The Annual "Future of Magic Weekend" thread (v25)

[Dave T]

Yet again, under review. 

Is Rhodri Jones the most useless administrator we've ever had? He never says anything, just lists his issues that he needs to think about. 

Tell us about the solutions, not the problems!

[phiggins]

10 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Yet again, under review. 

Is Rhodri Jones the most useless administrator we've ever had? He never says anything, just lists his issues that he needs to think about. 

Tell us about the solutions, not the problems!

Surprised he’s not told us that he anticipates 70k attending, despite the event not being confirmed yet. 

[Bull Mania]

It's a tricky issue Magic. I don't agree with Beaumont's 9's idea (it only works if you put a large prize pot at the end) 

Otherwise, you basically get what we had a few years a go at Headingly in teams sending their reserves/academy teams. Also having 4 players less in a game that's already quick, isn't really "different". But i have far more respect for Beaumont at least floating ideas, rather than those sitting on the sidelines sneering.

Magic has to stay as SKY love it. It's also an event. Now none of the answers are perfect as the solution, that doesn't mean you avoid it. Whatever you decide, someone on twitter, a forum or a podcast will sneer why it's the wrong choice.

For me you either keep it as a loop fixture. But then sporting integrity etc

Or one year team A skip their home fixture, then the following year the team B do it. You'd need to have marquee fixtures at an event like magic. Having Saints V Huddersfield or Catalans V Wigan isn't an event. 

[gingerjon]

15 minutes ago, Dave T said:

Yet again, under review. 

Is Rhodri Jones the most useless administrator we've ever had? He never says anything, just lists his issues that he needs to think about. 

Tell us about the solutions, not the problems!

This can't possibly be a separate review to the strategical club-led urgent but unhurried review led by the volunteer squadron?

[Wellsy4HullFC]

There's a lovely piece in this week's League Express about the Magic Weekend...

[phiggins]

I would've thought that next year's Magic Weekend would need to stay as a loop fixture, if we are contracted to 27 rounds of Super League with Sky?

Beyond that, they should see if schedules allow for Magic weekend to be Challenge Cup 1/4 final, 1895 cup final and Women's origin. If we can get all 6 of those fixtures televised, then it would be an improvement on this year's equivalents. 

[Dave T]

I think the annual review of Magic is a perfect illustration of the challenges within RL leadership. The sport just doesn't know what it is trying to do or where it is trying to go.

On a personal level, as much as I enjoy a stag do type weekend, I find it a poor dated event (and I had a brilliant day out this year!). But I'm happy with it being canned, or with it being here for the long-term.

But either way, shouldn't this be the kind of event that has a long-term plan if it is staying? Really, I feel like other sports would now have bidding processes for this event, long-term partners, a growing event. It's a depressing case study in the state of the game here.

[Chrispmartha]

I enjoy Magic Weekend, especially in Newcastle, however whats its purpose? What are the objectives?

it needs to be more than just ‘Sky like it’

nobody at the RFL seems to know this, and it makes it really hard to justify an extra loop game for an event nobody seems to know what it actually is for.

[wilsontown]

1 hour ago, phiggins said:

I would've thought that next year's Magic Weekend would need to stay as a loop fixture, if we are contracted to 27 rounds of Super League with Sky?

You'd think so, but on current form I wouldn't be sure that the RFL powers that be would have thought of that.

[The Hallucinating Goose]

I love Magic Weekend but if it just stays in the same place every year, I do wonder what purpose it serves.

I'd like to see it move round the country every few years, maybe even get cities to bid for it to work up a bit of publicity and anticipation.

I think if it moved round regularly it would keep interest up with fans more due to the opportunity to visit new grounds. 

Edited August 20, 2025 by The Hallucinating Goose

[Wellsy4HullFC]

I say it every time this comes up, but the Challenge Cup is the perfect home for the kind of event. Ticks so many boxes.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

29 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I think the annual review of Magic is a perfect illustration of the challenges within RL leadership. The sport just doesn't know what it is trying to do or where it is trying to go.

