Typical Rugby legaue that people want to chop, change and move and event about every 5 minutes. Magic was working well at Newcastle, and I have no doubt it would have gone well again had it been held last year. Newcastle Thunder are growing nicely too and the publicity from Magic has helped with that.

The games biggest event is the Grand Final and a big reason why isn't they haven't altered the venue (last year excepted for obvious reasons) the time of year or the kickoff time. You have to let these events build.

It's about reducing the number of games by removing them not chopping and changing, and it's not every 5 minutes, this is just not true is it?
The only thing that we can confirm regards 'magic' is that it has increased the cost to fans to watch a game but with no increased or worse lowered revenue for clubs, it also eats into attendances for the derby games and even the challenge cup.
Worse it puts more pressure on players as does the faux champions play off system, and that in turn makes it harder for the national team to compete in the late autumn internationals/world comps.

What hard evidence have you that magic has directly influenced Newcastle getting to where they are? It's a hell of a lot to lose to get another mediocre championship club that didn't actually earn promotion but were granted it by the RFL. Newcastle could have developed no worse without magic being located in Newcastle.

Having a n engineered event that actually does a lot of damage to all clubs/national team and has a detrimental effect on player welfare is not ever a good idea, it's plain insanity, but then it's typical in rugby league that some people think that running with an idea and sticking with it despite its continued failure is somehow going to magically start to make things better

You ask for evidence that Newcastle have benefitted. Where is your evidence for all the negative points you make? And NO! Flat earth YouTube videos don’t count.

The initial point was made that we have 'newcastle' (thunder) due to magic weekend being in Newcastle, I asked for evidence of that claim, you go first.
Even if there were any hard evidence there is no cost justification whatsoever for holding the event, Newcastle is never going to be a hotbed of rugby, it's just another small outpost and always will be.

Let's look though at how Gateshead had multiple times more fans attending home games than Newcastle post huge investment and consecutive 'magic' in Newcastle. They required no 'magic' weekend to garner interest in the club, did people just come off the streets to go see games or was there already an interest in attending.
Just because London has a team with well supported soccer teams and multiple rugby union teams it doesn't equate to big numbers attending even against the top sides.
Yes Gateshead declined, that was going to happen given the circumstances but there was latent interest there already, there's simply no evidence that redeveloping the club has been significantly aided by having the magic event.
*over 6000 for the St.Helens home game of 1999, even the London home game saw over 2,600, current average even including the big travelling support from Bradford for the pre MW is under 1000.

But what are your thoughts re the rest of the aspects of magic?

Do you disagree with my premise that the event draws significant sums away from clubs directly, that it has a direct effect on player welfare by adding this contrived game into the calendar, that it adds more costs to supporters such that this can dissuade from attending other primary events including the local rival games?
Do you disagree that having an extra weekend of a contrived fixture and the mini cup/play-off system adds even more pressure onto players, more fatigue/injuries and that is likely to directly affect how we go at national level?

No!

Going to any game at the moment would make it a magic weekend for me!

We have Newcastle Thunder because Shane Richardson threw loads of money at it years ago.

When he left enthusiasts didn't let it go and now we have a multi-Millionaire at the helm.

To me Superleague is about rich owners throwing lots of money away on Rugby League

So "hot bed of RL" "small outpost" maybe, but the rich owner is the whole point here................................

If only we could stop rich owners picking their own clubs and allocate them clubs. I'd allocate Kurdi to Bradford Bulls

Do you think magic weekend has made any significant difference to Newcastle as to where they are now, I think I prove that there is no evidence that it has, they would have got to where they are without magic.

As I thought, you've got absolutely squat to back up what you say.

and to add weight to your views,what has Magic achieved, other than for a bunch of RLfans to boost the local economy with no real connection to the game, get vexed and Sky can put multiple games on.

scrap it, move th CC Final back to Cardiff, London isn't the grand day out it was in the 70's, it's more expensive for a weekend in London than a week in Lanzarote.

The whole game needs to stop thinking it is On The Buses or a Carry On film.

When I was a kid growing up in Hull going to Leeds was an adventure, now (well, pre covid) I'd go there for lunch and be back home by 5.

You may be right because they got to some very decent crowds indeed years ago when they had a season in Superleague. There was no Magic then.....

I have no doubt some of their current smaller crowds go enjoy Magic, but Magic isn't a vehicle for building up local clubs. There's no real record of that

I recall a criticism of it being in Wales where a few hundred at most Welsh people dropped in but the local Welsh RL scene didn't change.

I remember when a Millionaire set up Celtic Crusaders and probably 5,000 welsh fans attended the first game.

That's the evidence that shows growth is only really possible with heavy investment, and prolonged heavy investment at that.

Congratulations, the first post from you where you haven't mentioned France or North America.

Wales is RU territory, but I'd rather go to Cardiff than Newcastle.