NRL wants to introduce a magic round, where every game is played at the one stadium

[jim_57]

Not sure if it's possible before this tv deal is over but does anyone else think magic round should be a 25th round that doesn't take away home games from clubs?

For mine it should help get more money from the networks and will stop the situation where we lose home games in important markets like Melbourne and NZ etc.

Ideally if it doesn't happen, the 8 'home' games would be Sydney teams, but as I understand it the teams request to be the home side at magic round to get paid by the NRL.

The uneven amount of home games is definitely something they could/should look at. Either make it 12 home games each plus Magic or bite the bullet and make it 11 each and add something like a country round or a series of double/triple headers that add up to a full round played in Perth, Adelaide, Auckland, Melbourne etc.

Alternatively just make all 8 home teams Sydney or Brisbane clubs. It’s a bit shit Melbourne & Auckland fans lose a game when Sydney fans have ample opportunity to watch their team at home & away games.

 

[Steel Saints]

You wouldn’t want it anywhere bigger than AAMI. Warriors are the second biggest club here. They could anchor the Saturday and Storm Sunday, but you would need big games with big clubs to sell out the Friday night. It would need to be round 1 or 2 before the other code starts up.

Magic Round at Suncorp got 147,000 attendance over three days. With Suncorp's capacity of 52,500, it is an ideal stadium for an event like Magic Round.

In Melbourne, AAMI Park's capacity is just 30,000. And as you admiited in your post, there would be doubts if it could sell out on a Friday night, especially if the Storm or another well supported team in Melbourne like the Warriors are not playing.

So you could be looking at potentially 75000 to 80,000 in attendance for an entire Magic Round based at AAMI Park. That would be a significant drop off to what Suncorp got in attendances this year which was 147,000.

And just like the WWC, it highlights once again that AAMI Park is too small for the big events. In the future, Melbourne needs it's own version of Allianz stadium.

A capacity of 40,000 may be big for the week to week bread and butter, but as a necessary evil, it would cater for the big events. Potentially it could get 100,000 attendance over the weekend, provided the venue is sold out on the days the Storm and Warriors take to the field. No need to go somewhere like Marvel stadium and help fill the pockets of a rival code.

 

[Canard]

As much as I would love to have it, it makes no sense for Vic to build a rectangular stadium bigger then AAMI.

a) Given the cost and b) Given how few big rectangular sports events would be held here.

I also thought the AFL have a deal with the state govt to not allow a bigger stadium within x radius of the Docklands.

 

[Pneuma]

Magic Round at Suncorp got 147,000 attendance over three days. With Suncorp's capacity of 52,500, it is an ideal stadium for an event like Magic Round.

In Melbourne, AAMI Park's capacity is just 30,000. And as you admiited in your post, there would be doubts if it could sell out on a Friday night, especially if the Storm or another well supported team in Melbourne like the Warriors are not playing.

So you could be looking at potentially 75000 to 80,000 in attendance for an entire Magic Round based at AAMI Park. That would be a significant drop off to what Suncorp got in attendances this year which was 147,000.

And just like the WWC, it highlights once again that AAMI Park is too small for the big events. In the future, Melbourne needs it's own version of Allianz stadium.

A capacity of 40,000 may be big for the week to week bread and butter, but as a necessary evil, it would cater for the big events. Potentially it could get 100,000 attendance over the weekend, provided the venue is sold out on the days the Storm and Warriors take to the field. No need to go somewhere like Marvel stadium and help fill the pockets of a rival code.

It highlights that States like Victoria that sell soccer union and league short by having inferior facilities do not deserve premium events

 

[Pneuma]

As much as I would love to have it, it makes no sense for Vic to build a rectangular stadium bigger then AAMI.

a) Given the cost and b) Given how few big rectangular sports events would be held here.

I also thought the AFL have a deal with the state govt to not allow a bigger stadium within x radius of the Docklands.

That’s very chicken and egg. You aren’t going to get premium sporting events due to inadequate facilities so you don’t build them?

 

[Steel Saints]

As much as I would love to have it, it makes no sense for Vic to build a rectangular stadium bigger then AAMI.

a) Given the cost and b) Given how few big rectangular sports events would be held here.

I also thought the AFL have a deal with the state govt to not allow a bigger stadium within x radius of the Docklands.

