Operation pay-back time starts here. That is the message coming out of the Eastbourne Eagles camp on the eve of the new Elite League season.

The Sussex squad roar into action in the first Sky TV match of 2003 at Arlington Stadium on Tuesday against Wolverhampton, the team who put the skids under their efforts last year.

Eagles went down in history as the first side to lose a championship play-off final after finishing top of the league. And that hurt.

Eastbourne boss Jon Cook admitted: "We were devastated. The title was stolen from us. We finished four points clear of Wolves but they went into the record books as the champions."

With most of last season's team back for another crack, Cook believes Eagles have the riders to mount another bid for glory but Tuesday's opener against Wolves is only part of a bigger picture.

"Of course, we have everything to prove, and we want to stamp our authority on the league right from the start by beating Wolves, but it's not just a case of getting revenge in one match.

"What's gone is gone. This is another year and we are totally focussed on having a successful season.

"I think we learned a few lessons in 2002. This time our priority is a top four place, preferably one or two because that guarantees a home draw in the semi-finals, and then anything can happen."

Eastbourne start the season as third favourites behind Poole and Coventry.

Poole are odds-on with the bookies after snapping up Aussie whirlwind Leigh Adams to link up with world champion Tony Rickardsson, but Cook fancies Coventry will prove a bigger threat.

"I would be much more afraid of Coventry in the long run, but having said that I genuinely believe we have the team to do it this season."

Mark Loram, Dean Barker, David Norris and skipper Joe Screen, plus Adam Shields, who is expected to complete a permanent transfer from the Isle of Wight, are all back from the side which did lift the Knockout Cup at the end of last season.

They are joined by flying Finn Joonas Kylmakorpi, who spent last year on loan to Ipswich, and promising Swedish youngster Peter Ljung, while Eagles also have claims on British under-21 champion Simon Stead, Garry Stead and Edward Kennett.

Missing from last season are Stefan Andersson, Toni Svab and Savalas Clouting.

While Eagles will be banking on the immaculate Loram to once again lead from the front, and hoping for some improved performances from Screen, Cook believes the club's two longest-serving riders, Barker and Norris, hold the key to Eastbourne's season.

"That may surprise some people, but Deano's got a new lease of life, while David has invested a lot of his testimonial money from last season in his equipment. I really think they are both going to improve on what they did last year."

Nine of the riders who were involved in the play-off final at Arlington last October will be in action again on Tuesday.

Eagles won 46-44 on that occasion but crucially it was not enough to overturn the 49-41 defeat at Wolverhampton in the first leg.

Loram top scored for Eagles with 12 points, but Barker, Screen and Norris could muster only 15 between them. Had it not been for guest man Billy Janniro, who also scored 12, Wolves would have won both legs.

Mikael Karlsson, who finished with 14 points, won four on the bounce and was only beaten by Loram, while Peter Karlsson weighed in with ten, David Howe with eight, Adam Skornicki six and Chris Neath three.

While Barker was winning his own testimonial meeting in spectacular style at Arlington last week, Peter Karlsson was topping the Wolves scorechart with 11 points as they beat Swedish team Kaparna 50-40 in his testimonial.

Kylmakorpi, who was in action for Kaparna, showed his well-being by emerging as the surprise winner of the race for a new GM engine at the meeting.

Peter Karlsson said of his team's chances of retaining the Elite League title: "I'm sure we can handle it.

"We're up there for everyone to beat us but that's fine by us. We're not favourites this year but people said that last time."

The club's all-time record points scorer Sam Ermolenko, who won the world title ten years ago, has rejoined Wolves and lines up against Eastbourne on Tuesday.

Tuesday's meeting starts at 7.30.

Eastbourne: Mark Loram, Dean Barker, David Norris, Joonas Kylmakorpi, Joe Screen, Adam Shields, Peter Ljung.

Wolverhampton: Mikael Max Karlsson, David Howe, Sam Ermolenko, Adam Skornicki, Peter Karlsson, Chris Neath, Oliver Allen.