On a personal level, as much as I enjoy a stag do type weekend, I find it a poor dated event (and I had a brilliant day out this year!). But I'm happy with it being canned, or with it being here for the long-term.

But either way, shouldn't this be the kind of event that has a long-term plan if it is staying? Really, I feel like other sports would now have bidding processes for this event, long-term partners, a growing event. It's a depressing case study in the state of the game here.

Pretty much my exact view on Magic. It doesn't know what it's trying to be - a 'festival of RL' just doesn't cut it. 

[Luke HKR]

50 minutes ago, The Hallucinating Goose said:

I love Magic Weekend but if it just stays in the same place every year, I do wonder what purpose it serves.

I'd like to see it move round the country every few years, 

It's original purpose was to promote rugby league in places that didn't have the sport. Along the way we lost that, and became obsessed by how much money it will make. So in my opinion, go back to what it was originally for, and like you say move it around the country. Use it as a tool to promote the sport and try and get grass roots development. 

But if SL Is 14 clubs, there is no way 7 are going to give up a home game. So can see it being binned, or as some have said it becoming a 9/7's tournament. 

[gingerjon]

1 minute ago, Luke HKR said:

It's original purpose was to promote rugby league in places that didn't have the sport.

The entire original reason for Magic was that Cardiff was doing pretty well out of hosting the Challenge Cup Final. When that returned to Wembley, the City of Cardiff paid the RFL to come up with another event that would bring rugby league fans to their city.

It was only ever about profit - both to the RFL and to the host city.

[Wellsy4HullFC]

8 minutes ago, gingerjon said:

The entire original reason for Magic was that Cardiff was doing pretty well out of hosting the Challenge Cup Final. When that returned to Wembley, the City of Cardiff paid the RFL to come up with another event that would bring rugby league fans to their city.

It was only ever about profit - both to the RFL and to the host city.

I loved it at Cardiff. I've loved going to the different cities. It's just a shame there's no real strategic direction to leave a legacy in these places.

[EggFace]

3 hours ago, Dave T said:

Yet again, under review. 

Is Rhodri Jones the most useless administrator we've ever had? He never says anything, just lists his issues that he needs to think about. 

Tell us about the solutions, not the problems!

He looks like he is from another planet

[EggFace]

The only good thing about Magic Weekend was the Hull Derby after that it's empty seats glaroe.

[Dave T]

1 hour ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

Pretty much my exact view on Magic. It doesn't know what it's trying to be - a 'festival of RL' just doesn't cut it. 

I think its fine if thats what it wants to be. An event to enjoy for fans and players, attracting sponsors and tv viewers, thats cool. But its not even a quality event really.

[hunsletgreenandgold]

22 minutes ago, Dave T said:

I think its fine if thats what it wants to be. An event to enjoy for fans and players, attracting sponsors and tv viewers, thats cool. But its not even a quality event really.

It should be either prestigious in some way, carry a level of jeopardy/importance or be trying to achieve something (new audience etc) - it does not of that IMO. 

[Moominman]

4 hours ago, Bull Mania said:

It's a tricky issue Magic. I don't agree with Beaumont's 9's idea (it only works if you put a large prize pot at the end) 

Otherwise, you basically get what we had a few years a go at Headingly in teams sending their reserves/academy teams. Also having 4 players less in a game that's already quick, isn't really "different". But i have far more respect for Beaumont at least floating ideas, rather than those sitting on the sidelines sneering.

At least Derek Beaumont is making a suggestion regarding nines.

If they decide to introduce a nines competition, there needs to be a contractual obligation that participants select their best side, rather than a mix of reserves/academy players as happened last time.

If memory serves me right, there was a Cumbria team in the nines last time it was run, which seemed to consist of whoever from Haven and Town faced a runout. Despite that, they were one of the better teams there.

[Worzel]

5 hours ago, Dave T said:

Yet again, under review. 

Is Rhodri Jones the most useless administrator we've ever had? He never says anything, just lists his issues that he needs to think about. 

