I've had a wonderful weekend watching our wonderful game, we all love, gutted yes the Giants lost, always am especially the way we defended was shocking.



Having said that I thought the weekend was truly magic and having great weather, fans inter-mingling and great banter.



Manchester and it being local was a big big step in the right direction, please don't move it out of the heartlands, and I don't want it in February like last year - it's too cold.



However I have to say the incident during the last game does no favours to our game, and whilst I can understand in the heat of the moment, it being a derby game and all, that passions take over but some of the behaviour of the players on the field was a disgrace. I think Wane and his comments about winning the derby game is fine but he steps over the mark with quoting that he has hatred for Saints! I'm not overly keen on them but hatred is too far and maybe he's pumped the team up too much to the point where it's boiled over, let the rugby do the talking not the fists!



That aside, we saw bar game 2 a end to end series of games, which had us on the edge of our seats, I say lets keep the magic weekend in May (a bank holiday weekend would be better) and in the heartlands.



Lovin it

Agree with most of that, I would make a couple of changes, ie Bank Holiday weekend, also match timings on day 1, there was too long in between which led to people drifting away after their teams match, far more hung about or arrived early on day 2 leading to a fuller stadium. Official crowd on day 2 was only 2,000 more on day 1, but there seemed more in the ground at any given point in time.



Oh and of course a better Giants performance!

in typical Rugby league fan style i will complain and ignore all the positives.



It was TOO HOT. Last time i listen to Jools the sun worshipper.



3 LITRES of water and two pints of Beer and i still did not have a p***

still cant fill a stadium even in the heartlands

only a few thousand more than what go to cardiff and edinburgh!

Thats what i said.......bring it north and we will fill it we were told.



Saying that i would have liked to have gone, and hopefully will next year

Actually I think there were many more than Cardiff and Edinburgh, but most went for one day only. I may be wrong but thats what it felt like to me.



Also the padded seats in reserved sections down the sides were spot on for watching a whole day of RL

I can't help but feel that holding it in Mancland is a cop out. What objective have the RFL for doin so - other than the bleedin obvious of a pointless extra round of SL.



The RFL are already hailing the same old tired - and totally predictable diatribe of:



1. Attendances were up (on aggregate?) - well I should bleeding well think so being that Manc is bang smack in the middle of RL land!!!

2. This will give us the momentum to build on in future - well yes if you consider a few thousand extra went then by 2025 we should see a sell out!!! The RFL should not be "wetting its knickers" over a very modest increase in cowds given that previous events were held at considerable distances away from the heartland!!!

3. We should commit to a 3 year deal for Manc - is this what fans really want after all who was consulted about goin to Manc in the first place!!!??? Would the event have been as good if the weather was poor - after all the stadium is a fair way from the city centre.

4. RFL states good to see RL fans of all clubs mingling. Well yes but this is bound to happen in and around the stadium - saw very little of this in the city centre.



Now - don't get me wrong. I have been to every Magic weekend bar one and will continue to do so wherever it is held (within reason). What frustrates me is that this event has no real purpose - or none that the RFL publically states. What is it meant to achieve?



Lots of ideas in RL press today to improve the event:



1. Stop the derbies and revert to teams being paired on last years season finish in league. This is a good idea - I am not at all interested in a Wigan/Saints derby. I am a Giants fan first and a RL supporter second so I really do not care to see the same old repetitive fixtures rolled out in Magic each year.

2. Introduce a Championship game - day 1 have four games and include say the 1st and 2nd placed teams in the Championship play. Better schedule all Championship games that weekend and look at ways of encouraging their supporters along.

3. Keep the games at 2 hour intervals. Day 1 had 3 hour gaps - too tedious and did not encourage fans to wait for next game once their team had played.



I suspect we will see this event held in Mancland for a few years now - OK with that as I guess at least we know and can plan unlike this year when it was only confirmed late. We need to know now or at least before the end of the season so all fans can plan and budget for the event.



