PIRATES boss Neil Middleditch believes Davey Watt deserves at least one Grand Prix wild card this season.

The former Team Great Britain team manager also feels the Australian has earned a seeded place for next year's 2010 World Championship qualifiers.

Middleditch was speaking after Rory Schlein revealed Motorcycling Australia had given him a seeded place into this season's GP qualifiers.

Poole-based Watt confirmed earlier this month he was "considering" returning Down Under at the end of this year to line up in the national championship, the only previous route into the GP for Australians.

With this year's GP series beginning in Krsko, Slovenia, on April 16, Middleditch said: "Davey certainly deserves to be a GP rider.

"He has shown it over the past year. He is ambitious and deserves a shot.

"Davey is in a lot stronger position for a wild card now because he also rides in Poland and Sweden and scores very well in both countries too, so is certainly good enough to ride in a GP.

"Now Motorcycling Australia have given Rory a seeded place into the GP qualifiers, hopefully he will do well.

"There is no reason why they shouldn't give Davey a chance next year if he keeps up his impressive form but doesn't go to Aussie over our winter.

"It doesn't have to be Davey, it could be any of the Aussies whose form deserves a place, but hopefully it will be Davey because he certainly deserves the chance to represent his country in the GP qualifiers."

Watt lines up for six-man Pirates at home to Lakeside in the league tonight (7.30pm) with Adam Skornicki still injured.

Lakeside, who lost 53-37 at Wimborne Road on March 12 in a challenge, bring in Jarek Hampel as a guest for injured Andreas Jonsson.

They will use Chris Louis when Poole visit Lakeside in the return on Friday.

Pirates: 1 Bjarne Pedersen, 2 Rider replacement for Adam Skornicki, 3 Davey Watt, 4 Karol Zabik, 5 Chris Holder, 6 Zbigniew Suchecki, 7 Freddie Eriksson.

Lakeside: 1 Jarek Hampel (guest), 2 Leigh Lanham, 3 Adam Shields, 4 Jonas Davidsson, 5 Joonas Kylmakorpi, 6 Ricky Kling, 7 Lubos Tomicek.