Seeing as the attendance is less than the average for a normal weekly round over the last 5 or 6 years and the fact it hasn't grown despite this being the 5th year, it's pretty simple what needs to happen to it. The fact it distorts the fixture list as well adds to my opinion it needs putting out of its misery.

Are you equally as driven by numbers and figures in other areas of your life?

If you mean do I base an opinion on a number of things, including taking account of certain facts - then yes.

I support the game by buying a season ticket for Wigan, going to most away games, attending internationals when they are over here, buying international and club merchandise, supporting & donating to charities such as the steve prescott fund and the wigan warriors community fund, taking my nephew to play and train for st pats, buying him season tickets and merchandise, introducing friends and family to the game. Just because I dont believe in some stupid idea of the not so magic weekend which has NOT been a success for 5 years on the trot now does not mean that I should bugger off and watch another sport. Its idiots like you who tell fans like me to bugger off an watch another sport that are the problem, not me! Get of your high horse you idiot.

No, it means you should try it before you criticise. Tell me on what grounds you don't believe in it, or think it has been a failure.

A success would be a packed stadium each day. A success would be glowing reports, nobody coming back to say a bad word about it, players talking to the media about how much they love the day and how they cant wait to get out there. The Magic weekend has never been a success.

Its a failure because the stadium is more than half empty every time, we have actual players coming out and slating it in the media (last year, cant remember who it was) every year its just a slip-a-thon on the pitch because of the abuse its taking, we have journalists and pundits slating it in the press, people coming back with bad reviews year after year (just look at this thread, theres a few who have been and said they wont be going back)

Its embarrassing to watch. It makes our Sport look so insignificant compared to the success of RU.

Its been tried, tested and failed, the RFL should just scrap it and try other ideas. Some things work for them, as far as this goes, it doesnt.

Maybe next year you can go and see how much of a failure it is for yourself

Please read my posts in this thread and tell me where I've said the magic weekend should be scrapped?!



I actually said I think it is a good idea, just not implemented in the best way. I attended last year as I stated earlier, so I have a fair idea what the weekend is about (I know that was Edinburgh but it's the same idea). So you are saying people who don't attend, but do support OUR sport can't have an opinion? You're trying to make out that I think it's a terrible idea and this really isn't the case.

It's a vicious circle really, you decided not to bother going to the game as you heard poor reports from last season and by doing that you ensured that one seat at the millenium stadium was empty. Now think that there could be 30,000 other Rugby League fans who thought the same as you, which made what would have been a 3/4 full stadium and a complete success instead a 3/4 empty stadium and a pretty poor showing again.

What the RFL need to work hard at is persuading you (and the other 29,999) like you to get to the game despite the negative reports of this and the last few years.

I'm not sure if the RFL can turn it around, which is a shame really.

I wasn't referring to you as such. Just people in general who have criticised the idea without trying it.

The reason the RFL can't turn it round now is because of the fans negativity which stemmed from the decision to take the event to Murrayfield.

I'm struggling to find any negative reports from people who actually went, other than a couple from fans who went solely for their club's matches and were left annoyed by poor performances. Everyone I have spoken to and virtually on the forum absolutely loved the event. Myself included.

I didnt decide to go because of the poor reports to be honest Matty. I'd probably give it a go if I could afford it, theres just too many more things in RL that im more interested in going to. I'd rather spend my money on a trip to Catalan and the rest of the away games that dont take up so much time and money overall. If the event was closer to home and just £12.50 a ticket wild horses couldnt keep me away, I worked till 12pm on Saturday also.

I just dont have the luxory of being able to afford a day/weekend at Cardiff aswell as saving up for a trip to Catalan, most away matches, both finals (i usually go despite who's playing) along with paying for my nephew aswell and my lad turns 3 in March so going to start bringing him to a few matches.

Maybe a better thing for the RFL to do would be to hold it closer to the heartlands of Rugby League, because lets face it, we're going nowhere fast in Cardiff & Scotland, the locals just dont care.

I also dont get this looking down on other fans because they dont go to every single game and every single event, its just snobbery.

People have different lifestyles and other things going on in their lives, RL is not the be all and end all.

i like that........make it a festival.........at COM or OT at end of footy season..when its a bit warmer.

I share your views completely.

I am certain that most people complaining about empty seats etc. were sat at home watching on tv.

With all 14 teams playing and everyone on here claiming to LOVE RL, we shouldn't be able to get tickets. Rugby League fans are pathetic, how often do we listen to people on here saying RU is crap RL is the greatest game of all and yet they don't attend. I have been to 4 magic weekends only missing the first one and I have loved every single one.

I challenge any true rugby league fan to attend and not enjoy themselves.

I am sick of the RFL as much as anyone over some of the decisions they make but when it comes to this weekend they got everything right and still people sit at home and complain.

