60000 didnt attend, a lot of people would have been there for both days. Also thats over the entire day and a lot of people went home after their game but were still counted as they entered the ground initially FACT!. 1998 Wembley was when Sheffield brought about 200 fans FACT!

60k is the total number of people in the stadium over 2 days, including those that bought weekend tickets so would be counted twice. As has been mentioned previously a lot of people only went for their own teams game so what was the actual maximum attendance at one point, I bet it isnt much over 20k. There was definitely never 60 thousand individual rugby league fans in Cardiff, nor has there ever been at any of the other four magic weekends, whereas there are 70k fans at old trafford and 80k at wembley. FACT

Still counts as 60k paying customers though doesn't it? Making money for the RFL.

Simple FACT still stands, for the people who go it's a great day out, anyone who doesn't is missing out. It's a class event and if RL fans were willing to support it then it would be the best and most unique event in british sport.

The FACT is that 60,000 is the lowest round 1 attendance since 2003 (which only had 6 games).

Another FACT is that 60,000 is less than the normal average weekly attendance for a good number of years.

Yep lets celebrate what a wonderful successful MM is given those FACTS, especially when sponsors and others we want to attract to the game see some our biggest derbies being played out in a stadium a quarter full. Sends out a great message about the sport doesn't it?

You say it like MM needs to pass those figures to be a success. I don't believe it does. It is not a home game for any teams so obviously a normal first round set of games would bring a higher crowd because 6 or 7 teams are at home. Thats not the point of the event, it is to spread the game (which it does) and also to make money (which it must do, the RFL would not carry on if it didn't).

Is it a FACT that you were one of the 60k?

Well seeing as less people go to the games than normal, even given how "special" we keep being told it is, it's pretty obvious it isn't working. If the RFL are happy with a few hundred thousand at the expense of how it makes the sport look to those people the event is meant to attract - it tells you everything you need to know about those at the RFL. The fact they still haven't killed this off in it's current form after 5 years of embarrassing PR, tells you that Nigel Wood shouldn't be running a bath, never mind a sporting body.

If people want to see how these types of events should be done - just look at how rah rah stage and market special club games.

Not that it matters, no. But seeing I've been to three of the other four I reckon I should be ok to have an opinion even by those s who think you need to be there to be able to comment.

True but that doesn't kill the concept, it is a fantastic one which I believe they should stick at to make a true success.

I'm all for doing something innovative, but in it's current form it just doesn't work for me. I cringe when I see the matches on TV and how empty the stadium looks for Wigan v Stains, Leeds v Bradford, Hull v Hull KR. 5 years of doing the same thing without having an kind of bounce in terms of PR or attendances shows it's time for a change.

Some have said that the reason to keep it going is how much people have enjoyed it who were there - I've enjoyed it when I was there, but I also enjoy when we go to Quins and there's 5,000 on.

Here lies the difference, all this debating if pointless. I believe it should be carried on for a few more years to try and make it a success. You don't. I can't see anything changing that unless it gets alot worse or alot better in the next few years.

I think people need to lift the wool over their eyes and realise that just because they had a good day/weekend doesn't mean that in its current form the magic weekend can be classed as a success. During some of the less glamorous games the attendances were shocking! no two ways about it. Even the bigger games weren't exactly huge. There are definitely ways to improve on the current format to make what is a decent concept an actual success. I dont think playing in front of a quarter full stadium can ever be classed as successful, be it a regular league match, a special format such as the magic or a cup final.

I'd say 5 years of flatlining is proof enough - you can apply the defibrillation for as long as you want but it won't change anything unless we try something new.

If it was showing any signs of an improvement, I might agree, but the fact is, it isn't.

Who cares if the stadium wasn't full, or if more people would have turned up overall for a regular round? Those arguments for scrapping it don't make any sense. It's an additional fixture, it's not in place of a home game for any club, nobody loses money from it and the RFL make a tidy income so where is the sense in scrapping it? If it didn't exist, all that would happen would be that the RFL would lose out on the money and the fans would lose out on a great weekend. It's a great event which is of no detriment to the game.