This is where the concept of the MW falls down tbh, an actual purpose. I think it's a great weekend for the fans and the move to the Etihad was the right choice, but ATEOTD it's still just an irregular fixture added to the league. The fixture choices are always up for debate and there never seems a fair way to do it. Playing it in place of a regular fixture is not an option because then one team loses a home game.

I'd like to see the concept of a MW kept, but adapted to fit a purpose. What this purpose is exactly I don't know. The QFs and SFs of the CC are currently pretty poorly attended, perhaps 2 double headers for the QFs or a DH for the semis could be used as the MW, though it is likely only fans of the 8 or 4 teams involved would turn up and would be more inclined to only watch the game their team is playing in.

On the VT recently there was a discussion about SL having its own form of the upcoming Auckland 9's competition, and I think this could be a good use of the MW. It could be a standalone 9's tournament over one weekend, ideally with a decent pot of prize money for the winner. I think this idea could work well if the touted 2x12 to 3x8 league system is adopted, as this could be played in an interim week before the 2 leagues split in to 3. You could also potentially have fans from as many as 24 teams attending.

FWIW, this year I think it will almost certainly be us vs Wire.

The Magic Weekend is an ok idea but in the wrong competition.
Why have a 27th game? Makes no sense whatsoever.

It should be in the Challenge Cup at the last 16 stage.
Eight games over two days with the draw for the quarter finals being made immdeiately following the final whistle of the last game.
SL clubs should enter the C Cup at the last 16 stage too. So under current SL numbers it would be 14 SL clubs and 2 Championship clubs.

This is a suggestion I have made in the past, get all the games live on BBC whether it be channel 1,2,3 or 4.

Make it a stand alone showpiece event that actually matters.

Firstly Happy New Year to you all,

The problem with it being a Challenge Cup event is you will only have 4 teams involved where as League you have 14, meaning bigger crowds.

Maybe they should do a live draw so that it is a random thing who plays who?

You'd have 16 teams involved.

4 games Saturday and then again Sunday.

So all the Championship clubs and those below are playing for 2 places in the last 16? Can't see them being happy with that.

So put SL teams in last 32 and winners go to last 16 and Manchester showpiece.

Nor would I as a SL fan to be honest. A big part of the fun of the cup is being drawn against clubs you wouldn't normally play against. Some of my favourite cup memories were against Featherstone, Sheffield, Leigh and Barrow away, none of which would likely happen if we only had a 2/15 chance of drawing a none-SL club

and the potential for some one sided, unentertaining games, which would defeat the object.

You can easily have a Magic 9's with 32 teams over 2 days, in a knock out tournament, 14 from the SL, 14 from the Championship which give 4 places left, top 4 of Champ1 or invites (Union, NRL, some other concept team)
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You can also hire a stadium for a Quarters final day in the CC, 8 teams, 4 games, 1 day

There would generally be only two one sided games that's when SL teams play Championship sides. We've had blow out scores before when Wire beat Widnes by putting 60 past them.
It would be the usual Cup draw so therefore unpredictable, unlike the MW now which decides who plays whom by committee.

i think we are all losing sight of the fact that Magic is a Sky exclusive, the Challenge cup isnt, so until it is the arguments irrelevant. Superleague games only.

4 matches on the Saturday , 3 on the Sunday . Apparently we are 3rd on Saturday . I can't say who against as my RFL mole will be exterminated.

Announcement due at 2pm I believe.

If we are not the last match as champtions then it must be a lower side

EDIT:

We are last match

Saturday May 17
12.30 - London Broncos v Catalan Dragons
2.45 - Widnes Vikings v Salford Red Devils
5.00 - Hull Kingston Rovers v Hull FC
7.15 - Wigan Warriors v Leeds Rhinos

Sunday May 18
12.30 - Wakefield Trinity Wildcats v Castleford Tigers
2.45 - Huddersfield Giants v Bradford Bulls
5.00 - Warrington Wolves v St Helens

Saturday will be a lot more full than the Sunday then IMO.

Looks like Hudds and Cats get the 2 easiest ties

Cats get a gimme
Widnes get a rinsing
Giants get a gimme
and I'm bored of Saints already

Saints don't want us and we don't want them.

With the season actually meaning something it should have been

Wire-Wigan
Saints-Leeds
Hudds-Salford
FC-KR
Wakey-London
Cats-Widnes
Bradford-Cas

should be a random draw on the Friday

I know I've said it loads but those fixtures really prove why an extra fixture is the wrong way to go about a MW. What's the reasoning behind us v Leeds and Saints v Wire again!? I'll be interested to see the attendance this year, they stagnated between 2012-2013, this year's isn't on the bank holiday weekend, it wouldn't surprise me if they take a dip. The RFL can't expect there to be a massive amount of interest in an extra fixture when it looks like they pull the fixture list out of their backside.

Another reason that this should be CC round 5 or a genuinely random draw. It's a simple gift of 2 points by Red Hall (unless, of course, Bradford have got their act together by then).

There'd be no advance tickets regardless of whatever discount. Random draw, yes, but at the same time the rest of the fixtures are announced.

1v2 3v4 format or see how the 9's go in NZ and have a 9's weekend.

Would the clubs take a 9s comp in the middle of the SL season seriously though? It's not like the RFL are likely to be able to put a large amount of prize money on the line as the NRL do. 1v2 etc could work from 2015 onwards as the new system does push teams to try and finish higher in the table (I think if they implemented it under the current system it would be just another reason for teams not to exert themselves finishing higher than 5th)

Under the new structure for 2015 if they give Leeds again for Magic then we'd play them four times before the C Cup and the play offs.
Could play them six times in one season!