What exactly do the people who were sat at home complaing want?

Things to do for next season:

Move the event to May Bank Holiday, allows people to stay for the weekend without having to book time off work. In addition you would hope it would be warmer and giving that Accomodation in the near vicinity of Cardiff is scarce and pricey, then May would allow people to stay via other methods such as local campsites.

I would increase all SL Clubs Season Tickets by £5, with the MM event becoming included in the price of your season tickets.

Greater incentives for Group Travellers such as subsidised travel and accomodation.

Beer Tents & BBQ's with reasonable prices.
Complimentary goodies for kids inside the stadium (flags, drinks...etc).
Free tickets to Cardiff (and other South Wales) kids, school groups, rugby clubs..etc.

I don't think i'd like it closer to home, purely because if it was in Manchester there isn't that many people gonna go for the weekend like myself. Trying different venues is a good idea though, myself personally i'd like to try Newcastle.

That was a stupid idea agreed. (It also didn't help we played Huddersfield, not Saints).
It would be a bit like having the Grand Final at Old Trafford from 1998 to 1992 and then moving it to Newcastle in 1993 before switching it back. If there's one thing we've learned is that RL fans don't like change.

I don't think they could have given away more free tat inside the stadium if they had tried. The ball boys were juniors from Neath-Port Talbot Steelers and I think Bridgend Blue Bulls too. It's hardly realistic to expect the RFL to subsidise your travel costs, and the ticket prices were dirt cheap anyway for what was on offer.

The only valid point there would be moving it back to May. But when it was previously held in May the stay-at-home moaners were clamouring for a big event to start the season. I guess that's what the RFL get for listening to such idiots.

there lies your answer..........SITTING AT HOME WATCHING ON TV

choice...........fork out a small fortune that you can hardly afford, or watch on telly and save your money for other games??

im with Barry Mac, whos post magic weekends made Eddie choke.........he said people couldnt be expected to dig into their pockets to travel to south wales....he said have it in the north west.................which imo is a cracking idea.

heres another..........start the season with a bang.......all games played over 2 days, IN THE NORTH WEST..........1 stadium saturday, 1 sunday........all games televised.
more chance of getting the big stadiums if they ony have 3 or 4 games played.

as an aside............crowds were sparce, mostly die hard rugby leage fand from the north west.............how many WELSH FANS??????????????............not many.
proves wales dont deserve the attention ..........either move it north, or scrap it

I fully understand, I have kids too and make sacrifices during the season where I have too, normally Sunday away games over in Yorkshire. In addition I have yet to see Wigan in France, simply cannot afford the weekend away (still hoping one year we will play in the kids summer holidays, thus allowing me to build a two weeks France holiday around the game)!! I didn't go to Murrayfield last season, due to the fact it was Huddersfield not Saints so decided to watch it on SKY, moving it to Murrayfield last season, plus having fixtures pulled out of a hat was a disaster).

In addition, this years mistake for me was having it in February not the May Bank Holiday weekend.

Good point about season tickets, I said that before but got laughed at.

I also think some sort of reward should be given to thhe club who sells the most tickets, if we were going to be really radical the why not a extra point in the table? Probably a bit too radical but you see what I'm getting at.

Rugby League fans don't like change and I would keep the event in Cardiff and keep trying to develop RL in that area.

Give free tickets away for fun within Wales especially at schools, colleges and rugby clubs! Also there is a huge univercity, free tickets for all students. The RFL won't be losing out by doing this because these are just extra fans to spread the game.

The RFL already give a free ticket for the first round of the challenge cup, why not just do it for the magic weekend!

I am not willing to give up on the conept, it is the best the RFL have ever come up with and it would be one of the greatest events in british and maybe even world sport if the stadium was full.

I am just praying RU don't copy and make it more succesful.

Fair enough, although quoting my post would suggest othewise. I can see why those who attended get frustrated with those slagging it off. I really enjoyed it last year, and the fact we can have 14 sets of supporters together with no issues should be celebrated. But as I said before, I think we need to step back and see what the aim is. If it's for fans then play it a football ground in the north (after the football season), if the aim is expansion then that's good, aa a sport we need to look ahead. But market the thing to death, give thousands of tickets to schools/local teams and make sure that the biggest rugby union competition of the year isn't on at the same time.

I know people claim that "real fans" will travel, but compare home games to away games and you can see that the closer a game is the more will attend. However this also shows that comparing attendances to regular weekly rounds is ridiculous and irrelevant. The magic weekend format is a great idea, it shouldn't be considered a failure because x amount don't go, but it should be called a success because y amount do go. I just think it could be adapted to improve it, rather than be written off as a failure. People who are defending it should be less precious, not everyone who didn't go wants to all over the idea