Fixtures due to be released on Thursday - any preferred openers? Strong rumours on Humberside that there will be a Hull derby in Week 1. Might this mean that Wigan v Saints is up first? I personally would prefer Wigan v Leigh up first with Saints left until Good Friday.

Leigh or Wire at home hopefully. If they play those fixtures mid season, you might get 13,000/14,000 or so if things weren’t going great for either club. Play one of those on opening night and you’re likely to get up towards 20,000.

It makes sense to me, so on RFL logic, we’ll probably get Cas.

That was my thinking. Saints should sell out mid year anyway. Probably makes sense for the Hull derby to be up first while there is still a bit of optimism in the air for Hull FC.

Plus its been three years since we had a home fixture so we're owed one.

We have had Hull KR away for the first game the last 2 years running, so would definitely like something different. A big home tie like this would be great, especially if we can put a good performance in.

Latics are away on opening weekend, so no issues with that. Talk that the WCC will be the following weekend, so if they gave us a good opening fixture like that, we could be looking at crowds of say 20,000 and 25,000 on consecutive weekends. That would be a fantastic way to start the season.

If they use the same fixture formulae as last year we would have Leigh as one of our home loop fixtures so that would be a great season opener.

I just hope that London away is on a Saturday afternoon. I miss the London weekenders!

An article by Matthew Shaw suggests we may be playing Catalans on the opening day of the season. Why have an atmosphere when you can have an empty North Stand! I say that, I'm presuming he means at home but then I wouldn't put it past the RFL to send a team over to France the week before representing the country in the World Club Challenge.

It does sound a bit like he's going off what has been done previously, rather than him hearing it's definitely Catalans, so hopefully he's wrong.

Matt Shaw's usually very good but he's wrong in saying that a GF repeat is usually round one. It was in 2022 but not in 2023, 2021, 2020 or 2019.

Edit - actually Saints did play Salford in the opener in 2020 so two out of the last five years.

Fingers crossed he’s wrong here then. It seems an open goal giving Wigan an attractive home fixture against a local rival. Get Leeds at home as well and add in a Hull Derby and you’re starting with a bang.

Wigan vs Leigh, Champions vs Cup Winners, it makes sense.

Which is why the RFL probably won't do it.

Not a regular fixture, but I'd absolutely love to see a possible Vs probables game in preseason. Hold it at Robin Park/DW and get a family type day organised.

There's some interesting sides that you could pick i.e Thompson at 13 Vs Ellis at 13. Leeming Vs O'Neil. Faz and Walters Vs Nesmeba and Isa. Or you could mix it up with Farrimond and French Vs Hampshire and Smith etc. There are literally loads you can pair up/off against eachother.

HDM reporter thinks it will be a repeat of the grand final first game for you and Catalan

Wigan v Leigh opening round would be a no brainer. Like most have said it would likely attract a massive attendance. Both clubs have recruited strongly and online marketing would be heavily promoted by both clubs it "makes so much sense".

Which 'no doubt' is why it won't happen and will probably be Catalans at home in front of 14k.

Talk of Magic going to Elland Road. I think I’d rather pull it tbh.

Absolutely. Imagine trying to watch 3 games over a six hour period. Up there with Anfield as the most uncomfortable seats going. Add to the fact around the stadium there's not much going on.

Bin it.

In the NZ V Aussie World Cup semi, I sat on the touchline facing the main stand and I literally couldn’t get my legs down because it was so tight. Seating bolted on to the original terracing. No way is it fit for Magic.

What better way to grow the sport than by taking it to the 2nd most overrated stadium in Leeds?

Our turn to go to the JJB as an opener. Leigh will take 6000.

Will be a great occasion.

Our turn to go to the JJB as an opener. Leigh will take 6000.

Will be a great occasion.

Unfortunately not - the Leigh game in round 2 will be postponed due to the WCC. Wigans first home game is Huddersfield in round 3.

Edit, just announced we're away at Cas 1st game of the season. Saturday 17th Feb.

A shame IMO as the Wigan v Leigh fixture is unlikely to fulfil it's potential attendance wise if it ends up as a midweek fixture. Usually the only way to avoid that is if both teams are knocked out of the Challenge Cup.

Why have a 20,000 crowd on for Wigan and Leigh when you can send us to Cas and let Leigh get 6,000 on against Huddersfield.

The mind boggles.

An open goal missed not having it in week one and then when you realise they’ve done that, it just puts a top hat on it! You go from an exciting, attention grabbing and potentially feisty (after the last game) opener, between the cup winners and the champions, in front of 20,000, to it being a mid week fixture in front of 11/12k.

We’re going nowhere fast as a sport unfortunately.