The Magic Round in Brisbane was a superb initiative and a wonderful success for the game.
Thousands of locals along with visitors from around Queensland and interstate flocked to Brisbane for a great weekend of rugby league entertainment – 134,677 fans, to be exact.
It is big events like this that are a celebration of and a showcase for the game of rugby league. The Magic Round has now joined the likes of State of Origin, the NRL grand final and the traditional Anzac Day clash as annual events that display everything good in the Greatest Game of All.
Immediately following the successful weekend in Brisbane, there were calls – almost warnings – for Sydney to keep its hands off the Magic Round. The concept is the property of Brisbane and Queensland – their initiative and their brainchild, although it is a concept that the Super League has been using for years.
(Photo by Ian Hitchcock/Getty Images)
Brisbane can have their Magic Round. Sydney can have its own blockbuster round of matches at the ANZ Stadium over the Easter long weekend. The NRL can brand it the Easter Showdown.
A new tradition can be born. Just imagine the current traditional Good Friday and Easter Monday clashes played out across the Easter long weekend, along with matches on Easter Saturday and Sunday, all at Homebush? The NRL can also add an annual Test match between the Jillaroos and the Kiwi Ferns to the program as well.
During Australia’s Super League era, the code’s slogan was ‘making the big game bigger’. Events like this one live up to that old idiom. Considering that there are large crowds of people already out at the Sydney Showground across the Easter long weekend, it would make sense to bring the NRL to where the people are.
The Easter Show is traditionally an event where, besides rural communities bringing farm life to the city for ten days, products are marketed and sampled. Keeping with this theme, rugby league can also have that same opportunity to market its outstanding product to tens of thousands of people, many of whom may never have sampled live NRL.
This obviously cannot happen, though, for several years while the ANZ Stadium gets its much-needed redevelopment. Following the upgrade, ANZ Stadium will be the greatest rectangular stadium in the country – a new showpiece that deserves marquee events. Rugby league deserves events that pack out stadiums.
There are not many events in Sydney that get people out of their suburbs. The Easter Show is one of those few events that attract visits from Greater Western Sydney, the Sutherland and the Northern Beaches alike.
If the NRL, the NSW government and the Royal Agricultural Society can come together and put in place the arrangements to make this event happen, a big new tradition can be born.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Who cares about ANZ. Plenty of atmosphere at the other grounds
RoryStorm
Guest
I like your idea Brad. Yes Brisbane have the Magic weekend but that shouldn't hinder Sydney having the "Easter Round". The NRL need to try different approaches to at least make the attendance look respectable for at least one weekend in Sydney. Why not give something like this a shot or think outside the box and come up with something unique. I like the idea of a carnival of football. I'm not from Sydney so I have no idea if this would work but hey, kudos for the thought Brad.
Davico
Roar Pro
I get your logic, and it does make sense, I just think it is pretty harsh on Sydney teams who don't have ANZ as their home ground having to give up potentially 2 homes games. (Magic Round and Easter Showdown)
Brad H
Roar Rookie
Because double or triple header matches is the only way the NRL can fill ANZ for club games and create the atmosphere at that stadium
Mick Holland
Roar Rookie
Well there is a lot more Sydney teams then in QLD so some would already of had to but for a weekend to play entirely at ANZ when Sydney teams make up more then half the competition it's only fair & Sydney teams v out of towners should be the theme since they get the least crowds most of the time anyway
Paul
Roar Guru
There is when every single game is matching two first grade sides and those who player earlier get a distinct advantage than those who play later, if the ground either cuts badly, or turns into a quagmire. I seem to recall Bennett being concerned about this very issue as Souths played last.
Emcie
Roar Guru
There’d certainly be cause for complaint if it was gifted to QLD, but I can imagine that information would be a lot less deserving of airtime down south than in Brisbane with the governement promoting it as economic stimulus.
Soda
Roar Rookie
I get where you are coming from but I think you are making the assumption that everyone who goes to the Easter show wants to go watch a game of footy rather than get out of their after a day of Shilling out on a lot of over priced food and show bags, dealing with massive crowds and wrangling the kiddies who are somewhere between sleeping and tantrum at the end of a long day. It is such a long day already. To a diehard footy fan it makes sense but I don't know how much overlap there is with the majority of the Easter show audience. The games would be an after thought for most.
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
There you go, thanks mate. Yes I freely admit to being confused on this. I didn't realise that is was paid for by the QLD government to host, I thought it was selected by the NRL. Well if they have it for a few years well done to them, and it was certainly a great spot to kick it all off.
no one in particular
Roar Guru
Why have a magic round for a city with more then half the teams?
Brad H
Roar Rookie
Yes, but it is also an opportunity for Sydney to compete for people coming from interstate to Sydney for the long weekend. They can go to the Easter Show and the NRL, all in the one place.
Brad H
Roar Rookie
No different to the days when lower grades would play matches before the main game. I once saw five matches played at Kogarah Oval on the same day.
Brad H
Roar Rookie
My idea is that people go to the Easter Show and the football. Olympic Park has copped with large crowds for Origin and Bledisloe tests when the stadium held 110000 people.
Davico
Roar Pro
Why shouldn't out of town teams have to give up a home game? The Sydney clubs had to do it for Magic Round!
Emcie
Roar Guru
Brisbane wasn’t selected out of nowhere, the QLD government are paying a couple million a year to have it in brisbane for 3 years (including this year) as part of the proposal. Suncorp has been paying to host double headers for years, this is just building on that. I think you may be confusing the post round commentary as the initial concept. I don’t think it has ever been envisioned as a QLD only thing long term, QLD have it locked in until 2021 and the governments been very public about wanting to keep it but there’s certainly nothing set in stone. Greenburg’s on record saying he sees the concept as an avenue for growth rather then for profit, so my guess would be that they’re looking to use the next couple years to establish the event and test it’s long term viability before using it to promote the game into new markets (which in practical terms probably limits it to Perth, Melbourne or NZ).
Big Daddy
Guest
At the moment under the present NRL reprogramming we have Thursday , Friday, Saturday and Sunday and at Easter Monday. No one goes to Thursday night football, so that would be 2 matches each day/night over Easter. Getting all these people to these matches while the show is on could be quite difficult and if Easter changing every year a lot people go away because the weather is still warm. Good idea but I think the public want only one of these magic rounds each year and Brisbane have the jump on everyone else.
Mick Holland
Roar Rookie
I like the idea ! The NRL could have 2 games on Friday, 2 games on Saturday, 2 games on Sunday & 2 games on Monday or 1 game on Thursday & 1 on Monday however it would have to be the Sydney teams taking a home game there & not expect the out of towners to take a home game otherwise should be good & maybe to make it fun the teams can wear super hero jerseys for the kids
Dogs Boddy
Roar Rookie
As I understood it the concept of the magic round was first put up, and Brisbane was selected as the opening venue for whatever reason. It worked, and seems to be something they want to continue with. When did it become a QLD only thing?? I thought the concept was to create this round and then move it around occasionally, or did I miss something. Has Beattie done another solid for his Labor mates in QLD??
Paul
Roar Guru
Brad, the Magic Round worked - but only just. If Brisbane had copped more rain, that ground would have been a mess to play on for the later games and as I understand it, there was no contingency plan if the ground turned into a quagmire. You can bet there would have been some howling from Clubs then, especially if any of their players were hurt as a result of the surface. The concept you suggest is good, but the logistics need to be spot on and a plan "b" in place in case the weather isn't accomodating
Max power
Guest
Works ok at the current big good Monday match