With it becoming so important to make the top 8 wit this new system, and the potential massive damge if you don't, it would seem we cannot have a fixture list that does not give everyone equal opportunity in a home and away format. So what to do with Magic weekend? Most would agree that it is popular and been a success on a number of levels however for equity it is no longer fair to have teams playing one odd game. That one odd game could be the difference between top 8 or not, relegation or not and loss of significant money or not.

Given the NRL has introduced a major nines competition, the RLIF is seriously pushing for Nines to be a C'wealth event and long term goal should be nines in the Olympics is it time to change the Magic weekend to a major Nines competition?

Would fans support it?
would clubs release top players to play in it?
Coudl we get corporate backing to make the prize money worthwhile?
What venue could we use?

Good idea, but we can expect the RFL to f*ck it up and promote it half d. They won't even take on a Heritage Round and promote the a*se out of that idea.

Being from an RU background, I was more attracted to the NRL before SL. Not because theirs is a stronger comp, but more so because they know how run correctly manage and promote it that SL can dream of.....until the grow a pair and stop the passive crap of praising mediocrity like Nigel Wood tends to do.

Here is how they promote the Auckland 9's. All clubs in smart new contemporary kits. I believe these jerseys are selling by the truckload as well. If only SL/RFL had the balls to follow suit.

IMO no it shouldn't be a nines tournament.
It should be in the Challenge Cup at round 5 (last 16).
SL club will enter at rnd 5 from 2015 so Magic would be a good very good event to show off RL and the C Cup.

There already was a 9s tournament for a couple of years and no team took it seriously.
With the new system coming into place next season it is the perfect time to scrap the concept.
I agree with the previous comment about the heritage round, it would be a great thing to do.
The NRL also have a woman in rugby round with pink shirts/boots all get auctioned off at the end. good publicity etc and awareness

I like the sound of this myself, however there is a major stumbling block IMO and is TV contracts. At the end of the day TV money talks.

Would only work with a big sponsor and big prize money. I don't know why they don't already make Magic weekend a 'heritage' event.

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).

That wasn't what it was created for.

The purpose of the Magic Weekend has lost it`s way and the format has become stale and boring.

The rejig of the league is supposedly to make sure that there is more to play for in each game to boost competition and bring the crowds in.....this being the case it should be extended to MW.

Based on league position 1 should play 2, 3 plays 4, 4 plays 5 etc etc at least that way fans will not be treated to the likes of Catalan v London, in the empty stadium graveyard slot every year......it`s just an easy 2 points for Catalan (and I say this as a long suffering London fan).....at least make sure every team is in with a chance to bring home the points and make them earn it.

Yes it was Tre, when it was in Cardiff it's aim was to bring new supporters to the sport. But its just become an event for the regular supporters, though it seems a few women looking for a good day out on the lash who possibly don't go to watch football(rugby) that often.

I enjoyed the article in this months forty twenty from the guy behind Gloucestershire All Golds arguing for this.

He wanted a nines tournament with the fastest runner contest as part of the weekend as well.

He offered £100,000 of his own money to promote it.

Only way it would be worth doing is having a big enough prize pot to make the clubs interested and worth risking injuries for. If not you'll just get squad players and no one caring about it

MW fixtures www.therhinos.co.uk/news/22224.php#.UuEi7RBFCUk

MW fixtures www.therhinos.co.uk/news/22224.php#.UuEi7RBFCUk

Personally, I think the Magic Weekend has improved over the past few years. I think the move to the Etihad was the right one and its one of the events I look forward to in the fixture list.

What's that? A rugby league fan looking forward to something about the sport? Burn the heritic!

I agree with this, but it is in danger of becoming stale if it doesn't have an actual purpose. 2012 was deemed a big success, but the attendance in 2013 didn't build on this, and this season isn't on a bank holiday and until there is actually a decent reason for the MW (other than a p*ssup for the fans in the sun (hopefully!)) I think interest will start to dwindle.

A 9's comp, if organised and promoted correctly, or the last 16 of the cup could work. Either of these would be better than an extra fixture IMO. And for 2015 onwards, it seems really stupid that they are not utilising the fact they would have a 29 game season if everyone played each other twice before the split and once after it to integrate the MW in to the regular fixture list, i.e. the first game after the split.