THERE are perhaps fewer honest head coaches in rugby league than Castleford Tigers boss Craig Lingard.
Known for pulling no punches and for speaking his mind, the Tigers number one has called for an end to Super League’s Magic Weekend and advocated a 14-team Super League.
The Magic Weekend has been a concept for the top flight of rugby league since 2007, with Edinburgh, Cardiff, Manchester, Liverpool and Newcastle all hosting the event.
This year, Leeds United’s Elland Road hosted the showpiece event, but Lingard is less than enthusiastic about the concept.
“For me, it’s lost its magic. Are we just trying to shoehorn something into a schedule that doesn’t need to be there?
“I’ve always been an advocate of a 14-team Super League. We play each side home and away with 26 rounds and then you get a proper view of the league having played everyone twice rather than some teams three times and others twice.
“It gives an unbalanced view of a league campaign when you’re playing some teams more than others.
“For me, and finances dictate that, it would be a 14-team Super League with no loop fixtures and no Magic Weekend.”
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