Rory Schlein admits that both he and his Berwick Bandits’ team-mates have a point to prove this weekend after the team’s slow start to the season.
On Friday Schlein returns to the Armadale circuit where he made his British debut as a fresh-faced 16-year-old in 2001.
After making his mark with the Monarchs the Australian, known throughout the sport as RooBoy, went on to win titles with Coventry and Poole while also performing in the top flight in Poland and Sweden.
Schlein, now 38, signed for Berwick in the winter, ending one-year retirement in the process, and has seen his new side beaten 53-37 at Redcar in the Knockout Cup and 51-38 at home to Glasgow in the BSN Series last Saturday, the visitors inspired by an 18-point maximum from Benjamin Basso.
Berwick riders won just three races on their home track last Saturday and now face a tough trip to Edinburgh on Friday night with the two teams meeting again at Shielfield Park on Saturday.
The former British champion (pictured in action by Taz McDougall) said: “The Glasgow defeat hurt and it will continue to hurt until we get that win on the board.
“I said to the Courtneys (Berwick owners Scott and Jamie), Dewsy and Flinty (team manager Gary Flint and his fellow promoter Steve Dews) after Saturday’s match that the only way we will get over this is to go out and get a result. It is that simple. I cannot put it any other way.
“Everyone now has a point to prove. We have to show the fans that this hurt and we need to show against Edinburgh that this isn’t going to happen again.”
Schlein’s thoughts were echoed by 21-year-old Dane Jonas Knudsen – one of just three Berwick heat winners against Glasgow.
“Everyone wants to get that first win in now,” he said. “That’s what the team needs and as soon as we get that first win we will go from strength to strength.
“We just need to be on it. We can’t just have one or two guys. It needs to be everyone and we want to win now.”
Experienced news, business, arts, sport and travel journalist. Food critic and managing editor of a well-established food and travel website. Also a magazine editor of publications with circulations of up to 200,000 and managing director of a long-established PR/marketing company with a string of blue-chip clients in its CV. Former communications lecturer at a Scottish university and social media specialist for a string of successful and busy SMEs.
