"Magic" weekend

[Saints1]

Starts today.

All 14 teams in action over 2 days. Hate the concept myself and despite the fact it's only in Manchester I won't be going because I feel very strongly about it. Here's the fixtures, all of which are live:


[TABLE="class: table-stats"]
<tbody>[TR="class: fixture"]
[TD="class: home-team"]Catalan Dragons [/TD]
[TD="class: vs"] v [/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"] London Broncos [/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff"] 12:00 [/TD]
[TD="class: status"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alternate fixture"]
[TD="class: home-team"] Castleford Tigers [/TD]
[TD="class: vs"] v [/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"] Wakefield Wildcats [/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff"] 14:15 [/TD]
[TD="class: status"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: fixture"]
[TD="class: home-team"] Hull FC [/TD]
[TD="class: vs"] v [/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"] Hull KR [/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff"] 16:30 [/TD]
[TD="class: status"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alternate fixture"]
[TD="class: home-team"] St Helens [/TD]
[TD="class: vs"] v [/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"] Warrington Wolves [/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff"] 18:45
[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

And tomorrow's:

[TABLE="class: table-stats"]
<tbody>[TR="class: fixture"]
[TD="class: home-team"]Salford City Reds [/TD]
[TD="class: vs"] v [/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"] Widnes Vikings [/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff"] 15:00 [/TD]
[TD="class: status"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: alternate fixture"]
[TD="class: home-team"] Bradford Bulls [/TD]
[TD="class: vs"] v [/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"] Huddersfield Giants [/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff"] 17:15 [/TD]
[TD="class: status"]
[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR="class: fixture"]
[TD="class: home-team"] Leeds Rhinos [/TD]
[TD="class: vs"] v [/TD]
[TD="class: away-team"] Wigan Warriors [/TD]
[TD="class: kickoff"] 19:30 [/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

If you're new to league and you're not sure of the rules or are still learning etc might be a good way to cram.

 

[ebt]

I accidentally happened across the Womens FA cup final today. They had more fans watching than the average Super League game.

I see the stadium's almost empty for the supposed "Magic Weekend", How pathetic.

 

[ratsapprentice]

How pathetic.

As is your inter-code trolling.

 

[ebt]

As is your inter-code trolling.

Interesting that you didn't actually feel capable of addressing the points raised about fans (or the lack of) at this "magic" weekend.:lol:

 

[ratsapprentice]

You didn't really make any points worth evaluating.
League does not have a very big total fan-base. Thanks for enlightening me bro.

As a union fan that is bored as **** of inter-code dickwaving, I find your post incredibly dull.
Especially as it's your first "contribution" to this site.

 

[ebt]

You didn't really make any points worth evaluating.
League does not have a very big total fan-base. Thanks for enlightening me bro.

As a union fan that is bored as **** of inter-code dickwaving, I find your post incredibly dull.
Especially as it's your first "contribution" to this site.

Are you trying for the understatement of the year ?

All I hear is RL fans moaning about lack of media coverege, lack of funding, clubs going bust etc etc.

What do you expect if the game is not entertaining enough to bring in the fans, the media and the money ?

 

[ratsapprentice]

Then leave them to it, don't post on an RL forum if you have no interest in it.

 

[ebt]

This is a section of a total Rugby forum. Are you saying that cross code debate/comparison is not allowed ?.....^_^

 

[ratsapprentice]

It's in the Rugby League sub-section.

And you can hardly claim to be instigating some sort of discussion, you are clearly gloating.

 

[ebt]

What's to gloat about ?

 

[smartcooky]

I just don't get all the aggro and salami swinging that goes on over League v Union. Both codes have things that go for them and things that don't. At pro level they are both a great watch. I used to play both codes at school age... Union on Saturday for my school, League on Sunday for my Club. I often had mates who were team-mates in one code and opponents in the other, and I have even been refereed by the same referee in both codes on the same weekend!!

 

[nickdnz]

I've really only played rugby but I've always wanted to have a wee go at league - in many ways I think I'd suit it well as I don't always get as much time runnning the ball in Union as I'd like (although I'd certainly miss scrummaging) while my sholder gets injured very often in rucks. I suppose one of the few things that has turned me off a bit is there isn't really a nearby club so getting there is a hastle - and league players often tend to be pretty ruckus and gang affiliated, which is fine on the field but don't really want drama off it.

