I didn't go to the magic weekend.

BUT the RFL seem set to do the magic weekend and this version of it based in Wales, kicking off the season and derby matches is a far, far, far better idea than the Murrayfield version.

It’s not a bad idea to really kick off the season with a big fuss and some razzmatazz.

There are big problems with crowd numbers obviously but the on the field product especially the games between the big sides have been as good as ever.

We maybe need to find a venue which more people are prepared to travel to.

City of Manchester stadium, a location in the midlands?



I thought that but i don't think people will travel that far.

Maybe we should just do the one day and have just the big derby matches Wigan vs Saints, FC vs KR, Wire vs Hudds and Leeds Bradford.

Harsh on the other teams but they aren't the ones with massive support

What about this for a really crazy idea

4 games on saturday
3 games on sunday as it is already

In december they pull out 8 teams out of a draw and they play on the Saturday the rest play the Sunday.
(this is just to know what day to turn up for the fans)

Every one gets in the stadium and 10 minutes before kick off those 8 names pulled out go in to another draw and they pull two out of the hat.

Announcer "And our first team to play is (name drawn) Hull KR"
players come out start to warm up

Annoucer "And they will be playing Leeds Rhinos"

This is a silly idea on a few levels, only those that quote me will read this section

Just got back, and irrespective of the result, won't be going again.

Lol just seen the added bit.

The aggregate number for Saturday's games was 30,189. That's the average number. Virtually all the Wire fans went home after their match. I know, I was there. I watched all four matches. The first one was packed, the second empty, the third filled up and the fourth was very busy too but without the ton of Wire fans who had made the place really buzz for the first match. Wire fans may have taken loads down, but those loads did not stay for the day. Therein the hub of the problem. For all we know, the RFL could have sold 65,000 tickets for the weekend but we would never get 65,000 people in the stadium in one go because there are 7 matches and not everyone will do as I did and watch them all. But that does not mean it is a failure of an event or even that the RU do a better job. It just means ours is a festival event and theirs is a match.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day and for me the result of our match was a bonus because I didn't expect a win from Saints due to them being distinctly underdone and without Leon Pryce, who is a significant influence on Saints.

How can anyone complain about this event.... 14 teams, 1 stadium, 2 days.... rugby be on show after the off-season... cheap tickets.... great city.... what more do you want?

I love the magic weekend, best concept the RFL have come up with. What else can they do? The downfall is in the pathetic fans of Rugby League who will sit at home and complain about the empty stadium.

The thing is, it creates interest and media interest. The negative is it's in 1/4 empty stadium on the first week of the season when historically most clubs record better than average crowds.

PLaying it at say City of Manchester would work, the games would likely sell out. Getting the stadium for a full weekend at this time of year is impossible though.

Hope much interest would Yeds idea create can't imagaine the players would like it and the local pubs.

Play it at Man Citys ground (Open air bars outside stadium)
Brand it as Manchester Magic
Have it in April/May on a Bank Holiday weekend
Have a trophy/prize for best performance and best try and award it at end of the last game.
If the numbers are looking low say by 10,000 capacity give 5,000 tickets away to local school kids or sell them £1 a piece to the schools in the area.
Have bands/pop acts in and around the stadium aswell as beer tents/bars and comedy tents and make it something people want to go to like a festival.

You're right it's a crazy idea. We had enough injuries yesterday, no need to beg for more.

I went down yesterday and stayed for the four games. The atmosphere for the Quins/Cats game was atrocious - if anyone switched on their tv and saw the crowd for that game they'd have a right old laugh at our sport. It filled up a little towards the end of the day, but the attendance was pathetic all things considered.

Clearly it was a good idea, but it simply doesn't work. Time for a rethink.

Festival of RL a good idea - but should it really be for 'extra' superleague points.

February timing is awful - just luck that it wasn't snowy. Freezing on the terrace in the snow is dedication for one game at a time, less likely for a whole weekend, fans will watch their team only.

How about making the festival weekend the 4th or 5th round of Challenge cup - draw 7 or 8 games first to play the festival and then the rest go by normal home or away draw. That way the other clubs have a chance - anything can happen in cup rugby and the league can stay play each club twice, home and away.

Closed roof, slippy pitch (especially yesterday) and lots of injuries. Hmm must be a correlation there!

Freezing on the terrace.... it was indoors!

I must admit I thoroughly enjoyed it as an occasion.

Now it's coming to an end for this year I think it is important that the rfl now recognise that in the current economic climate that they do something to encourage this festival to be held possibly around the grounds so that cash raised is going into clubs and local econmies were the club is based.

There is a lot of other factors e.g. Accommodation in the local area.

But it will raise the profile of the game say in Wrexham should all the teams play there on one bank holiday weekend.

The concept is good but it needs fine tuning now before it loses considerable amount of face

the games have to mean something.

rejigging the playoffs and then playing the entire first round in one venue would work, but i don't think the top teams would go for it (loss of home advantage).

playing the quarters of the challenge cup over one day could be good.

I hope they dont stop it because I haven't had the money to go yet but as I finish Uni this year hopefully I will have a job and the chance to go next year. The start of season thing could have been bad but the weather was apparently quite good and the roof probably meant it didnt matter much anyway. The reason the standard of rugby (someone mentioned this earlier in the thread i forget who) wasnt as high and there was so many injuries is probably because it was first match back the May ones always seem better because of the simple fact that the season is in full swing by then.

I agree that the change of stadium to somewhere like Manchester would be a good idea but everyone around there would already be into Rugby because its so near most of the teams.

I DO complain about the attendance but not because I dislike the idea but because I cant afford to go and there will be so many fans that CAN afford to go and instead choose to sit at home and moan about the fact that the stadium is half empty.