A. With construction costs sky rocketing post covid, it's a valid point, although in AAMI Park's case, if it didn't build a fancy bubble roof structure, then it might have been easier to expand.

B. The GABBA in Brisbane can hold 42,000. Has been restricted to 36,000. How often is that venue a sell out?

And how long is the AFL deal with the Vic. state govt. regarding Docklands, which restricts another stadiums capacity? That was talked about in 2010 when AAMI Park opened. Now it's 2023.

 

[Canard]

Given how f**ked the Vic state government finances are, and how little political benefit it would gain, there are no new 50k rectangular (or any shape for that matter) on the horizon for a decade at least.

I mean, they are cancelling or delaying infrastructure projects almost daily at the moment.

Shit It even seems like the Tasmanian oval is 50/50 at this rate, and that has govt funding!

 

[Cumberland Throw]

Pax for eels game 21568

 

[SpaceMonkey]

Perth is fine, the earliest game would be midday local and the latest 6PM local which I don't see an issue with.

If NZ are ok with 10PM and 9:30PM kick offs then I have absolutely no issue with it going over there.

If Nine and Fox are prepared to flex scheduling slightly (like even by half an hour) I think it’s very doable.
Have a Friday night double with games at 7:30 and 9:30 (this actually works as people need time to get there after work anyway)
Saturday you can run games a little earlier as you really only need to get the last game on at 6:30-7 on Fox,
And Sunday you could kick off at 4:30 and 6:30 with the second game being the Nine game at 4:30 in Aus.

 

[Jamberoo]

Magic Round at Suncorp got 147,000 attendance over three days. With Suncorp's capacity of 52,500, it is an ideal stadium for an event like Magic Round.

In Melbourne, AAMI Park's capacity is just 30,000. And as you admiited in your post, there would be doubts if it could sell out on a Friday night, especially if the Storm or another well supported team in Melbourne like the Warriors are not playing.

So you could be looking at potentially 75000 to 80,000 in attendance for an entire Magic Round based at AAMI Park. That would be a significant drop off to what Suncorp got in attendances this year which was 147,000.

And just like the WWC, it highlights once again that AAMI Park is too small for the big events. In the future, Melbourne needs it's own version of Allianz stadium.

A capacity of 40,000 may be big for the week to week bread and butter, but as a necessary evil, it would cater for the big events. Potentially it could get 100,000 attendance over the weekend, provided the venue is sold out on the days the Storm and Warriors take to the field. No need to go somewhere like Marvel stadium and help fill the pockets of a rival code.

Melbourne Is not going to build another stadium to host the occasional soccer match. NRL, ARU and visiting soccer clubs love the extra revenue from 85k @ MCG. 45k fans at $200 a ticket is $9m extra. Who is knocking that back to play at a 40k stadium? Ridiculous suggestion.

 

[Get Rid of The Donkeys]

Leave it at Lang Park. SEQ has a lot of expatriates from Sydney who've emigrated to the region over the last 40 years. Magic Round is great for them. No other city in Australia has such a large expatriate population from Sydney. Lang Park is the perfect venue for spectators. If it's taken to the fumbleball cities then attendances will nosedive over time.

If you travel to SEQ for Magic Round you can hit the amusement parks on the Goldie. Great for the family.

 

[Valheru]

Leave it at Lang Park. SEQ has a lot of expatriates from Sydney who've emigrated to the region over the last 40 years. Magic Round is great for them. No other city in Australia has such a large expatriate population from Sydney. Lang Park is the perfect venue for spectators. If it's taken to the fumbleball cities then attendances will nosedive over time.

If you travel to SEQ for Magic Round you can hit the amusement parks on the Goldie. Great for the family.

I would just be wary of viewer fatigue leaving it at suncorp permanently. We don't want it to go the way of the Auckland 9's so I see no harm in sharing it.

3 year cycle

Brisbane
Sydney
Some other location (NZ, Melbourne etc.)

 

[Canard]

I would just be wary of viewer fatigue leaving it at suncorp permanently. We don't want it to go the way of the Auckland 9's so I see no harm in sharing it.

3 year cycle

Brisbane
Sydney
Some other location (NZ, Melbourne etc.)

Being in Sydney would be absurd.

