news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 819616.stm From what I can recall of the area around the ground, it's not brilliant and certainly not a patch on Cardiff. I haven't been there for 5 years though so maybe some of Etihad's millions have been spent on improving it. The stadium is top notch though and there's no roof so fewer Bambi on ice moments. It's not exactly spreading the game beyond the heartland but should make for a bigger bang for the season opener.

news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/rugby_l ... 819616.stm From what I can recall of the area around the ground, it's not brilliant and certainly not a patch on Cardiff. I haven't been there for 5 years though so maybe some of Etihad's millions have been spent on improving it. The stadium is top notch though and there's no roof so fewer Bambi on ice moments. It's not exactly spreading the game beyond the heartland but should make for a bigger bang for the season opener.

If it's going to be there I doubt it'll be the season opener. I can't see MCFC allowing seven rugby matches to be played on their pitch in February.

Cardiff is pretty much unique in having a huge modern stadium right in the heart of the city centre. Newcastle United FC is the only remotely similar ground I can think of in a major city.

Bad idea. Pandering to the flat cappers...

God fobid they would have to travel!!! after they all had to come down to wembley for the Aus game!!!
apparently there were only 23 londoners bought tickets at wembley all rest were from ooooop north!!!
Seems a shame that cardiff is out the window, stadium and location cannot be faulted, just a limited number of hotel rooms, obviously if its in Manchester flat cap brigade can just go home, soooooo not a prob

excellent are for expansion though, wonder if the locals will take to it!!!!
Rubbish idea if you ask me, altho pretty funny mate am away with is a city fan and only other day said was surprised it was not used by rugby a bit more

I will still probably end up going as I see it as a good weekend away (I live in Birmingham) and if rumours of it being the first weekend in June are true, then it's my birthday, so even better!

However, I agree that the whole premise of this is to show it to other areas that are not that clued up about the game. I'm not just saying this because it is where I live, but surely somewhere like Birmingham is better? Or Coventry? I play for a local RL team (wont be next season - I've had to have a knee reconstruction on two ligaments - thanks to RL...) and I can safely say that RL is increasingly becoming more and more popular in the likes of Coventry and Leicester. Surely bringing something like the Magic Weekend to a place like that makes much more sense if the RFL are serious about expansion...

Shame its moving from Cardiff, have always enjoyed the weekends there. Don't know Eastlands at all so somewhere new to visit! ? More media coverage from the new BBC media centre in nearby Salford?

It's not the season opener, it'll be in the Summer and it will be at the city of manc stadium

Is their much point in the Magic Weekend any longer.......most of the comments on other club message boards seem to suggest that many will only go for the day to watch their team, then away home as the venue is so close, which for me undermines the whole event. It`s not a season opener, so has just become another away fixture for me. Undecided on whether or not to go, if I do I will probably follow the flat-capper lead and just make a day of it.

Shame, the Cardiff weekends have been good.

Season needs to start the weekends the clocks go forward and with the magic weekend.

Thank goodness it's NOT at Cardiff.....They spoilt their "love affair" with me as soon as they jumped on the 'lets grab all the cash we can from those flat-cappers from League'.

At least London don't hike up their prices when we travel down to the Capital for our marvellous weekends. I stay quite near Kings Cross and pay the same whether I go for the weekend in Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter and also enjoy seeing a west end show on the Fri and Sat night before travelling home to Hull on the Monday, so you can see why I'm delighted to say ttfn to Cardiff. I agree with expansion and if they try one of the other city venues and they have the nous to keep their prices the same for the magic weekend then I'm all for it.
grannyfan Cindy

Many Northern supporters just do not want to travel, in League Weekly today one Saints fan suggests 95% at Wembley was from the North, again emotive comments instead of facts, It's no longer the City of Manchester Stadium since one of the owners family friends company sponsored the ground it is now Etihad Stadium!

But moving to Manchester is not what the original idea was all about and in the middle of the season other than branding it as a Weekend of Rugby League what is its aim now?

So, errr, which it is then?

Don't think any decisions made have been as a result of a concerted campaign from northern supporters about never going further south than billinge lump, it's a commercial decision which given the current climate is not a totally stupid one, even if it does slightly disadvantage southern supporters a bit more than northerners........ is it a worthwhile exercise anymore, well that's a different argument.

I might go to this seeing as its somewhere decent now. Never been to one before. Can't imagine I would go to any games other than ours though.

It is a shame that the Cardiff experiment didn't continue, because it was IMO a worthwhile exercise in the expansion of the game and did generate publicity. But you have to wonder if the Crusaders can't keep themselves going it loses its raison d'etre.

I would consider going next year as its at the Etihad which looks like a top-notch venue. Not sure I agree with the point about it being out of town and there being no good boozers around - no-one with any sense drinks in the Trafford area before the grand final, Manchester City Centre has a fantastic selection of pubs to keep the speccies happy. I'd be tempted to go for a day and I think I would watch at least one of the other matches scheduled, particularly if we were paired with a genuine encounter like the Hull derby.

Problem with the Midlands stadiums are the following.

Ricoh Coventry- Outskirts of the city and Miles from City centre.
Walkers Leicester- Nothing nearby and could clash with Union game at Tigers.
St Andrews Birmingham- Do not make me laugh.
Villa park. See above
West Brom Hawthorns- Area is not ready for 1000's of league fans.
Wolverhampton Molineux- In City Centre and could be a goer.