Brilliant decision by the rugby league to return to the north east of England for another great weekend of rugby league.
I just hope they also look at the fixtures for Newcastle thunder and get a home fixture arranged on the Friday night like last year.
The hunt now begins for accommodation. See you all there.

I've just booked the travelodge Newcastle Airport. Sat and Sun night £79 per room for the 2 nights. Went last year, was great mixing with opposition fans, and only £3 odd on the metro to the ground

Really great decision, loved it this year and also great for the fact that other venues got more than one year as well. Went this year but only for the Saturday, gonna look next year at the full weekend and camp somewhere within a train or bus ride distance if anyone knows any good camping in that area?

A good decision, but it needs moving into the Super 8s to stop the league being lopsided, and move the CC final to May whilst we're at it!

Great news, really enjoyed Newcastle last year.

Best location we've had to date without a doubt so it's the correct call.

I'm frustrated they've left it so long to then move the date forward from last years though as I've booked a holiday for mid May.

Sure people will have another great weekend, we certainly did last year.

I looked at accommodation around 11am this morning. Rooms £50-60 a night in the centre of Newcastle. By the time I'd made a few calls and confirmed we needed two rooms and went back at around 2.30pm those same rooms were now £150-£200 a night and mostly booked up!!!
It's a joke. Get it back to Manchester ASAP for me.

It is the correct Newcastle isn't it? Do you remember one of the TIW lads booking a bargain weekend near Stoke last year?

i checked about 12:00 and the prices in central newcastle were a joke! got the premier inn @ the airport for £80

not sure if i will even go, good to have hotel ready though even though its not in centre of town.

Why has the derby format been scrapped except for Hull's?

In respect to fairness of the league final make up and now relegation is a consideration I think they should change it to a nines competition rather than a full fixture round.

totally agree. should be a 9's competition for sure!

Not sure about it being a 9s game. Unless there was big money attached teams would not risk their big players and so the fans would not go. It would terminate the concept.

But make it the first game of the super 8's for me would be ideal to kick off the 8's. But you may lose alot of Hull fans.

Wire, Widnes & Wigan fans in the same small stand playing on the same day.

Yes, well done RFL.

You could just act like adults?

Most people do, but you know what it's like when some people are on the drink all day. I will be amazed if it doesn't kick off badly.

Hardly the RFLs fault if a few shandys can't take their booze. They need to grow up!

That should be the tag line for every major RL event.

Considering what happened at the GF, a little bit of common sense should be applied here. In an ideal world of course all rival fans should be able to mix and have a laugh. But with alcohol and hooliganism sticking three rival club fans in a section is a bit stupid.

Has anyone stayed in the Hotel Du Vin?

[urlhttps://www.hotelduvin.com/locations/newcastle/rooms-suites/[/url

The RFL should know that there will be those that can't take their booze and will get lairy.

Considering the police presence we have at our games v Widnes, it seems utterly ridiculous to have us in the same stand at a big event like Magic.

Drunken gobbins will fight with anyone so perhaps the RFL think that if they put you together then everyone else can enjoy the games in peace.

excellent and great food.

Had a dirty weekend there once.

excellent and great food.

Had a dirty weekend there once.

Or twice!

Those of you looking for accomodation, have a look a touch further afield than Central Newcastle. Anywhere with a Metro link is ideal, or you could always look at Durham City which is only 15-20 minutes away from Newcastle central Station on the mainline train. Sunderland has an excellent Metro link and will be much cheaper.

Well done to the RFL for getting next seasons fixtures out nice and early, getting the Magic Weekend sorted nice and early and for getting Grand Final tickets on sale again already!

Lovely stuff!
Just get the internationals sorted now