Elland Road showpiece falls flat but bottom line offers hope

So, that was the 2024 Magic Weekend. Compelling on the field without doubt, with some intriguing results that sets things up for the final five rounds of the Super League season and means that nothing, in any part of the table, can be predicted with a degree of confidence.

- Aar on Bower

But the event itself? Well, there are some questions to be asked. Magic Weekend has been one of Super League's great concepts since it first arrived on the scene in 2007: if the NRL effectively pinches your idea, you know you are on to something good. This year, however, we appear to have reached a line-in-the-sand moment for the event.

The move to Elland Road was, all things being equal, never likely to hit the sweet spot. With the spiritual home of Newcastle and St James' Park unavailable, Leeds was the only real option available to host Magic Weekend in 2024. It was a decision which had an air of malaise about it, largely because relocating Magic to the sport's heartlands made little sense on the face of it.

In the end, the final number on the attendance figure emphasised the disappointment. The secondlowest combined attendance for Magic Weekend in its 17-year history53,103 suggests Elland Road has not been a success. Or has it? What does Super League want from its flagship event from 2025 onwards?