I think your right.
Very very poor planning by the RFL
At least they should have had the Hull game as the second match of the day.That way it would have kept most people in the stadium

Pleased its staying in Newcastle as I like the City and the ground, but have to agree with others that the Sunday lineup is looking poor, they really are relying on a big turnout of FC and Rovers fans.

Whinge whinge whinge whinge whinge.

I couldn't care less about the line ups. I'm off to watch my team play and that's that.
Not bothered who's playing who and it's not fair they're playing them attitude of some.
Why don't people embrace it for what it is. A weekend of rugby in a vibrant city, not replicated in this country by any other sport.

Can I agree with some of that, but for me, its the embarrassment of seeing an empty stadium on the TV, dont think it does any good for our amazing game, and it will be empty come 5 on the sunday

I guess I would agree with most of the above I suppose, but its so contrived which is fine for a tournament as such, bring it on, if it were for instance a 9 competition between all the SL Clubs, but to make it a round of the Super league competition with points at stake and say that the event will feature local Derby's (as they did a few years ago) then let some teams (Wigan v Saints and before the demise of Bradford Bulls, Bradford v Leeds) weedle out of it is wrong for me.

In the end The RL just sit in a room to decide just who plays who and when, without any sort of formula (no seeding, or based on league positions last year, or all Derby's) just to, in effect, generate a gate and try and get as many there as possible and that is just a 'plastic' set up for me.

It is not a level playing field for all clubs however because as its a league game the two points at stake could in the end mean relegation or the top four for some clubs and the reverse for others and their fate could be decided by a few suits picking who they play at the Magic event.

However then, taking the contrived nature of the whole thing into consideration to have a very senior member of the games administration use its 'success' as an excuse to move the Challenge Cup Final away from Wembley well personally that takes some beating really!

Only my view of course!

With half price tickets, it's hardly going to be a financial success either.

Works out at an average attendance of 5,500 per game, hardly warranting the headline "Super League celebrates another successful Dacia Magic Weekend."

(Challenge Cup - Wembley Stadium, August 25th 2018. You can now select specific seats within blocks, which is handy.)

Council's pay the RFL a significant fee to host the event, which is how it all got started in the first place when Cardiff wanted events to fil the void left by the years of Challenge Cup and FA Cup Finals. This year it was reported the RFL had bids from more city's than ever so you'd hope they've got a good increase in fee to keep the even in Newcastle.

Rovers just tweeted in reply to a fan's question that they made a specific request not to play us at next year's Magic Weekend.

Understandable - wasn't their last competitive win against us Easter 2015? They're having a sublime week so far.

Jokes aside it is actually quite harsh on Rovers. Newly promoted sides usually struggle first season back and they have been drawn against one of last season's top teams.
Not really a level playing field is it?

The whole season isn't a level playing field though is it - you don't have equally matched teams playing each other every week do you, so why should the Magic Weekend be any different?

That's like saying it's unfair on whoever has to play the champions in the first game of the season - someone has to, and you have to play them at some point, so just get on with it.

Injuries and form happen in every sport and every league. Magic is different, before this everyone plays each other home and away, so exactly the same, playing a one off random game so some teams play the extra game against a top side, some against an lower side. We benefit more than Cas and Leeds this year, but it's still an unfair system.

How many other sports in the world do this?

They'll go and beat us now!

Why no politician hasn't snapped you up to be there spin doctor amazes me