He has got a very good point



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In a way I agree with him, but simply because I think a league season should be play everyone else twice - once at home and once away.

I still think that if they want to persist with the magic weekend concept, which I do actually enjoy, then they should tie it in with the cup. Let all National League and amateur play knockout until there are just the two remaining. They then join the 14 SL clubs at an 8 game 'Challenge Cup Magic Weekend'.

Think back to the Catalans v Wigan semi at the HJ. How many neutrals were there? I'd guess a good 15% of the crowd didn't support either team. Semi finals tend to attract the neutrals, especially from the town/city the game is being played in.

I think we need a CC seme double header to replace the Magic Weekend. Somewhere generally near where the teams are from aswell. It's all very well trying to expand the game, bit it doesn't seem to work with this weekend. Imagine the semi finals consisting of Saints, Wigan, Warrington and Leeds, all in one place, on the same day. Somewhere like Elland Road, or the COM stadium, even Anfield.

good idea cockers.

the only thing that appeals to me about magic weekend is getting away from her indoors and the kids.

is it worth paying the best part of £500 quid for that?

dont think so.

Now I have no problem with expansion, in fact, I agree with it. But surely the RFL are trying to expand too far, too soon. Aim to expand somewhere with RL heritage, or at least somewhere where they play rugby league in the majority of schools. Cumbria, for example.

If we can make it work close to home, then go further afield.

Edinburgh is too far and too expensive.

When i looked for accomodation a few months back it was £100 per night in some crappie b&b.

The nice hotels wanted £200

Graham is a daft scouse ginger idiot!! Just because he has to leave the comfort of Merseyside for a few days and go and play in Scotland!!

I say we all boo him when he plays on Saturday night!

i take it you like the magic weekend des?

Can those who agree with him cheer him every time he gets the ball?

are you going to magic cockers?

or will you be on here giving me grief?

Behave yourself, you mean you didn't want to go.

I shall be on here giving you grief my good man. I had planned to go, even paid the deposit for accommodation, but due to transport and financial issues, I had to cancel last week.

I don't agree with the Magic concept, but I was willing to go and watch 7 games for the price of half of one. I was mostly going to support Warrington though

I love it and think it's a great idea. It's even great for the average fan that doesn't go. All those games on sky. BBQ! Beer!

I agree with him 100%, if we want to be any sort of force at international level then we have to find ways of reducing the stress on players bodies. The easter period is too much especially at the speed which the modern game is played at, the high impact collisions between the forwards takes its toll and with the backs expect things like calf and thigh strains to be common place as muscles get constantly stretched with very little rest.

As for the magic weekend, in my opinion it does very little for our game with a half empty stadium on show for all to see along with the fact which James Graham points out that the fans are basically nearly all SL fans from the north having to pay a fortune to travel and stay the weekend.

Like James Graham points out, i would also prefer this money to be spent on trying to develop a Cumbrian SL team because to me the RFL have done very little to try and establish a team up there, yes it may fail but thats not the point here, you won`t know if it will fail or not until you have tried and the RFL seem to do very little as far as Cumbria goes. Its an area that has produced so many professional players so it has a decent chance of sustaining itself given the chance, yes fans will have to travel given the vast area of Cumbria but i`m sure they would do to watch a decent side rather than watch NL rugby every week.

i would love to go but i think i would rather spend £500 on something else.

First of all what money?

Also you want invest money into something that might fail and that's OK at the behest of something that is great and is getting more popular?

People criticise the RFL for not sticking with new ideas. Well now they are and I hope this weekend proves them right.

James Graham can off if he doesn't like it. Some the poeple and club of St Helens haven't been on board with this since the start due to them losing a home game.

£500, were do you get that sum from.

Two nights holiday inn near the centre, transport there and back cost me £180.

Do you plan to eat, drink, transport yourself and watch any rugby while you're there?

People can just go for the Rugby. A one day trip wouldn't be that costly. People drive to London and back in a day. There isn't much difference.

Graham shouldn't bite the hand that feeds. Ginger fool.

Bit of fun. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc8YlEBb ... annel_page Mods I'd imagine the RFL would allow us to distribute this in a RL site in preparation for the weekend?

Bit of fun. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc8YlEBb ... annel_page Mods I'd imagine the RFL would allow us to distribute this in a RL site in preparation for the weekend?

Quote ="Lefty"Bit of fun. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc8YlEBb ... annel_page Mods I'd imagine the RFL would allow us to distribute this in a RL site in preparation for the weekend?'" Yep, seems genuine and is an advert anyway.

Quote ="Lefty"Bit of fun. www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc8YlEBb ... annel_page Mods I'd imagine the RFL would allow us to distribute this in a RL site in preparation for the weekend?'" Yep, seems genuine and is an advert anyway.

What exactly should the RFL do? And on what should they spend money? And what money are you talking about anyway? As far as I know, it's not costing the RFL anything to stage the Magic Weekend, they'll probably make money from it if anything. As for Cumbria - we already have several clubs in the Championship who were just as able to submit a franchise bid as Celtic were. I appreciate the amateur game is strong up there, but could never see a big SL club getting 10,000 plus crowds.

Couple of points:

1) A good way of reducing stress on bodies to benefit the international game would be to avoid breaking your hand when drunk and missing the Tri-Nations. Yes you with the giner hair and scouse accent; I'm looking at you.

2) I seem to recall that Edinburgh council is paying the RFL a considerable sum of money to take the event there. How much is Cumbria Council going to throw into the pot?

I have no idea, give them a ring and ask them, its not a situation they will have been in before. Just a word of warning though, you may get a puzzled sounding voice on the other end as i doubt they have even heard of the RFL up in Cumbria never mind seeing them up that way.