After 12 exciting rounds of Super League in 2014, the most awaited weekend of the season is finally upon us as round 13 graces Manchester for the mercurial Magic Weekend, an idea that makes Rugby League unique as a sport.
The thought of the entire league playing in the same stadium across a single weekend was a strange idea back in 2007 but has flourished into a showpiece event that every year is the most awaited and exciting of the 27 regular season rounds.
Many factors of the event including the schedule and venue have changed over the years but the magnitude of the weekend has grown year-on-year with this weekend expected to be the best attended since its inception seven years ago.
After stints in Cardiff (Millennium) and Edinburgh (Murrayfield), the event seems to have found a home in the Etihad Stadium (Manchester) which hosts the event for a third year in a row this weekend and is set to be the most exciting yet with no clear favourites across the schedule after an unpredictable start to the season.
The weekend begins with four games on Saturday with the early kick-off featuring the Anglo-French derby between London and Catalan with the Broncos still searching for their first win of the season while Catalan are looking for a fourth win over their opponents in 2014.
The Dragons triumphed in pre-season and the Challenge Cup before a narrow win in round nine, a match that saw London's late comeback fail as they lost 22-28 but performance that many regard as being their best chance of a win so far this year.
After throwing away a 16-10 half-time lead against Huddersfield to lose 16-30, London are on a nightmare run of 12 consecutive defeats and a defeat on Saturday could potentially leave them five wins away from preventing relegation to the Championship.
This meeting has featured five times at Magic with London (Harlequins) winning three and Catalan winning two meaning the Broncos have at least one advantage going into the game as they hope to spring a Magic trick of their own on the Dragons who are in mixed form with five wins from 12 in the league.
London include Mike McMeeken and Maxime Herold in the 19 while Catalan bring in Olivier Elima, Thomas Bosc and Elliott Whitehead in place of Antoni Maria, Julian Bousquet and William Barthau who drop out of the 19.
London: Atkins, Bishay, Caton-Brown, Cook, Cunningham, Drinkwater, Farrar, Foster, Greenwood, Herold, Krasniqi, Macani, McMeeken, Minns, Moore, Slyney, Solomona, Vea, Wallace.
Catalan: Escare, Pryce, Oldfield, Bosc, Elima, Lima, Taia, Anderson, Pelissier, Whitehead, Millard, Pala, Simon, Paea, Baitieri, Duport, Garcia, Guasch.
Catalan have struggled on their travels this year and this could play into London's hands but I will go for a narrow win for the Dragons so London 18 Catalan 22.
The second game of the afternoon sees Widnes take on Salford with the Vikings looking for revenge after a last-gasp defeat in last seasons epic Magic meeting between the sides with the Red Devils looking for a repeat victory that would boost their mixed season.
At the pre-season Magic launch many expected this meeting to be between a side challenging at the top and another close to the bottom but the fact that Salford are the latter rather the former does show how their dream has faltered so far while Widnes have silenced many doubters with seven wins from eleven and also a place in the last eight of the Challenge Cup.
Salford's dream of challenging the top sides with a pack of stars has seen them win only four times in 12 attempts and a continuance of their poor form could see them drop to 12th by the end of the weekend something Widnes will be keen to influence with a win.
Widnes welcome Kevin Brown and Rhys Hanbury into their squad as they look for a repeat of the 32-18 win from earlier in the season while Salford include Greg Eden who sat out the 16-16 draw in the previous round against his parent club.
Widnes: Allen, Brown, Clarke, Clough, Craven, Dean, Flynn, Gerrard, Hanbury, Isa, Johnson, Joseph, Kavanagh, Lawton, Leuluai, Marsh, Owens, Tickle, White.
Salford: Ashurst, Chase, Eden, Gleeson, Griffin, Hansen, Hock, Howarth, Lee, Meli, Morley, Mullaney, Platt, Puletua, Rapira, Sa'u, Tasi, Tomkins, Williams.
This game could go close but I see Widnes coming out on top so Widnes 28 Salford 20.
Third up is a game many remark as the true Super League derby as Hull KR face city rivals Hull FC with the Black and Whites looking to gain revenge for the last-gasp loss to Rovers at Easter.
The sides have met five times at Magic with Rovers winning three and FC winning two so the bragging rights are firmly held by the red side of Hull who will look to claim victory against their rivals for a second time this season after a fierce Easter derby saw them win 21-20 with a last minute drop goal from Craig Hall.
Both sides do have a huge dilemma for the game with the kick-off only 30 minutes before the FA Cup Final which features neighbours Hull so the conflict has forced fans to choose with a few players also missing out namely Wigan's Scott Taylor who is gutted that the game has fallen on the same day as Magic Weekend.
