HOLDER SEEKS FIRST TITLE TRIUMPH WITH TIGERS

02/03/2023

HOLDER SEEKS FIRST TITLE TRIUMPH WITH TIGERSHOLDER SEEKS FIRST TITLE TRIUMPH WITH TIGERS

Aussie ace Jack Holder hopes to end his league title drought in 2023 after coming agonisingly close with SGB Premiership side Sheffield.

The Tigers stormed to the top of the table and fought their way through to a play-off final showdown with Belle Vue. But the Aces got the better of them over two legs, lifting their first league championship since 1993.

Holder endured a tough night at the first leg in Manchester, scoring two points after suffering a crash in heat five.

While Holder ended 2022 with an FIM Speedway of Nations gold medal and won his first Australian Championship in January, he would love to end his wait for a first league title with Sheffield.

“I haven’t yet won a gold medal in any of the leagues,” he said. “We got so close with Sheffield last year. We had a good team. It was a good two matches. At 51-39, we probably left too big a gap going into the second leg.

“We thought we could do it. Sheffield are pretty good at home and it’s the final, so we know anything can happen. We were looking pretty close for a couple of heats, and it was getting all exciting. We came out second best, but hopefully we can get that gold this year.”

Holder admits the atmosphere generated by Tigers fans at Owlerton for the final only inspires him to help them go one better.

He said: “It was good to see they had a big crowd. The atmosphere made it feel like a Polish match. It was pretty wild, and I have never really felt that in the British league, which was different and good. It was good to see.

“Sheffield has been amazing – all the management and staff have been amazing to me, and all the fans too. We finished top of the league, which was cool. I just hope we can go one better in the play-offs this year.”