Wire play Salford last year ,widnes this, who the hell picks these non matches to represent our game to the wider audience? That game today spoiled what could have been a great event, let the crap sides play each other and the top teams clash
To make magic weekend a spectical and not a laughing stock'!!!!!!!

With the decline of Challenge Cup attendances why not be brave and stage the quarter finals at Ethiad Stadium, 2 matches per day? or both semi finals on one day?

The idea of Magic was good originally, people liked the idea of a weekend away, but who is going to stay in Manchester when most teams are an hour or so away, Saturday the gap between games was far too long meaning supporters did not hang around.

With the RFL currently any small sign of success they will hang on it and I bet the deal has already been drawn up for three years! the weather this year was superb, would a wet weekend in Manchester be as attractive and the story that has been Spun about the success of the sponsored trucks, yes the photographs looked good with so many people waiting for autographs, but the Stobart Fan Club had all been contacted and how many of them went into the stadium? very very few!

It was my first magic weekend and i loved it! Great atmosphere, great fans, (mostly) great games, great weather, It's all good in the hood!

It was my first magic weekend too i went with my son and daughter we all enjoyed the day and loved it all for £15 quid a bargain great fans ,great chatting with other fans and some excellent games but disappointed at saints , the RFL are looking at staging it permanently at the eithad hopefully build on the event so we can get full a house on both days .

Living in Manchester I'd still class this as an expansion area! It's a football city (and probably always will be) and the lack of knowledge of rugby league considering all the teams you've listed is appalling. I tell people I'm interested in rugby league and no one has a clue about the difference between league and union, or which teams play it.

Staging it at Manchester gives people who don't normally go, and don't know much about it a chance to try it out relatively cheaply, see a few games and get a taste of it in a "festival" style environment and the good thing is, with so many teams on their doorstep they could then choose to go to their local team and watch it again live if they enjoyed it (paying money back into RFL and clubs rather than just someone in Edinburgh just boosting Sky's viewing figures and profits).

If the game is played down in Cardiff, up in Edinburgh or Newcastle, which local there would then decide to continue watching live rugby league? Chances are their closest teams are hours away and would they travel that distance in the hope that they enjoy a regular game as much as a full weekend where there's events staged etc? I wouldn't have thought so. Far easier for someone from Manchester to get dragged along by their mates, or take the kids for a family day out to get along and watch a game and then think "oh I'll nip over to Salford/Barton/Irlam or Oldham or Rochdale to start supporting my local(ish) team.

this lesser team of Widnes....is that the same team that beat Wigan a few weeks ago?

If Wigan lose by 2...it might actually be down to the fact they treated Widnes with no respect and gambled in putting the kids out....they obviously chose the wrong game to do that.

What they should have done is pick their strongest 15 against Widnes...and then put the kids out against your lot.