League fans can watch multiple games every weekend.

 

[moffla]

I reckon there’s too much discussion around attendance and not around overall impact that it can have on the game in a city.

Brisbane is the home of magic round, im not disputing that. But how many NEW eyes does it bring to the game every season? I’m guessing not a great deal.

Melbourne might only have a 30k seater, but you put magic round down here and you’ll have a host of new eyes on the game. Packed AAMI Park in Melbourne for the weekend would turn a lot of heads down here.

Hometown bias, but I’d love to have it down here just once - because I have little doubt it’d be a roaring success. Again, Brisbane is the right home for Magic round, but no harm in sprinkling it into some other cities every now and then!

 

[Bukowski]

I would just be wary of viewer fatigue leaving it at suncorp permanently. We don't want it to go the way of the Auckland 9's so I see no harm in sharing it.

3 year cycle

Brisbane
Sydney
Some other location (NZ, Melbourne etc.)

I felt the 9s lost its appeal when it left Auckland.

 

[docbrown]

Magic Round works in Brisbane because you can schedule it to include at least one Queensland-based NRL team every day e.g. Broncos Thursday, Dolphins Friday, Cowboys Saturday, Titans Sunday. That guarantees at least partial local interest in each day's events. There's no equivalent of that in Melbourne or Perth. Plus they have the Storm as a defacto 5th QLD team. Plus Brisbane has a bigger percentage of local fans (ex-pats and Queenslanders) who support Sydney NRL teams. Again - Melbourne & Perth don't replicate that.

Magic Round in Sydney is pointless as the vast majority of games are played there already. You could literally do that with any other round without taking away Magic Round from Brisbane. So really, why bother?

The only other place that Magic Round could work is in Auckland but -- if any only if -- after New Zealand gets a second team -- AND -- you schedule it so that Warriors were on the Friday, NZ2 were on the Sunday and on the Saturday you schedule most of the bigger Queensland and/or NSW teams to play so there's a big influx of visitors who can fly in Friday and fly out Sunday.

 

[jim_57]

They could run an ‘extra’ one in Sydney already by just having 8/9 Sydney teams have home games on the same weekend (assuming we got to 18 teams soon). Clubs would have to agree to shift venues obviously.

Friday - Accor
Eels & Panthers

Saturday - Allianz
Roosters, Sharks & Sea Eagles

Sunday - Accor
Rabbitohs, Bulldogs & Tigers (+Dragons when if goes to 9 games)

If that was something the NRL wanted to try they wouldn’t even have to move the existing Magic round.

 

[docbrown]

They could run an ‘extra’ one in Sydney already by just having 8/9 Sydney teams have home games on the same weekend (assuming we got to 18 teams soon). Clubs would have to agree to shift venues obviously.

Friday - Accor
Eels & Panthers

Saturday - Allianz
Roosters, Sharks & Sea Eagles

Sunday - Accor
Rabbitohs, Bulldogs & Tigers (+Dragons when if goes to 9 games)

If that was something the NRL wanted to try they wouldn’t even have to move the existing Magic round.

Exactly. Just call it Sydney Round and keep Magic Round in Brisbane. It would be an alright way of boosting attendances just after Origin wraps up. With 18 teams, I'd go Thursday - a single game at SFS. Friday night - double header at SFS. Then Saturday & Sunday have triple headers at Olympic stadium. Sell them all out and you're averaging 25 to 30k-ish.

 

[MugaB]

Exactly. Just call it Sydney Round and keep Magic Round in Brisbane. It would be an alright way of boosting attendances just after Origin wraps up.

Yeah thats what i said, make a mini version, hold it in sydney on a Saturday and sunday, have all the syd teams play plus Newcastle, 5 games, have the remaining interstate teams play on thursday/friday
Or alternatively do a 2nd magic round two here proper at seasons end

 

[Bukowski]

Exactly. Just call it Sydney Round and keep Magic Round in Brisbane. It would be an alright way of boosting attendances just after Origin wraps up. With 18 teams, I'd go Thursday - a single game at SFS. Friday night - double header at SFS. Then Saturday & Sunday have triple headers at Olympic stadium. Sell them all out and you're averaging 25 to 30k-ish.

It's worth a shot but I think Sydney fans are a bit lazy about these things though.