14 hours on the second leg is a long drag - 6 hours to go when you hit the NW corner of Australia

Melbourne is a fabulous city, the beach at St.Kilda , Great Ocean Road, the MCG. Wish I could afford to go again. Sydney to Melbourne, not a long flight, got the train Melbourne to Sydney on the return journey, 12 hours !!

Last time I came back it was via Singapore for a couple of hours. It broke the flight up into three 7 hour blocks.

Got my match tickets last night with a 30% discount as well. Happy days.

11 weeks until I go

In other news.....again a Wednesday-Saturday flight has become available for £675

Leave Manchester at 20:35 on Wednesday night via DXB and SIN with 90 minute layups in each. Arrives in Melbourne at 09:05 on game day
Leave's Melbourne at 06:00 Saturday morning, direct to DXB with a 95 minute lay up and back in Manchester at 18:40 the same night.

Doubt you will find anything much cheaper than that if you are short of time.

What time is kick off?

Every couple of minutes! B-dum

8pm local, gates open 6:30pm according to my tickets.

£659 best deal today on my usual timings. This one gives a full day in Melbourne though so hotel would be required. Check Skyscanner for more details.

I booked my flights 13th-22nd last night. £650 with Travel Trolley. Manchester - Melbourne, Etihad.

We're going to do 4 nights in Melbourne and then 3 nights in Sydney.

You going to the double header?

Nope. Far better things to do in Sydney LOL

11 weeks to go, very good deal for a 1 stop on Skyscanner today. Again for those struggling for time and needing to get there and back. Also need 2 nights in hotel for this one and chance for a little more sightseeing as well.

Outbound 14th Feb
07:30 MAN -> DOH -> 3h 20 lay up -> 18:45 (+1) MEL

Return 17th FEB
22:30 MEL -> DOH -> 1h 50 lay up -> 11:55 (+1) MAN

Currently £686

Booked my flights today. Fly 10th to 17th thru Kayak for £640. Hotel and match ticket booked also.

Gonna fly to Sydney for a day trip also. Tour of MCG and the Ausralian Sports Museum. Should be a terrific week. Unfortunately i cant see us competing but should be a fabulous experience.

I'm not as pessimistic as some. Cooper Cronk won't be playing for Melbourne, and that's a huge loss for them, Jordan McLean, and Tohu Harris, have gone as well, and we have a stronger 17 than last season, and I'm confident we'll compete better than we were 2 years ago.

Hope so Charlie but what preperation will we have? We wont lad in Melbourne until Sunday at the earliest as we play KR on the Thursday.

Yeah Storm have lost a few but theyve also signed players like Kasiano amd i believe Hoffman etc. Going to be very difficult task for Leeds if not impossible.

Should be an amazing experience tho. Looking forward to it. Ive gone over to America last few years to watch NFL which has been incredible and im sure this Melbourne trip will be equal of that.

Kasiano is a good signing, but a step down from McLean, and Hoffman will be 34, and was poor for the Warriors.
Their defense and ability to control the ruck will prove the difference. Although, it's being played in Melbourne's pre-season as well, so it's not all stacked against Leeds.

Kasiano is a very poor signing for Melbourne way below their standard.

What is it with the use of the description poor? Poor what? Player? Attitude? Both Kasiano and Hoffman are better than any players we have, so not sure poor would be the right term.

Same bud. Booked flights for a day out with JetStar, £61 return.

When do u fly to Aus n Sydney Sgy?

If they leave Friday morning they should be in Melbourne for Saturday night which isn't too bad.

And in other news, I suspect that chances of getting a flight for under £700 are over.

Kayak is much cheaper than Skyscanner and they have flights under 700

Fly from Manchester on 12th Feb and arrive in Melbourne on the 13th at 23.00. Three days there, including the game on the 16th, then fly to Sydney the day after for a day out, returning the same night. Another four days in and around Melbourne, then fly home on the 21st.

Should be awesome Sgy. I fly on 10th from Heathrow and fly home on 17th landing on 18th. Might fly to Sydney on the Thursday for the day before the game to do the open top bus tour of sights of Sydney.