Tell us about the solutions, not the problems!

I genuinely don't understand why we can't do Magic in addition to 26 home & away fixtures (if we had 14 teams). I know we want to get rid of "loop" fixtures but it won't really matter if we only have one of them.

Fans' issue with loop fixtures is repetition - e.g. playing the same team twice at home - but the feeling of repetition is far weaker if it's at a special event, in a different location. Don't think people will mind.

Then the other argument about unequal fixture list difficulty (depending on who plays who) doesn't really carry that much weight either: We can choose the matches by random draw so 'fair' luck if there is luck, and we already have a play-off system that acts as a balance to the impact of it. The NRL seems to live with it, across an entire season one match is pretty marginal and won't genuinely be a disproportionate factor in final positions (versus the 26 other games that could have gone differently). 

So there's your solution: Have it as the 27th game, with match-ups drawn at random before the season. 

[hunsletgreenandgold]

22 minutes ago, Worzel said:

I genuinely don't understand why we can't do Magic in addition to 26 home & away fixtures (if we had 14 teams). I know we want to get rid of "loop" fixtures but it won't really matter if we only have one of them.

Fans' issue with loop fixtures is repetition - e.g. playing the same team twice at home - but the feeling of repetition is far weaker if it's at a special event, in a different location. Don't think people will mind.

Then the other argument about unequal fixture list difficulty (depending on who plays who) doesn't really carry that much weight either: We can choose the matches by random draw so 'fair' luck if there is luck, and we already have a play-off system that acts as a balance to the impact of it. The NRL seems to live with it, across an entire season one match is pretty marginal and won't genuinely be a disproportionate factor in final positions (versus the 26 other games that could have gone differently). 

So there's your solution: Have it as the 27th game, with match-ups drawn at random before the season. 

It won't be an issue until it is. If one team made play offs and one didn't because one got drawn against the bottom of league whilst the other against the top, 'fair luck' will be highly criticised as basically giving one team an extra 2 points. There's an argument to say that happens now, but it's diluted by all the other loop fixtures, whereas this would really highlight it as a one off factor. 

[Chrispmartha]

2 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

It won't be an issue until it is. If one team made play offs and one didn't because one got drawn against the bottom of league whilst the other against the top, 'fair luck' will be highly criticised as basically giving one team an extra 2 points. There's an argument to say that happens now, but it's diluted by all the other loop fixtures, whereas this would really highlight it as a one off factor. 

Didn’t we just have a loop fixture before when it was a 14 team league? I don’t remember it being a massive issue

[Dave T]

41 minutes ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

It won't be an issue until it is. If one team made play offs and one didn't because one got drawn against the bottom of league whilst the other against the top, 'fair luck' will be highly criticised as basically giving one team an extra 2 points. There's an argument to say that happens now, but it's diluted by all the other loop fixtures, whereas this would really highlight it as a one off factor. 

Comps just get on with it. Many comps have an uneven fixture list. We've had uneven fixture lists for decades now and tbh, it doesn't really get much noise - loop fixtures are unpopular because of repetition - I don't hear many complaints at all around unfair fixtures. Probably with the exception of the early years of Magic where it was agreed just repeating the big derbies each year was unfair but that was easily solved with creativity. 

[Worzel]

1 hour ago, hunsletgreenandgold said:

It won't be an issue until it is. If one team made play offs and one didn't because one got drawn against the bottom of league whilst the other against the top, 'fair luck' will be highly criticised as basically giving one team an extra 2 points. There's an argument to say that happens now, but it's diluted by all the other loop fixtures, whereas this would really highlight it as a one off factor. 

Personally I think we should just tell anyone who moans about that sort of thing to grow up, because it's nonsense. In a 27 match season, there are far more variables and influenceable events than that. 

I'm fed up with not doing what's right for the sport because of some random people's "feelings" (and I'm not even a huge advocate for Magic to be honest). People moan about the NRL draw. The NRL just tells them to shut up, grow up, and work harder to win matches you have the chance to win.