Sheffield Tigers hoping strength in depth can provide triumphant end to Premiership season

Back-to-back losses against title rivals Leicester Lions prompted the Tigers into a rethink earlier this week, meaning the exit door for Lewis Kerr and Justin Sedgmen, with experienced duo Jye Etheridge and Nick Morris filling their seats.

It highlighted the harsh reality of professional speedway as the Tigers look to regain the championship they won in such thrilling style against Ipswich Witches just two years ago.

This is a team that is used to and built for winning, having finished top of the regular season standings last time out, while winning the Premiership Knockout Cup.

But with their Cup hopes already gone this year - the Lions proving too strong in the semi-finals - the Tigers are all in on their league ambitions.

Team manager Simon Stead is determined to make his team the one that all others are left trailing come the end of September.

“We only go out to win,” said Stead, left frustrated by the two defeats to Leicester, in particular the loss at Owlerton on July 24 which saw their East Midlands rivals leapfrog them in the table and up to third.

“From the get-go, winning is the absolute priority and, yes, we’ve had success in winning the league in recent history.

“We’ve also had great success in the Knockout Cup, although we fell short on that one when we met a really strong Leicester side in the semi-finals.

“We only have the league to go for, so that is the single, most important thing that we are aiming for - that is to establish ourselves as the top team in the top-flight and to make sure we are all guns blazing at the right time of the year when the play-offs start.”

Barring a calamity, the four play-off spots are all assured, with fifth-placed King’s Lynn Stars 12 points adrift of the Tigers with just eight meetings remaining on the calendar.

All that remains to be decided is which order the top four of current leaders Ipswich, reigning champions Belle Vue Aces, Leicester and the Tigers are in come the end-of-season shootout.

There is no easy run-in, the Tigers facing Belle Vue and Ipswich twice, with a fourth and final meeting of the season to come against bogey team Leicester.

Even Monday’s trip to bottom team Birmingham Brummies – while on paper a meeting many will view as an assured win – has the potential to throw a spanner in the works, especially with the Tigers integrating two new members into the line-up.

“It’s a difficult fixture for us,” insisted Stead. “It’s the first one for Jye and the first one back to competitive racing for Nick.

“It’s a tricky track, not necessarily one that favours our riders, but we did a very good job there earlier on in the season.

“I would love to have an instant response (to the Leicester defeats) and it would certainly take a bit of pressure off, but I also understand that it is a difficult fixture with integrating two new riders into the team.”

Despite the recent frustrations, Stead still believes it has been a good season for the Tigers, particularly when taking into account the fact they were forced into a team rebuild before they had even started due to the loss of three-time world champion, Tai Woffinden.

The 34-year-old has been on a long road to recovery since a horrific crash while racing in Poland back in March.

In his absence, the Tigers have relied heavily on Australian brothers Jack and Chris Holder, along with captain Josh Pickering.

“We’ve had a good season, although the year was disrupted without even turning a wheel with losing Tai, who is arguably one of the greatest speedway riders,” said Stead.

“So we had a rebuild at that point which was forced upon us and we made the best of the circumstances that we found ourselves in and although we were strong in the early part of the season, I feel like we’ve fallen away a little bit at the wrong time.

"Jack Holder has been a fabulous No 1 again and increased his average which is something that is really difficult to do when you’re already talking those sort of numbers.

“Josh Pickering, certainly his home form, he has almost been unbeatable at Owlerton this season and that’s a real step in the right direction for him.

"He’s found more consistency, he’s taken the captain’s armband and has really excelled in all areas of his racing.

“But against Leicester, it was evident we were lacking some firepower at home and we’ve tried to address that.”

Morris returns to the British scene after a couple of years away, but has a proven track record which includes helping Swindon win in 2017, while Etheridge has previously endeared himself to the Tigers’ fans.

“We felt that it was important to try and give ourselves a timely shot in the arm and I believe the two riders coming in will give us that,” explained Stead.

“Jye has shown a liking for Sheffield on numerous occasions.

"He came in and did a brilliant job in the play-off final against Ipswich when we won in 2023.

“And we know he is capable of scoring big numbers at Sheffield which is going to be really important at the business end of the season.

“He has been desperate for a chance in the top league all season and has always been knocking on the door if ever there was an opportunity.”

“Nick’s coming back after a couple of years out, so it feels like he’s got a point to prove,” said Stead.

“I saw a video of him practicing the other day and it looked like he’d never been off the bike.

"So these changes give us that strength in depth we perhaps lacked and a real good balance again, as well as that shot in the arm that we need to try and accelerate at the right time of year.”