Same with the Hull derby.

We play a friendly, 3 league games and if we finish in the same 8 we will play again. Not to mention the possibility of a cup game. It just takes all the shine off.

How is it so difficult to get this right? The RFL bang on about this 'RLNewEra' and then keep the magic weekend the exact same.

All they had to do was sit down for about an hour to get this right, that's all it needed. It didn't need a drastic change but just a mix around of fixtures.

Day 1: Catalans v Salford, Hull FC v Hull KR, Wigan v Warrington

Day 2: Wakefield v Widnes, Casteford v Huddersfield, Saints v Leeds

Every single one of those fixtures keep the fans interested. They're both pretty much equal match ups, where in some games this time we'll see a drubbing. Closing the weekend with Cas v Wakey is absolutely mind boggling.

Time to kill the magic weekend off I think.

looking at the superleague website and the seating plan, over half the stadium not available for tickets! including a whole stand behind the posts


looks like someone has updated the seating plan, both ends now open

If they have to stick with this, revamp it some how.

Wire v Saints again, London to Newcastle by train, hotel, rush home for work on Monday...nah I'll watch it on tv, it's just boring me now.

Really enjoyed MW this year, even though we got stuffed by our near neighbours. Great occasion and it was good to mingle and chat in the bars with other fans.
Newcastle has plenty of bars around the stadium and Newcastle is known for its nightlife. I thnk it will be the best attended MW ever.

yawn.................

interesting set of fixtures!!

the Magic Weekend is typical of the RFL, when they do stumble upon a good idea, they manage to implement it so badly they undo any good will they create.

Magic Weekend should stay, it just doesn't work as an additional fixture in a P+R league, and it doesn't work where they put it.

If they keep it, its obvious that it should be the first weekend after the split, 8 games over two days 2 from the top 8, 2 from the middle each day. Then each team gets 3 home and 3 away in the 2nd part of the season.

Right now they set up just doesn't have any semblance of being even. Last year there was 2 points between 2nd and 5th, the two points on offer very well may be the difference between being in the top 4 or 8, but its almost certain to be the difference between 3 home games and 4

Going slightly OT but just on the subject of your last quote.

If it was up to me I would not carry the points over to the top 8, but instead reward the higher finishers with more home fixtures. If you finish top you get 7 home ties, and all the other teams only play at home against the sides that finished below them. So the team in 8th is always on the road.

Looks promising, hopefully quite a few will be bought as Xmas presents. Do we think a weekend pass counts as two tickets? www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/31 ... -casts-its

Looks promising, hopefully quite a few will be bought as Xmas presents. Do we think a weekend pass counts as two tickets? www.therfl.co.uk/news/article/31 ... -casts-its

But that just makes the top sides richer and the bottom sides poorer. The whole point of the new era is about equalising the competition, creating more competitive games and ergo driving up spectators.

Fans wouldn't travel for 7 away games, nor would it be fair to have the top side raking in loads of cash and the 8th places side none. Silly idea - no offence!

Some decent match-ups, it’s just a shame the event culminates with Whipping Boy Rabble Wakefield.

I mean, come on, them fans from the proper clubs like St’s & Warrington aren’t going to hang around to see lipstick on a pig.

Out of interest, what constitutes a north east postcode? Leeds, Wakefield and Cas might just fit inside the north east, but Huddersfield is closer to north west.