NEIL Middleditch stressed the importance of team bonding with riders in Pirates’ continual hunt for trophies.
This year’s Poole line-up includes four of the side which won last season’s SGB Premiership title – a crown they claimed at King’s Lynn back in October.
Pirates tomorrow return to Adrian Flux Arena for the first leg of their Premiership Shield battle against the Stars (7.30pm).
And team boss Middleditch insisted a gelled unit away from racing would benefit his side as they launch their 2019 campaign.
He told the Daily Echo: “Team bonding is very important and if they get on off the track they get on well on it. With the rain off at Somerset (last week) we went to Matt (Ford’s) had a few beers and a couple of pizzas and it was great.
“It was nice to sit with the boys and have a chat. My job is to find out what makes them tick and meeting them out of racing circumstances is always a good way to do it.”
Looking ahead to tomorrow's contest, he added: “I shouldn’t think they (King’s Lynn) will be too happy to see us and will want to turn us over.
“But it’s early days, it's a chance for a trophy that we want to win.”
The second leg of the Shield battle is at Wimborne Road on Thursday.
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