Champions to test resolve of Diamonds
SHEFFIELD Tigers, the reigning league champions and current Northern group table-toppers in the Championship Shield, are on the prowl at Newcastle’s Byker track tomorrow (6.30).
And their tails will surely be up after hearing about the BTS Diamonds’ 60-29 drubbing at Ipswich on Thursday, in their first league match of 2018.
But Ludvig Lindgren’s men are a formidable bunch around the Byker bowl.
Having seen off Scunthorpe and Redcar in the two Shield matches staged there to date, they are capable of making it a hat-trick, especially with the inclusion of in-form ex-Diamond Lewis Kerr as a guest for the injured Stuart Robson.
Kerr rode superbly against the Diamonds for Ipswich, picking up maximum points (10, paid 12), in another guest appearance in place of broken ribs victim Nico Covatti.
The popular Norfolk-born Kerr also made an invaluable contribution (8, paid 10) towards Newcastle’s 49-41 win at Berwick a week ago when filling in for Robson.
Robson, incidentally, is to have an operation on his badly fractured finger, which will probably keep him on the sidelines for another three weeks, according to team manager George English.
He said: “It’s a shame Robbo has an injury that turned out to be more serious than everyone first thought, but at least it’s getting sorted now.
“It’s great that Lewi Kerr is available to guest for us again, and the rest of the side should be the same as normal.
“However, I can only say ‘should’ at present, because the meeting in Russia that Tero Aarnio went off to, representing Finland, was postponed through bad weather and was rescheduled for 24 hours later, which could possibly impact on his travelling back plans.
“The lads are all keen to make up for a very tough night at Ipswich and, with Ashley Morris at reserve and able to take extra races if necessary, hopefully we can send the Tigers away emptyhanded.”
Newcastle’s rained-off Shield match at Scunthorpe will now be on May 11.