whats it done for gateshead thunders crowds? are the geordies going to watch them ?!

not really.

back to manchester for me.

but if we want to continue with this spread the game theme then maybe coventry next... do Ireland deserve magic weekend too?

You do realise that cities pay millions of pounds to host this event? It's not just some whimsical idea from the RFL to give a minor boost to the local semi pro team.

BTW you don't even know what Newcastle (not Gateshead) Thunder's crowds are, do you? Even though it's ridiculous to expect there to be any type of increase or even try to measure any increase based on a single one-off event, they could've received a massive boost and you wouldn't even know, you don't even know what the team is called.

Having it at the emptyhad hardly helped Salfords crowds did it

Regards

King james

If the RFL had any sense they'd get Newcastle and Manchester to enter a bidding war (both cash and marketing spend) and get the cash in, no doubt they'I'll have some other random idea though!

An increase of less than 500 compared to last year? Hardly the record-shattering event the RFL promised. I wonder if the RFL even make any money out of it?

Newcastle for me. The amateur game in the NE is building and this focus, long term, can only help it. A fantastic city and location of ground, only 2 hrs away from heartland RL. The whole weekend is an event. Going to Manchester makes it a day trip. I'd make it Newcastle for the next few years. Book early if you don't want sky high prices

While I agree the crowd increase was nothing to shout home about, as has been stated Newcastle pay to host the event, and it is an entire extra round of income for the game, so yes they do make money. It also does get the game more exposure, reports in the newspapers were much larger than usual this weekend, links to the live scores were on the BBC sport homepage etc things we don't usually get for a normal round of games.

Hotel prices are only expensive if you leave it late, if your organised and book early it's not expensive at all.

3 of us stayed at Newcastle central travelodge and for 3 nights it worked out at £62 each.

Anyone see the front cover of the Newcastle Chronicle newspaper on Monday morning?

Pleading with us to come back

Says it all

Not so true.. I looked at hotel prices a few hours after the magic weekend was announced and the nice city centre hotels had already jacked up the prices.

try booking hotels that offer free cancellation in the two weekends in may before the magic date is announced

yes i know the rfl gets money from it, so will it got to the highest bidder.... seems that way.

they get about 500... sorry forgot it changed to newcastle thunder, maybe if i saw a few more of their shirts at the stadium would have reminded me

may aswell just let the majority travel less hey, doesnt work going elsewhere to improve crowds, did it help wales.. oh they dont even have a super league team now scotland?

just give it to the highest bidder, koukash and have it in dubai

They got 3,000 for their last game. That's about as much as Huddersfield get without away fans...