FIRED-up Swindon boss Alun Rossiter knows Poole Pirates remain the team to beat in British speedway but insists: “We’re gunning for you!”

Rossiter’s Robins are being widely tipped to mount a credible Elite League title challenge in 2016 having snapped up Grand Prix star Jason Doyle alongside Poole assets Josh Grajczonek and Dakota North.

The Wiltshire outfit have opted for an all-Australian top five, a deliberate ploy to aid cohesion according to Rossiter, the only team manager to deny Pirates a clean sweep of championships over the past six seasons.

And having masterminded Swindon’s success in 2012 as well as Coventry’s two years earlier, he is desperate to topple the triple champions once more.

Rossiter told the Daily Echo: “Poole are always the team to beat and nothing is going to change that.

“Matt (Ford, promoter) is very fortunate, with the way he goes about his business his team will always be contenders. Poole have a great asset base so if things go wrong, he can and will make changes.

“The top riders are getting a bit more picky about coming over to the UK, that’s the only down side for Poole because they have an abundance of riders on their books.

“We are fortunate that this year, people seem to be touting us which is fantastic but we have to make sure we live up to it. During Poole’s dominance, I am the only man to stop them winning the title so I know what it takes.

“There is a lot of optimism round Swindon which is not always the case. We have got through to the semi-final many times and been the nearly men so I have been working hard with the local ice hockey team on improving my man-management skills.

“I have got fed up of being the nearly man, I want to deliver the title again. We waited 45 years last time and once you get a taste, you want it again and again but every year, Poole set the bar and it will be no different this time.”

Rossiter highlighted the threat posed by 2015 runners-up Belle Vue, resurgent under Australia boss Mark Lemon, but argued the potential possessed by second stringers Brady Kurtz and Krzysztof Buczkowski made Pirates the obvious candidates for a record-breaking fourth consecutive crown.

“Brady proved his potential by winning the Australian title and he is no stranger to me,” he added. “I know him and his brother really well and the quality has always been there.

“I think Buczkowski will be straight up among the heat leaders after the first set of averages, bearing in mind he was the top scorer in the World Cup last season.

“I look at it and think that every one of my riders can beat the Poole riders but I am sure Poole would say the same, we just have to make sure we deliver on a consistent basis.”