Yup. Id agree with you there. On both counts.

I've always like the Idea of doing it in the North East, 1 day in Newcastle and 1 day in Sunderland, both good size stadiums, both good to go for the weekend (well Newcastle anyhow) and they are drivable in a day if you only want to go for the day.

Plus you get the whole area involved rather than just one city.

Just an Idea

Move the challenge cup final back to the start of May (rather than have it drag on all year) and have it on August bank holiday.

Or scrap it.

If it has to be played and you want a big crowd, it has to be the first match of the season, so that means it has to be enclosed, meaning Cardiff.

A nine tournament could then be shoved either in the middle or end of the season.

Being.

It was held at Wigan and like you I was there and like you I remember Leeds not winning it and probably Wigan being triumphant, just for a change.

Don't we already have a Nines event held annually at Headingley? I'm thinking Hull and Huddersfield were the winners in the last two seasons. There isn't much spectator interest in the event though so not sure if it's got much of a chance being expanded or remaining viable on the calendar. And that goes for the M-Magic weekend also.

Thats what I was saying earlier though. The Headingley one is an invitational event which is not taken seriously and really only youth teams are playing in it.

What I read from that RFL announcement is that they are considering a proper full nines tournament. And it is that which appeals to me. I love the smaller team games as a one off tournament.

Again like the other ideas though it is still very close, and like you say drivable in the day which appeals to you.

The whole concept of the magic weekend is that the RFL or the clubs don't pay for it. It is financed by local businesses in the area of where it is played. The idea been that people stay over and shop and drink whilst there.

People are not likely to stay over in Nottingham or Bolton or Leigh.

get voting then stadiumforcornwall.com/

get voting then stadiumforcornwall.com/

I haven't seen what the RFL have proposed re the Nines but I doubt the clubs would treat it any differently to the invitational event run at Headingley.

Not unless there was a major incentive to do so, major prize money, qualification (for the semi finalists) to a World Nines somewhere appealing, that kind of thing.

Speaking of which I also remember a World Nines where GB competed in Australia around the time you mentioned earlier, involving the ARL club sides and perhaps some other national teams. GB bombed ~IIRC.

With six nations tournament running February/March do you think it will get the required publicity at that time of the year. I don't.

Yes, everyone looks forward to the first game of the season, new signings, new beginnings and all those months without their rugby fix. Best time to do it, who gives a stuff about Yawnion ?

When you're trying to get the game in the RU heartlands during their most prestigious tournament and trying to entice the local population it makes a big difference. The idea is to try and create a spectacle, to promote the game, I think that would be lost playing the match in Cardiff in the middle of a six nations campaign.

We also want to be impressing on people that RL is a summer sport which you can't when the games are played in February.

Pro and cons with every scenario, maybe the best bet really is to just scrap it.

I've not thought this through and it's just popped into my head as I type this but.......

Given that the playoffs are not particularly well attended why not take a full round of playoff games on the road?

Take the first round of games as the top two deserve the home advantage their finishing place has earned. Also, will give the lower placed teams a chance to play in a Grand Final-esque atmosphere in a big stadium with, hopefully, a big crowd. They will be meaningful and not contrived games between the better teams in the league.