Never rarely watch league as I find its a tad one dimensional - so unless its a really big game I prefer to use the limited rugby time I get in my house to watch union.

 

[ebt]

Maybe someone with "League" nohow can explain the purpose of the scrum, in their code ?

Seems a complete and total waste of time.

 

[ratsapprentice]

Restarts the game, whilst tying up the forwards so that there is more space for first phase attack.

 

[j'nuh]

Are you trying for the understatement of the year ?

All I hear is RL fans moaning about lack of media coverege, lack of funding, clubs going bust etc etc.

What do you expect if the game is not entertaining enough to bring in the fans, the media and the money ?

If you're going to have strong opinions on something, at least do some research.

Bradford Bulls went bust because of fiscal irresponsibility, nothing to do with a lack of fans. Not sure about Salford. Can't think of any others that had financial difficulties? It's not restricted to league though - there's Welsh in union. Football gets in more fans and teams still go bust there.

As far as fans go, Super League matches average ~9000-10000 fans. Premiership matches average 12000-13000. Take away the Twickenham double header, and the Premiership averages 11000-12000. I believe Wigan, St Helens and Rhinos get bigger home attendances than every Premiership team other than Tigers.

Maybe someone with "League" nohow can explain the purpose of the scrum, in their code ?

Same reason that teams often hit the blindside with a tight carry in union... (work it out)

 

[Saints1]

Alarmingly poor trolling. In the old days, when everyone used to argue about union and league, it used to be fun. Now only deadbeats partake in such foolish behaviour. Deadbeats and children.

For the adults in this thread, the Magic Weekend aggregate was 62,042 over the two days. It's not horrendously bad, but when you consider that Saints-Warrington would attract 16k, Wigan-Leeds about 15k and FC-KR 10Kish, it's not all that brilliant really. I think the concept is tired (I haven't gone to one since 2008 and I won't be doing again) and dated and it needs knocking on the head.

63144 (2008) is still the biggest crowd so the figures aren't going down by huge amounts. Until it does, the weekend will stay as an integral part of the fixture list being skewed....

 

[TRF_melon]

Some of the figures quoted in this thread would be terrific for some of the clubs in the NRL.

Half the games in the NRL struggle to get near double figures.

Whilst I am strongly of the belief our variety of the game is superior, I do admit it is different. Superior for the time being anyway. It's being watered down far too much from the idiotic U20's and state cup set up. BAH!

Anyway, I agree with "TRF_Saints" - it's incredibly disheartening to see the league vs union debates turning in to a joke. Once upon a time the debates/relatively civil arguments here would have a few well thought out arguments with a sneaky sucker punch here and there (well everywhere actually) but alas, we have gone by the way side, much like the rest of society.

Can we substitute "ebt" for that knob "hamster"...of similar intelligence, no? Atleast Hamster was aware of his idiocy. While we're at it, what about bringing back DC or Los? Maybe I'm thinking of the wrong people. Who used to be of good value?

God damn this Old Pulteney is good!

So what's the deal with Magic Weekend anyway? When averaging it out, do you think the financial and promotional benefits make it worth the modified round?

 

[SelimNiai]

I have been to a Magic Weekend, the one in Cardiff in 2011. I thought it was a great concept, having a relatively local side play helped local support slightly. Issue was the attendance, I don't know the figures but it wasn't near the Manchester Magic. One plus though having the supporters of teams come so far it meant they had to stay and watch whereas in Manchester its no more than a 2 hour journey to most of the sides. I was sat with about 30 Wigan fans and we took great pleasure and fun in singing a few slightly derogatory songs about Warrington who were in the teir below.

 

[LittleGuy]

I only caught the Hull derby on TV last weekend but it was a great game, I do agree with Iain though, I think part of the problem is fans only come to the game their team is playing in or maybe stay for two games. Three(or four) games in a row is a lot of rugby league and sitting in a stadium(where concessions are inevitably overpriced) if your team is in the first game particularly it might be hard to stick around for another four-six hours.

 

[TRF_melon]

I only caught the Hull derby on TV last weekend but it was a great game, I do agree with Iain though, I think part of the problem is fans only come to the game their team is playing in or maybe stay for two games. Three(or four) games in a row is a lot of rugby league and sitting in a stadium(where concessions are inevitably overpriced) if your team is in the first game particularly it might be hard to stick around for another four-six hours.

Cheaper beer is the solution!