Overall verdict on the Etihad - very good, enjoyed it, less travel, better than Murrayfield - but for me NOT A PATCH ON CARDIFF!!!

The original idea was to create interest in the game in - Cardiff/South Wales and then Edinburgh/Scotland...........people moaned it was too far to go and demanded it be played 'ooop north' so more people would go, so the RFL did .....thing is in Manchester who is it trying to create an interest for ? the towns and cities around Manchester ?????



or have we basically said sod it to (potential) Welsh and Scottish fans of the game so 3,000 extra northerners can be bothered to go ??

A fourth match would balance the days and help to keep the two hour match schedule, just a thought but rather than a Championship match what abou the Northern Rail Cup Final? Would probably have to be the last game on day 1 otherwise every final would be destined for extra time just to cock up the schedule. Worth considering I think.

Spot on there GD - just wish thr RFL would be that honest too!!!

As far as the crowd count goes, don't forget that in Edinburgh and Cardiff, a lot of fans were there for the whole weekend. At Manchester there seemed to be a lot of folks just there on the day of their team. Given that fact, the attendance seemed ok to me, at least something to build on.

I have been to all bar last years stupid winter one. I did enjoy going to the Sunday games, but did not do the Saturday ones as I did not fancy spending a weekend in Manchester.

My own preference would be Cardiff as we spent a couple of weekends down there and took in both days.

For the slight increase in attendance figures approx 1000 over one of the Cardiff weekends, it is not spreading the word to new recruits in Manchester but it would be in Cardiff.

I got a great tan- cheaper than a fortnight in Spain!



Personally I liked it- a fabulous stadium great atmosphere quite a long walk though. The sport village thing is great we travelled in each day and went home -bonus.

It was a good day out spoilt by me being pretty hungover from my Wembley experience the day before but this got sorted after my first couple of pints.



I recommend anyone who didn't go this season to go next. It's a cracking idea in a good city with plenty of places to eat, drink and socialise with other supporters you don't usually get the chance to mix with all in one place.

Having been to both edinburgh ones and the Manchester one, Manchester seemed to be far more filled up! Though I've not seen any attendance figures! Cardiff on the telly reminded me of Edinburgh where more were inclined to spend time in the cities than in the ground despite what the attendances were, probably because those attending were there for the city break and would not normally go to those cities, if it wasn't for the Rugby! But to say Tickets were in very short supply how some on here say it wasn't a success seems a strange one! I've read on here that some had wanted to go but stayed at home due to not being able to get tickets!



I quite liked this weekend yes the stadium isn't placed conveniently near the City centre, not many are nowadays, but given that the tramlink will soon be open access could be better if they kept it there next season. One drawback with the access was that despite the MCFC website telling us it was a pleasant 20 min walk and clearly signposted it certainly wasn't with many in Piccadilly Gardens asking where to go.



But yeah the whole magic experience is quite unique getting off the train with loads of different clubs represented and no intimidation that you sometimes get with rival football teams, it's great!!



One gripe though was that we'd been forewarned over food and drink not being allowed in the stadium unless for medical purposes, and at my turnstile they did in fact check for food and drink, yet on such a scorcher they were selling 330ml bottle of water for £2 inside and out!!! Could water not be construed on a hot day as medical?? Yet I had mine taken from me!

ive been to every one so far and enjoyed every one for different reasons, this time was the first time i only went on our game day and have got to say found the buzz around the stadium the best yet, now wether that was to do with the great weather or not not sure may have felt different on a usual rainy manc day. For me we need to keep it there for the next few years and give it chance to grow, i actually liked cardiff the best, but would quite happily go to the eithad again, didnt think the walk was that bad to be honest, my only real gripe was the train home not stopping in huddersfield, didnt fancy bus from victoria, so went to dewsbury and got taxi home.

Try 1 litre of water and 9 pints of lager - it worked for me. Although I was in the shade.