average this season, and I will be more than happy with him if he does.
The Two new Australians. I have to admit I know nothing about them, and thats the way I want it to stay until the season starts. I have not even looked at any of the youtube links that have been posted.......
...The reason for this is simple. As some may know I get my biggest pleasure in speedway from watching the riders in the team who are "unknown quantities" The riders who from week to week you do not know what you are going to get. One week they can score 11 the next they can score 1 One week they can look like complete novices the next they can hold the likes of James Birkinshaw at bay for an important win showing in glimpses that they have the potential to go on to great things. So when I go to Ashfield for the first time in March I want to be completly surprised at what these two young boys can do.
Lee I am also chuffed is back, and would if the quotes are correct encourage the promotion to sign him as a fully fledged Tiger. I can not remember the last time I have witnessed a rider who clearly shows what it means to wear the red and white stripes and expresses this with so much passion in every one of his races, and when things are not going well wears his heart on his sleeve and does not try and cover up his hurt. Welcome back Lee.
As for the signing of Ross Brady........................
...........This has been the signing I have been wanting for years. I am sure I have written many a paragraph on why I have wanted Ross back in the stripes so I will not bore you all again, but all I will say is remember this is Ross the 5. something rider we have signed this time.........NOT Ross the heatleader, and although he comes in as the third heatleader this does not mean that we should all start expecting him to come out and beat the likes of Nermark, Topinka, Havelocks, Grieves every single week...............but I am sure without a shadow of a doubt that at certain times over the season he will come out and beat the likes of these riders on one off races, and we should enjoy these races as it is these sort of races that really leave you going home with something to talk about.
So all in all this season I am going to the name the season of the two P's
Promise...........and..........Patience
Promise because we have 6 riders who can improve, excite and also pull off some shocks.
Patience because it is not going to happen straight away, and we all need to get behind them even when at times it feels like everything is going against us. But in the end I feel this will be a season to enjoy and savour and I for one can not wait.