35 thousand today, wont get anywhere near that tomorrow, is the Newcastle thing done now and people want a new venue, i did not go this year for that reason. Wondering if it same for others, great venue but a case of been there done that.

Ricoh Arena in Coventry maybe? Holds 33,000 for sporting events

They mentioned Anfield during commentary

Anfield would be good. But how close is it to L'pool town centre? They could have a big fans marquee on Stanley Park

About 3 miles

Yeah we walked it from Anfield to Lime St station once ...never again at least 40 minutes.... you start thinking of flagging a taxi and then thinking nah were nearly there and then another 15 minutes later you think again about flagging a taxi.....

but I'd definitely go to a Magic weekend there.

I believe they need to start with smaller capacity stadiums and move it to bigger ones when the event outgrows the stadium it's held at.


With having it at such large stadiums people don't necessarily book in advance as normally tickets available and then possibly how many don't end up going ?? Create the demand for the tickets and it will sell out !!!

Wasting time trying to take rugby to scouse land. They aren't interested.

I think you'd have a good attendance and get high profile in Liverpool but I'm not sure what the point would be in terms of promoting the game. If you got some locals interested in RL they would presumably go to St Helens or Widnes, or at a stretch us. I doubt there would be a new "Liverpool" franchise. So it feels like more of a marketing thing for Saints/Widnes/us to do rather than a priority for rugby league as a whole.

No it would not if it raises the profile of the game and attracts new supporters then rugby league has benefited. Trying to get a presence in football dominated areas is never going to work out well but stadiums like anfield St. James's Park the Etihad draws a wider public awareness than just the local area to where the stadium is would magic weekend in Coventry draw as much publicity as magic weekend at anfield ??

Are we likely to se Newcastle knights in super league off the back of it being held in Newcastle ? if expansion is an aim then maybe a more international approach would be better served than a uk stadium ?? The bernabau nou camp the Allianz??

Totally agree SC.
I terms of spreading the game Liverpool is a damp squid.

If we must continue with it as a showcase franchise, them move it away to areas of impression. Liverpool totally isn't one of those. Coventry where Wasps has shown there is a appetite, London where grassroot RL is most successful.

Liverpool City, Huyton, Runcorn High field and Prescott Panthers...not even a chance.
Stains and volunteers at grassroots worked tireless for 2 or 3 years trying to get Merseyside schools to at least take up rugby. Kids were interested but the schools didn't care.(I was involved trying in Kirkby area).

Forget Liverpool.

Liverpool might work better when Everton have their new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock, which is nearer to the City Centre. Of course that is quite a few years away.

Coventry - there isn't an easy walk to the stadium like Cardiff or Newcastle. Manchester was a bit further but only 1.5 miles. It's 3.5 miles from Coventry City centre.

It's a shame that none of the Nottingham Forest stadium redevelopment plans, or the plan to move even closer to the City Centre haven't come off. I think it would be a great location but the stadium is too small.

Attendance also effected by;

Hotel prices - absolutely extortionate and unfortunately the RFL don't have the power to organise discounts.
Train - You couldn't have done a day trip on the train as the last train back was 19:45. Train was also £80 return.
Coach and car - A long day trip and some would have only got home way after midnight.
Kick off times - Why the 2:30pm start on day 1, and then 1pm on day 2. If we had been on last but at 5:30pm then I'm sure more would have made a day trip.

Also said for years that they shouldn't have Championship, League 1, NCL fixtures on the same weekend. I'm sure some of those fans and players would want to go.

Tend to agree with Sally on this.
The Magic Weekend works partly because we go to new areas of the country.
It's fine to mix it with the Etihad etc as it attracts probably more hard core RL fans, but the likes of Cardiff, Newcastle etc spreads the word - and in my view that's the right way to go.

Ricoh at 33k arguably would be too small if we got 35k yesterday, but it was a good venue for the International and the stadium backers are keen to expand with RL.

We had a Gateshead Thunder coached by Shaun McRea in Super League then we had the Hull Sharks / Gateshead Merger so that the defunct Hull Sharks could get a SL franchise. This merged team to be called "Hull" and play in Hull. The local support in Gateshead were so upset they formed their own club which continues as Newcastle Thunder.