Magic Weekend

[Chrispmartha]

1 minute ago, Mark S said:

If anyone had any brains at the RFL they would organise for a load of street food businesses to be there.

That’s what they will need to do, it’s just too far from the city to be sble to walk in then back between games.

Maybe they are hoping thst means more people stsy in the stadium? Problem with that is the stadium is one of the most uncomfortable ones around

[Gomersall]

https://www.examinerlive.co.uk/sport/rugby-league/super-league-magic-weekend-relocated-28141711

[Leyther_Matt]

Sounds as though they shifted the date without checking stadium availability first (see also 2022 Challenge Cup Final)

[tiffers]

Just about sums up where we are at the mo. Every piece of news recently seems to be another retreat, retrenchment and shrinkage back.

[fieldofclothofgold]

I'm a Leeds man west Leeds.  I think the Leeds game is last so I'll go to Leeds game grab a pint in town 72 bus to downtown Stanningley. It just wont be the same .oh and it tells Leeds United fans the 49ers still havent started the stadium redevelopment yet . 

Maybe it should have been taken to Sheffield?

[phiggins]

Just scrap it

[fieldofclothofgold]

4 minutes ago, phiggins said:

Just scrap it

Yes 

[Dave T]

Well, that's should kill it off. Dreadful 

[meast]

It's just an away game in Leeds then.

What's the point?

[Archie Gordon]

Further evidence that next year's rebrand of SL will be the Betfred Northern Union.

It is hard to be an RL fan living any further than 20 miles away from the M62. 

It feels very deliberate now. What a catastrophic strategy.

See also the recent call for u16s England Community Lions trials. Trial venues: Siddal, Pilkington Recs, St Benedicts (Whitehaven). I guess Cumbria is still a consideration, at least.

[meast]

31 minutes ago, fieldofclothofgold said:

I'm a Leeds man west Leeds.  I think the Leeds game is last so I'll go to Leeds game grab a pint in town 72 bus to downtown Stanningley. It just wont be the same .oh and it tells Leeds United fans the 49ers still havent started the stadium redevelopment yet . 

Maybe it should have been taken to Sheffield?

Either venue in Sheffield Wednesday or United would be a better option than Elland Road.

Just scrap it FFS.

Edited November 21, 2023 by meast

[Chrispmartha]

I can actually see a situation where the Saturday is close to a sell out and it being pretty full on Saturday evening.

However it’s still the wrong place for this type of event, although having been to a few magics and enjoyed them, i’m not sure it should carry on, apparently it doesn’t make much if any money and zi hope we go to 14 teams making it redundant anyway.

[ATLANTISMAN]

Disaster what a joke 

[Dave T]

It really is an embarrassment all round. We've become obsessed with West Yorkshire. If we had access to a Suncorp type stadium i'd understand it, but we are absolutely miles off it. 

I was genuinely hopeful that we would be moving towards being far more customer-centric, but the Tonga series and this proves that in reality, they care little for customers. 

[sam4731]

Magic Weekend, why won't you just die already

[M j M]

I'm not particularly bothered about it being in a non-heartlands town or city, the event worked fine when it was in Manchester for example. 

But this stadium is just totally wrong for it, like Anfield was; and Anfield has much more going for it than Elland Road.

[Chrispmartha]

TBH i think IMG are right in wanting it gone. I mean what is the actual point of it? Even in a place as good as Newcastle?

[donald]

Should have been in any of sheffield grounds or maybe even Sunderland if Newcastle is unavailable nice ground thro there

[muckymunksy]

IMG already killing game. 

[crashmon]

1 hour ago, Chrispmartha said:

That’s what they will need to do, it’s just too far from the city to be sble to walk in then back between games.

Maybe they are hoping thst means more people stsy in the stadium? Problem with that is the stadium is one of the most uncomfortable ones around

What will happen is that people who do go will just watch the game featuring their team.....   And no neutral fans will bother to attend.....

Will somebody please tell the RFL leadership that just because the NRL is based in 2 cities (Syndey and Brisbane), with a few outying clubs like Melbourne and Canberra....   Having the RFL in two area's like Gtr Manchester / Meryside and Yorkshire is not going to work lol

[Chrispmartha]

The problem is, wherever it is held aren’t we just selling another event to the same supporter base?

[Chrispmartha]

1 minute ago, crashmon said:

What will happen is that people who do go will just watch the game featuring their team.....   And no neutral fans will bother to attend.....

Will somebody please tell the RFL leadership that just because the NRL is based in 2 cities (Syndey and Brisbane), with a few outying clubs like Melbourne and Canberra....   Having the RFL in two area's like Gtr Manchester / Meryside and Yorkshire is not going to work lol

How many neutrals actually attended it in places like Cardiff or Newcastle?

[Chrispmartha]

4 minutes ago, crashmon said:

What will happen is that people who do go will just watch the game featuring their team.....   And no neutral fans will bother to attend.....

Will somebody please tell the RFL leadership that just because the NRL is based in 2 cities (Syndey and Brisbane), with a few outying clubs like Melbourne and Canberra....   Having the RFL in two area's like Gtr Manchester / Meryside and Yorkshire is not going to work lol

NRL is based mainly in two states not cities.

[FearTheVee]

9 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

The problem is, wherever it is held aren’t we just selling another event to the same supporter base?

That is absolutely true of you hold it in Leeds, less so if you hold it somewhere like Newcastle/Cardiff and market it.

i like magic weekend but genuinely believe it would be better to scrap/pause it than devalue it by playing it in Leeds. It’s just an absolutely terrible outcome.

Edited November 21, 2023 by FearTheVee

[Dave T]

6 minutes ago, Chrispmartha said:

The problem is, wherever it is held aren’t we just selling another event to the same supporter base?

I can understand the cannibalisation point, but I don't think necessarily getting rid of Magic Weekend is the solution to that. 

Magic Weekend is unique in that it is an event for every SL fan. Everyone knows their team will be playing, it's a party they can feel part of. There are many people who just aren't interested in going to finals as neutrals, and this is your target market for Magic. It obviously should be stretching wider than that as being a tool to attract new people, groups, locals etc.

It really should have evolved into a full on festival by now, instead it's retracted to pretty much become six games and a pee up.