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

Don't forget Kelly's second season collapse that we have to come too!

The games should either be all derbies (where possible), or a random draw.
Will be like a cup final for the Dobbins.

Or scrapped altogether, although I quite like this idea put forward on another forum. Have the last 8 ties of the Challenge Cup played over the 2 days at the same venue. That way you still get a weekend "jamboree" without having to play a manufactured round of SL fixtures.

that's way too good an idea will never be taken up haha

It really is. We could play Rovers 6 times next season I think. Overkill doesn’t cover it.

The Challenge Cup is not a Superleague event, so there's no chance.

Saints fans saying get on with it and stop grumbling about it being a Derby is a bit rich why aren't they getting on with playing Wigan then? Because perhaps them, Wigan Leeds and Bradford decided they didn't want to play each other anymore 5 years ago. It's such an uneven playing field from the off yeh, you have to play everyone twice home and away but who you play for what could be two precious league points in what is a concocted weekend like magic should not just be down to a few blokes at the RL deciding which games will bring in the most bucks. If they want to do it at all then I think the Cup Round Idea is a brilliant one. But who plays who wouldn't be contrived enough would it?