NEWCASTLE co-promoter Darryl Illingworth expects the Diamonds to challenge towards the top of what he feels is a highly competitive Premier League this season.Play-offs will decide the title with the top six set to contest the final stages, and all teams should have more to race for throughout the season with the new League Cup kicking off the campaign.Illingworth said: “No-one has been tipping us as favourites and I’m glad about that. Last year we were well fancied, and look what happened – we were out of the running by the end of April with injuries to two of our top three riders.“I haven’t spotted any out-and-out favourites myself yet, though there are teams that look as though they could well finish in the top six, where we intend to be, at the end of the league programme. Then it’s into the play-offs where anything can happen.”