RICKY Ashworth has made the defence of his Premier League Riders’ title one of his main priorities for the new season.

The Sheffield skipper won the title in front of a bumper crowd at Owlerton Stadium last September.

And he said: “I want to retain the title but I also want to improve my average. I know a lot of people said I won because it was on my own track, I need to prove it was no flash in the pan.”