Move the Challenge Cup back to the start of the season so the final is sometime around now.
Scrap the 23rd game make the season simple home & away
Make the Magic weekend the first week of the Super 8 & Middle 8 comps so there is no 4 home games for some teams, 3 for others

I would have the magic weekend as the last full round of fixtures before the league splits


No pre draw but the teams would pla the following sequence of league positions at the time

The first game on day one would be 12th vs 11th... followed by 10th vs 9th and the day would close with 8th vs 7th


Day two would start with 6th vs 5th ... 4th vs 3rd and close with 1st vs 2nd


Given the closeness of the league in the last two years the teams will be very focussed on their position going into the weekend and could potentially make a significant difference to their closing league position ( another potential might be to make it a double points round... ie four points for the win)

Being the end of the season and so significant to final position would also keep fans interested and have a stake in... in the outcome of other game

9's has value and we will be left behind if we don't get it going, but it shouldnt and can't replace the Magic Weekend.

The magic weekend has a lot of value, there is a lot of publicity around it, its televised and advertised (which isnt the case for most of our rounds) Sky love it and (though somehow some see this as a negative) it makes money.

MW needs to stay, how we fit it in depends on what structure the season has.

it would seem unfair that, if it were still up for grabs, 9th and 10th would have an ostensibly 'easier' game than 7th and 8th to clinch the top 8 places.

Nines has lost interest in NZ as well. The attendance this year was a paltry 44,000, its first year was 89,000. It's a very novelty concept and not withstanding IMO.

The problem with a Nines competition in my view is that to get the clubs to buy into it, you really have to have a strong financial inducement. We actually had a nines competition - there was one at Headingley. But getting the clubs to support it with any real conviction was difficult, and so that made marketing it difficult.

The Auckland 9s hasa $2.5m prize fund. We won't get close to that sort of figure.

$2.5mAUD is only £1.5m GBP. I dont think that is a huge sum, beyond the realms of possibility. Especially when you remember its TV rights have yet to be sold, it could have a separate sponsor and areas are willing to pay decent money to stage the magic weekend.

The biggest issue with 9s is that we need more international RL, we need more games against the NRL, and our season is already at least 5 games too long.

Lets be fair, teams would support a nines comp if prize was a third of that (500k) for the winner. All teams would need decent financial incentive to attend however, but if a team didn't want to attend (ie Catalan), one of the championship teams would love to have a go against the super league teams. After all, with only 9 a side, certainly brings a levelling of the playing field

Now this is an idea that makes absolute sense. The only thing I'd change from the comments above is id have magic weekend in the middle of the Super 8's rather than week 1. Maybe have the summer bash in week 2 and magic weekend week 4 of the super 8's.

Wasn't it pretty much universally agreed that having the CC Final in May was a terrible idea (with some clubs playing in the early CC rounds as their 'preseason' games) and that's why from 2005 they moved it to the August date?

They don't have to be pre-season. The upcoming bank holiday is going to be round 15, plenty of time to fit 3/4 cup games in, or the cup final could be moved to a regular weekend in June/July.

If it's 9s you might as well get all the Ch sides along too. The games will be much shorter and you either go one day or have more rounds.

Last year was scheduled on a festival weekend so that played a factor.. also lot less Australian fans travelled over. Fans have had enough of teams sending over under strength sides.

Hopefully last year is a Wake up call for all involved.

Had another great day in Newcastle today, despite my team getting hammered and the weather being wet and chilly.

Pretty sure they announced a 35k crowd in the ground which is down by about 5k on the last couple of years. The absence of our East Hull neighbours won't have helped the figure, but it still feels like Magic is stagnating now crowd wise. I think tomorrow will be in for a 25-30k crowd given the line-up, which is ok but not amazing.

Went in to the weekend wanting it to stay in Newcastle as I love the city, but starting to think that amother new venue change may refresh the event again.

its moving next year by the sounds of it anyway, liverpool maybe

I wonder how many will go through the gates today? The 3 worse travelling supports on one day. Or will the RFL 'doctor' the figures to make it close to yesterday?

I suppose if people have bought the 2 day ticket but don't actually show up today then they'll still be counted, which seems to be common practice nowadays (and not just by the RFL).

Exactly what I was thinking. For season ticket holders the weekend pass was a no brainer, so there will be plenty that had a weekend pass from yesterday that aren't there today, but those numbers will be counted. I bought one myself, but haven't managed to get there due to work commitments, so that will be counted in attendance even though I'm now at home watching on tv.

attendance on sunday 30046

Good going, which leaves it just 3k down overall across the weekend, which you can just about put down to swapping Rovers for Leigh.

Stuff moving it around let's keep it permanently in Newcastle

It's great in Newcastle and should be there for at least the immediate future.

I want it backed up by a cohesive strategy delivered by the RFL; increased marketing & focus targeting locals to buy tickets; getting development officers in local schools in the Newcastle area both months before and after MW; taster sessions run with a view to creating new junior setups; existing community clubs supported via coaching courses, sessions linked with schools in their area, equipment; backing & supporting a bigger Newcastle thunder presence to help them harness the interest created.

We know the MW works as a money spinner, but it'd be a massive shame for the sport not to do it's best to create a legacy in the North-East from it.

local rugby club crammlington sold over 700 tickets for this years magic, yet the rfl will just walk away from newcastle to the highest bidder


someone told us anfield is already signed for the next two years, hope not, ive been a few times and the parking is awful, the 2 roads in and out are a nightmare too

Plus the locals are at the opposite end of the spectrum to the Geordies.

Generalising, much?