The magic weekend should be the start of the 2nd phase of the league season now that there are an odd number of games to be played. It's the perfect place for it. As it is it's just unnecessary and no longer serves the purpose for which it was initially created (bringing RL to a new area).

Like i said 28 teams from SL(14) & Championship (14)
4 invites
1 Combined Armed Forces team
1 Union side
1 Amateur side (You have a national amateur tournamnet winners get to play in big boy tournament)
1.International side from the lesser nations.

32 knockout format

I think a straight knock out would require too many teams. I think most 9's and sevens tournements have group games to allow teams to have more than one game. If I recall correctly the RU 7's after the group session does not even knock out the lower placed teams. It becomes a knock out competition for the tops teams and then another for the lower place teams. Something like a cup and then a shield. 1 Qualified teams 1.1 Group A 1.2 Group B 1.3 Group C 1.4 Group D 2 Knockout stage 2.1 Gold Medal Bracket 2.2 Plate 2.3 Bowl en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_seve ... alth_Games www.nrl.com/DrawResults/Auckland ... fault.aspx

I think a straight knock out would require too many teams. I think most 9's and sevens tournements have group games to allow teams to have more than one game. If I recall correctly the RU 7's after the group session does not even knock out the lower placed teams. It becomes a knock out competition for the tops teams and then another for the lower place teams. Something like a cup and then a shield. 1 Qualified teams 1.1 Group A 1.2 Group B 1.3 Group C 1.4 Group D 2 Knockout stage 2.1 Gold Medal Bracket 2.2 Plate 2.3 Bowl en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_seve ... alth_Games www.nrl.com/DrawResults/Auckland ... fault.aspx

1. Given I had a heart attack last year and have a stent in place, I'm not sure if I have 40 years left, although the lack of anything "fun" to eat or drink in my diet may give me the double score
2. 8 Commonwealth games over that period. To be selected as a "host" choice, you need first to be put on the list of sports that have been agreed to as "options".
To give you an example, Cricket has been pressing to be put on this "options" list for decades...it is played to a decent level in more countries than League yet it is still waiting in the wings. Given this and the fact that the other lot's shortened format is "bolted on", the best chance is the Olympics IF rugby sevens gets canned after 2016......but I still stand by my assertion that we'll be pushing up daisies before it happens!

Every MM match up is the same as last year, the event has really run it's course and needs to go and the only thing about a 9's tournament that people would care about is their teams best players not getting injured. I doubt that using a Challenge Cup round would encourage more people to attend so I think that it is time that the whole thing was binned off.

Cabramatta nines attracting 8 international sides. WA is looking to field a side from the Kimberley in it next year. www.nswrl.com.au/default.aspx?s= ... y&id=88672

Cabramatta nines attracting 8 international sides. WA is looking to field a side from the Kimberley in it next year. www.nswrl.com.au/default.aspx?s= ... y&id=88672