SPEEDWAY OPINION: What's going wrong for the Swindon Robins?

With ten meetings rode, two away wins, and currently sitting in 7th position, and seven points outside the playoff places, it’s fair to say that the Swindon Robin have had a torrid start to the 2017 Premier League season.  

 

The Swindon Robins came into the new season as underdogs, and despite some impressive performances, it’s safe to say that they have fulfilled this title. Still without a home league win makes for dire reading and the Robin's ability to hold onto a lead will be one of manager Alun Rossiter’s biggest concerns.  

 

At home to the Poole Pirates the Robins squandered an early eight-point lead to finish the meeting 45-45, whilst in other races their lack of ability to capitalise on heat wins has allowed other teams to get back into meetings. 

 

When teams used to come to Swindon’s Abbey Stadium they knew it would be a tough meeting in which taking away a consolation league point would be a good night, however sides are now expecting to get a win when they travel to Blunsdon and this is something that manager Rossiter needs to correct quickly.  

 

Whilst there is a list of negatives to take from the Wiltshire sides start to the season, there are also some positives that mainly come in the form of Swindon captain Jason Doyle.  

 

Scoring maximums for fun this season, current World number five Doyle has started this year from where he last left off and without his impressive high point scoring form then the Robins would no doubt be even further away from the playoff places.  

 

However his fulfilment of his role as captain off the track and in the pits has been incredibly positive for the Swindon Robins as well.

 

Doyle’s hands-on approach to captaincy is to be admired and his willingness to help fellow riders with set-ups and giving advice on racing matters has only helped the Swindon Robins as they aim to return to winning ways.   

 

But despite the positives that comes with having a world-class rider such as Jason Doyle in your team, the absurd rule change regarding rider averages this season has seen the Robins be punished for having such a talented rider within the setup.

 

It would be a stupid decision to replace Doyle but with the current squad appearing to struggle further down the order then other changes may need to be made soon.  

 

The other main positive for the Swindon Robins this season is the re-emergence of fan favourite Nick Morris. Morris’s struggles for regular meetings last season saw the Australians form drop dramatically, however this year the 23-year-old is a changed rider.  

 

Partnering Doyle in a heat leader role demonstrates the trust Rossiter has in Morris, and with regular double point scoring so far this season, that trust has definitely been repaid.  

 

The Swindon Robins Speedway team have the potential to challenge for silverware this season but with the League appearing to race further away from them with each meeting that goes by, change may be needed sooner rather than later.