It’s Magic Round!
It’s one of the best weekends on the NRL calendar, when all the teams and fans head to Suncorp for a fantastic weekend of footy, and there is nothing out of the ordinary when it comes to refereeing decisions.
Better not be.
If you are fortunate enough to be going to Magic Round, you are in for a treat. Getting to cheer your team on, being able to watch all eight games of footy live, spending the weekend with your mates, only consuming pies, hot dogs, chips and maybe the occasional alcoholic beverage – just glorious.
With all the excitement leading into this weekend, I realised something really sad – who misses out next year?
With the introduction of the Dolphins, we will have 17 teams in the competition. Someone will have to sit on the sidelines in 2023, and then each season after that until we have an even number of teams again.
How are the big wigs going to work out who stay at home? I thought I would put my hand up to help them out. There have been a few different ideas floating around, so I have brought them all together to try and work out which one is the best.
Very simple. When they put the draw together for next season, someone will have the bye each week. And one of those weeks will be Magic Round. This seems to be the most logical and the fairest, as well as the most boring.
Again, very simple, easy to follow, everyone knows when it’s their turn, and once you have missed a Magic Round it will be forever before you have to sit out again. I don’t mind it.
Sorry Broncos, if this one gets the go ahead you will have to stay home… I mean, go away next year.
This is a good old fashioned ‘rubbing salt into the wounds’ idea. Not only did you have a terrible season the previous year by coming dead last, but now you aren’t allowed to come and play with all your other friends at Magic Round.
Some see this as terrible punishment, and others view it as more motivation to not be crap again. Me? I don’t like it. I’d hate to think that it would always be between the same few teams each year.
At the other end of the premiership ladder, this one could work too. If the World Club Challenge is played over the same weekend, the premiers will be busy trying to get a new trophy for their cabinet, and the other 16 play in Magic Round.
Or if it’s held in its traditional pre-season slot, then it gives the premiers an extra week mid-season as repayment for the early start to their year.
The Dolphins are the reason that we have an odd number of teams, so some believe they should have to sit out 2023.
It obviously doesn’t work for every year (unless you are very mean and exclude them all the time) but it does work for next year. And who knows, we may have another team by 2024 and then we won’t have this problem anymore.
I’m not a fan of this one. It’s probably not the best idea to exclude the newest franchise to the competition.
Again, this is just a 2023 solution, but it makes sense.
They have spent the past few seasons based in Australia due to COVID, they will go back to New Zealand later this year and the back and forth will start again.
If the draw works out that the Warriors play the rounds before and after Magic Round in New Zealand, they may want to forgo the trip to Brisbane and have three weeks based at home for a change.
If the Warriors are happy with this one, then so I am. But if they want to be part of Magic Round then I’m happy to scrub it from the list.
This is a very controversial one. Compared to the AFL, club memberships in the NRL have never been overly high, so some think this would be a good way to try and boost the numbers.
In my opinion, this would have to be the worst suggestion, as not everyone can afford memberships every year – or ever.
But that doesn’t mean that they don’t love and support their team, buy the merchandise, and get to the games. I don’t think membership numbers should be a reason for a team to miss Magic Round.
It could be the same team every year – I don’t think that’s very fair.
Maybe there are teams that don’t even want to go to Magic Round.
They have to give up a home-ground advantage, travel to Brisbane, it’s coming into Origin time so they know they will be down on troops soon – maybe a weekend kicking back and just watching all the magic happen with a guaranteed two points in the bag sounds glorious?!
Before the draw comes out teams can nominate to take the bye that weekend, and if there is more than one team putting their hand up, then it’s a ballot.
It could work.
This is a very interesting one: the concept that the team who loses by the biggest margin at Magic Round is automatically ruled out for the next year’s event.
You know what? I think I like it!
I mean, I guess it gives another element of purpose to the weekend; something else to play for other than just the win. If you get absolutely smashed, it doesn’t just hurt your for and against, it means you don’t get to come back next year. Extra pressure!
So that’s it! Those are your options for who misses out on the Magic Show moving forward.
What do you think Roarers? Which idea do you like the best? Any that I haven’t mentioned?
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Rob
Guest
Alternative proposal: a team can forgo playing in Magic Round and gets to choose when they take a bye. Could help a team that would be missing Origin stars / get a week of rest before the finals
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Merge the Panthers and the Roosters and call them the Cheetahs. Problem solved Jenny. :laughing:
JennyFromPenny
Guest
Won't happen, but through every other walk of life, the newbie is always the one to stand aside.
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Based on the ladder at the end of round 8 Team 1st gets the bye round 9 Magic round Thursday night. Round 8 1st plays round 8 15th Magic round last game, Round 8 1st plays round 8 16th
Pilferer
Roar Rookie
Warriors as we deserve to play every game in nz next year
Rossi
Roar Rookie
Look at that turtle go bro
Rossi
Roar Rookie
Make the Storm play 2 games and they only get 1 competition point for each win
Hard Yards
Roar Rookie
Boom Boom
Maxtruck
Roar Rookie
Every chance Bulldogs will be playing Metropolitan Cup next year so NRL will only be 16 teams
Cadfael
Roar Guru
One team has to miss out. I read that Brisbane will have this for the next two years so all the Qld sides will be part of the Magic Round. I do like the comment that teams can request the bye for that weekend, then draw out of a hat if more than one team puts in for it. Should it be a non Sydney side to miss out? Melbourne, Newcastle, Canberra or Warriors? If a Sydney side, the worse performing from the previous srason to miss out? Interesting times ahead.
criag
Roar Rookie
Great foresight! Hadn't thought about that. I guess if the money's right, any team, with the exception of the Queensland teams, might be happy to take that week off, though it may also mean loss of cash through lack of exposure for teams to be there (not sure about that...I'm no Scotty from marketing!), and I'm sure the team's sponsors would prefer them to be there as well.
Adam
Roar Guru
There's probably enough on offer for everyone at The Roar
Redcap
Roar Guru
Good article. I hadn't considered the world club challenge possibility. I like it, but there'd be a likely scheduling issue with the challenge cup. The way to do it would be for the NRL and RFL to coordinate their schedules. NRL to have magic round a couple of weeks earlier and for the RFL to give their champion a bye through to the next round of the tournament. It could be done. In the end, they'll likely find somebody willing to do it for a few bucks.
Tony
Roar Guru
:laughing:
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
I humbly accept any available funds from this.
Tim Carter
Roar Pro
How about something like "The Kyiv Bears: Building Bridges One Hit-Up At A Time." (In such an article, the coach would have to be North Sydney's 90's winger Craig Makepeace)
Adam
Roar Guru
Just offer someone money. Someone will take it
Adam
Roar Guru
Please write an article I haven't seen a Bears article since the season started!
Adam
Roar Guru
And neither of those sides rate much on TV. A win win!
YertleTheTurtle
Roar Rookie
Melbourne and Manly obviously do because they've been taking a home game to Brisbane long before Magic Round was a thing.