KING’S Lynn look to make a fast start to their ROWE Motor Oil Premiership campaign when they face a powerful Sheffield side in their league opener at the Adrian Flux Arena on Monday (7.30pm).
The PSH Environmental Stars collected their first win of the season in the KO Cup against Northampton last week, but the main business of accumulating points towards the play-offs now gets underway.
Sheffield are regarded as many people’s favourites to win the title this year, although the Tigers have already proved to be fallible when they lost at home to Leicester in the Cup recently.
However, having retained six of the seven riders who helped them top the regular league table last year, they must be regarded as a major threat.
Former Lynn riders Josh Pickering, Chris Holder and Anders Rowe are included in the visitors’ ranks, with Pickering having been involved in a high-profile altercation with Kyle Howarth at Leicester on Thursday which required the intervention of club officials to resolve.
Sheffield previously had an outstanding record at the Adrian Flux Arena but the tables have been somewhat turned in the last two seasons with the Stars having won four of the past five encounters on home shale.
The Tigers’ one victory over that period was something of an anomaly as Lewis Kerr produced a spectacular display at reserve last May to score 16+1 in a 48-42 away win.
However, the Stars will be unable to track a full line-up after Paco Castagna was involved in a frightening crash at Edinburgh on Friday, which saw him go over the Armadale fence.
Castagna thankfully avoided any broken bones but he did receive heavy bruising and an ankle injury which rules him out of action.
Stars will operate rider replacement at No.2 meaning Ben Cook and their two reserves Cooper Rushen and Jody Scott can over for Castagna’s rides.
Lynn No.1 Max Fricke is expecting a tough test as he goes up against fellow Aussie GP star Jack Holder, who has a strong record around the AFA.
Fricke said: “They are a strong team and they’ve got riders who ride really well here, and who will want to come here and have a good one as well.
“It’s the start of the league, so it’s going to be very important. With the Holder boys and Josh Pickering in there as well, they have a strong side and I’m sure they’re going to push us all the way.
“Hopefully we can ride a bit like we did last Monday, make a few changes and see if we can improve from there.”
KING’S LYNN: Max Fricke, Paco Castagna R/R, Chris Harris, Ben Cook, Jan Kvech, Cooper Rushen, Jody Scott. SHEFFIELD: Jack Holder, Anders Rowe, Chris Holder, Leon Flint, Josh Pickering, Jye Etheridge, Luke Killeen.
