they already announced cardiff for a 2 year deal so must be there next year

If it is in Manchester which i doubt regardless of the rumour it more or less admits that expansion is not the reason for Magic weekend and more the RFL exploiting our players for their gain, what's 'expansive' about Manchester? They could have least made it less obvious and had it in Birmingham.

I still think help Quins out and play it at Twickers.

I'm sure I was told that for a Stadium to host a magic weekend style event it needs to have an adjoining facility suitable for teams to warm up on during the closing minutes of the preceding game, which rules most places out.

Hasn't city got a little athletics facility close by?

I'm actually up for the idea. We neglect our strengths sometimes and try to run before we can walk. I'm pretty confident we'd get near to full house in Manchester and the money that would bring in over a period of time could be used for other projects to help the sport grow.

Take it back to Cardiff in a few years when the event has a following.

I'll be warming up in Mary D's if it's played at Citehhhh

Manchester Magic are a local basketball team that play in the John Amaechi Centre in Moss Side/Hulme.

I'd rather drink my beer out of a tramps boot.

This is the athletics stadium next to our ground as it currently ishttp://www.webbaviation.co.uk/stadiums/sportcity-aa01452c.jpg" >

This is what is being built just across the roadhttp://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/incoming/article801758.ece/ALTERNATES/fp-gallery/Manchester-City-proposed-training-complex-2011-cropped" >

I think that's what they actually serve in there! I'm normally in The Townley before City games and town after games.

I hope this happens. Been calling for Eastlands to host the Magic Weekend for a while. Enjoyed Cardiff, but I think they should take it to an area central to most clubs and you can't go wrong with Manchester. Only problem with having at a ground which is home to a soccer club is its hard to find a slot where they'll let you use it, as others have pointed out.

I know the Magic Weekend is about expanding the game and taking Rugby League to new areas, but to that, the event needs to be marketed a whole lot better than it has been. Its all good taking it to new areas, but if you're not really bringing the new comers in, then its not benefiting the sport.

i'm sure there's a couple of people on here that'll go down on the coach with you.

People keep forgetting the primary initial reason for Magic weekend. It wasn't about expansion - that was just a convenient supposed add-on to being in Wales at a time the Crusaders were looking to join SL. Fat lot of good it did!

No, the primary reason was simple - Cardiff had enjoyed hosting the Challenge Cup (not to mention loads of football) whilst Wembley was out of action and they wanted an event to help fill the void. The city paid the RFL to bring an event there, knowing in return they would benefit from hotel bookings and food and drink sales. Nothing wrong with that either - RL is hardly a rich sport, it needs all the encouragement it can get.

Sadly (I've been to them all and enjoyed them all) the highly critical RL fans have not supported it in sufficient numbers to keep it going.

At the end of the day... The real reason for the Magic weekend is it's another payday for the RFL to go with the Play-Offs & the Challenge Cup. There's no doubt in my mind this will attract the most fans compared to previous years (Although not all in the stadium at the same time) so this will generate the most revenue. Not forgetting City probably would have made a bid to host it too I would suspect.

All in all, making more money for the RFL that will hopefully be put to good use.

FWIW I love the concept, and will watch all the games no matter where it's taken in the UK. Maybe it could go to a different city each year? That would certainly be different.

If it's in Manchester I'll probably go for the first time, but I'll turn up five minutes before Warrington kick off and leave immediately after we finish.