Added to that - it does get national media attention. Radio 5 Live plugged this weekend to death. On balance, i would keep it. Not mentioning the fantastically lazy Saturday i had on the sofa watching match after match after match. Heaven

games fooked at super league level run by a clown with a vibrator firmly wedged up his cheeks dress it up as you like,games fooked

Get off the fence Jesus

I hope you're never in charge of the RFL!

Do you mean that [iRimmer[/i guy?

Why? Because I am able to support and enjoy an event without moaning and looking for negatives?

Get's money from...? Against what expenditure? How many Cardiff residents turned up? Marketing there? When MM 1st started that was the idea of it so how is that working? These are the most important questions here, surely?

Not really a concern of mine , but has the original ' purpose ' changed ? , and if it has , does it matter ?

It gets money from 1. the Welsh tourist board and 2. the 60,000 tickets that were sold. I thought that would have been obvious. The RFL don't make a loss on the event, they wouldn't do it if they did. I don't know how many Cardiff residents turned up, probably not many considering Wales RU were playing at the same time. I don't care and I don't think it matters at all, I don't really feel the primary objective is to expand the game although it did give Welsh SL fans a chance to see games that the probably wouldn't have been able to otherwise. Have you ever been to a Magic event? If not then don't criticise. It doesn't look particularly good on TV. But who gives a f$ck? Everyone who went enjoyed it, and the RFL raked it in. As I said, result on both fronts.

What this has illustrated to me, is how utterly pathetic a lot of RL fans are. People who are moaning, I'm glad you didn't go because the place was a lot better without you.

Your missing the point, I am not saying that it's a bad thing, just that it has the potential to be better and that's how I started in the discussion if playing in a 70k venue we should be looking at 50k minimum not 30k simple as that... so how do we do that?

If the RFL do rake it in then fair enough, but never seen any figures either way. It was originally used as another expansion tool so be interesting to know if that is still the purpose or not. Have been to Cardiff a few times for football finals and do think it's great so no need to convince me on that part

Your name calling is totally uncalled for. I’d like to think that our criticism (a fancy word for moaning to you) is just as constructive and valid as your defence of the weekend.

Most of the negatives on this thread are constructive criticism.

RL is a business, you can't do things to make people have a good time only. RU are streets ahead as they have a strategy for growth.

RL tries to spread the game by taking the game to Wales, very few Welsh turn up because the RU were playing or they didn't know about it. Pathetic. We don't have time to waste in half d efforts like this - If you're going to do something, do it right.

You think there is a gap between the respective salary caps of both codes now? Well think what it'll be like in 10, 15 years time if we carry on wasting time and resources. It's a scary thought.

What was interesting was the programme on SKY after the Hull derby was the IRB sevens , from ...... Las Vegas



Expansion indeed

I wasn't referring to you with that post, or anyone else who is trying to comment constructively. I agree there should be 50k there, to be honest it's quite baffling that there's not because it's a great weekend. If the people who sit at home moaning about poor crowds actually went and supported the event, then there would comfortably be 50k there. That's what my last post was about. I don't really feel it's an expansion tool as such, certainly that's not the primary objective anymore and it does feel like there's a different ethos since the first MM. I'm guessing it was the same. The main thing is that it's an opportunity for people to watch 7 games of the sport that they supposedly love in a great stadium and spend a weekend with a bunch of like-minded people in a nice city that they may otherwise not be able to visit. Really, I couldn't imagine much better if I was a fan from the heartlands. The biggest problem isn't the concept or marketing, it's the fact that a large percentage of RL fans seem to be Victor Meldrew clones who would rather sit at home and complain than get out and have a good time.

RU is streets ahead because RU fans actually turn up and support events rather than sitting at home and complaining about how bad everything looks on TV. If this was an RU event it would have sold out, guaranteed,

Yes, if it were a RU event it would be sold out. Why? Because RU market their sport.

So how did RU clubs start to grow their crowds? Simple. They attract new fans, a few of the London clubs managed 60k plus in Twickers recently, they didn't just hold an event and the rah rahs turned up in numbers for the hell of it.

What do we do!? We make EXISTING fans travel 250 miles away and get about 4 new fans on board. Half a job. It's about time the RFL do things properly as time is running out to gain market share.

It’s these Victor Meldrew fans that have been the livelihood of the rugby league community for years. They’ll be so many people turning in their graves if they read what you’ve just put.

I’ll tell you what the RFL are doing. They are pricing rugby league out of areas where it’s traditionally popular and opting for areas that rugby league has no business in going to. Super League started without a single Hull side and look at how popular rugby league is in Hull today. The fact is people want to watch things on their doorstep. They don’t want to travel to Cardiff or anywhere else for that matter for a game that should be played nearby.

I'd disagree , RU fans do just tend to turn up , they do so because they are not that concerned about the quality of the product on offer or the result , both of those are forgotten about a nano second after the final whistle , the main part is just being at the event and enjoying it , RL fans tend to be a bit different , we also tend to like getting value for money , RU fans have enough money not to be as bothered

Nobody's making anyone do anything. The RFL made money from hosting an event, and the people who did go enjoyed themselves. If you see that as such a negative then I'd hate to be you.

' No business in going to ' ?

, if you are going to have a 7 match festival in February , you don't have much option really

As for the cost , once again , that is just an option that people have to make a decision on

Ok the RFL has financial business into going to Cardiff. It’ll probably only run for years because the tourist board will pay for it due to the amount of money rugby league fans bring into Cardiff.

Behind the scenes the Millennium Magic is doing well. But up front it looks like a failure due to the empty seats and I’m afraid that is what judges success and failure in most people’s eyes.

Either way I think I’ve said all that I need to say on this thread and I hope those who went had a good weekend.

I'd agree but in the main that's because they now have a stronger brand and offer an 'exclusive and the place to be' event for them, this in itself is a clever marketing PR excercise.

Their international game goes one step further in that tickets are more scarce so people have a higher percieved value on the event ensuring impulse buying. The RFL tries this all the time - only everyone knows there is loads of tickets still available so what's the point.

Absolutely totally agree with you - dont blame the RFL blame the people who choose not to come as :

1, its too expensive - rubbish, it cost me and my 15 year old less than £20 between us for 4 games - what other event offers that kind of value.

2, its too far away - it is if you only go down to watch your own team then bugger off home, which , as a fan of RL in general i will never understand - you've paid for 4 (or 3) games so watch them. if you book a cheap hotel or guest house you can have a great weekend away.

3, wrong time of year - when is the right time of year then cos even in May people complained !

To me having this in the heartlands takes away a huge part of the MM experience. we see the same towns/cities week in week out , going to somewhere like Cardiff gives people a day/weekend out that they can look forward to rather than treking back down the M62 like they will do regularly anyway.
in my opinion it is a wonderful event and to remove it from the calendar or move it to the heartlands would be a huge mistake as it takes away that little bit of something different where every fan of every club can have a 'day out' .

Yes Id agree , but it is RU international aspect that has built this brand and place to be mentality , we quite simply don't have it , and I doubt we ever will , the same concept applies to lower tier pro RL , our brands ( although known about by the people of our towns ) has little value

Will it ever change ? Perhaps , in a few decades if we are lucky , not be a problem for me though