Despite the sporting conflict, the game is one not to be missed as the Hull derby is always unpredictable and is one of the most exciting games of the season to watch with the result always a close one as can be seen from the previous Magic meetings with only one result ending with a winning margin of 6+ points.
The sides couldnt be closer this season with both sitting on ten points in eighth and ninth with FC higher due to five wins from 12 and Rovers with four wins and two draws from 12 making the prospect of a win and some potential bragging rights vital for a Hull side that come off the back of a huge loss to a youthful Wigan pack on Friday while Rovers drew with Salford.
Hull KR bring in Jonathan Walker in place of Wayne Ulugia while Hull FC recall Jordan Rankin and Dean Hadley in place of Josh Bowden and Ben Crooks as the Black and Whites look to overturn the winning run that Rovers have over them.
Hull KR: Burns, Cockayne, Costigan, Cox, Gardner, Green, Hall, D. Hodgson, J. Hodgson, Horne, Keating, Langley, Larroyer, Lovegrove, Netherton, Salter, J. Walker, Welham, Weyman.
Hull FC: Carvell, Crookes, Colbon, Ellis, Hadley, Heremaia, Horne, Houghton, Miller, Paea, Paleaaesina, Rankin, Shaul, Talanoa, Thompson, Watts, Westerman, Whiting, Yeaman.
As with every Hull derby, I see this being close but will got for a Rovers win so Hull KR 25 Hull 24.
The final game of day one is the clash between Wigan and Leeds in a tie that sees the winners of the last seven grand finals face off with the Rhinos winning 28-12 when the sides met a fortnight ago.
Tomorrow's meeting will be only the second time the sides have met at Magic with Wigan victorious 20-16 last year after the new schedule ended the traditional Bradford/Leeds and Wigan/St Helens Magic derbies.
The meeting in round 11 saw a injury ravaged Wigan side torn apart by a strong Leeds outfit and as with their last game, Wigan will field a youthful side while Leeds will be near full strength but the Rhinos will be wary of the fact that Wigan do excel when the sides meet in big occasions with last years win ranking alongside play-off and Challenge Cup victories in recent years.
Wigan will be eager to avenge their mixed display at Headingley with the confidence of a comfortable win at Hull for their young side boosting the morale of a team that tomorrow could be an average age of 22 with academy product Ryan Sutton the youngest at 18 being half the age of Leeds 'veteran' Jamie Peacock who at 36 is still a player to be wary of in Super League.
Wigan recall Matt Bowen and Greg Burke with Jordan James, Gil Dudson and Tony Clubb out after injuries at Hull with Ben Austin coming in as cover while Leeds are unchanged in the 19 with Ryan Hall and Ian Kirke in contention for the 17 after missing out at Castleford but a huge miss for the Rhinos is Rob Burrow who will miss Magic for the first time since its inception as he recovers from a broken collarbone.
Warriors: Austin, Bateman, Bowen, Burgess, Burke, Crosby, Farrell, Gelling, Green, Goulding, Hughes, Manfredi, McIlorum, Powell, Sarginson, Smith, Sutton, Taylor, Williams.
Rhinos: Zak Hardaker, Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Moon, Hall, McGuire, Leuluai, Peacock, Ablett, Sinfield, Ward, Delaney, Bailey, Kirke, Clarkson, Achurch, Briscoe, Sutcliffe, Singleton.
Leeds will be favourites for this game but I think Wigan buoyed by a huge following in the stands will just edge a win so Wigan 24 Leeds 22.
Sunday's action begins with the Yorkshire derby between Wakefield and Castleford with the Tigers having a superb season in fourth place with their local rivals sitting 12th after a mixed start.
The sides have met four times at Magic sharing two wins each with Castleford easing to a 49-24 win in last years meeting as well as a 20-43 win at Easter in round nine to claim the bragging rights ahead of a game that could go either way given the form of both sides in recent meetings.
Wakefield come into the game with four wins from 12 but on the back of two stunning wins at Hull and Widnes so will be brimming with confidence against a Castleford side who have eight wins from 12 but have suffered defeats to Huddersfield and Leeds in their last two outings so will be eager to bounce back.
Richard Owen is likely to face his former side after switching from the Tigers in midweek while Dean Collis is recalled in place of Andy Raleigh and Chris Annakin while Castleford recall Lee Jewitt in place of Ashley Gibson.
Wakefield: Mathers, Collis, Sykes, Godinet, Anderson, McShane, Kirmond, Washbrook, Ryan, Moore, Sammut, Walshaw, Smith, Molloy, Siejka, Scruton, Riley, Fairbank,Owen.
Castleford: Tansey, Dixon, Shenton, Webster, Sneyd, Carney, Lynch, Milner, Huby, Millington, Hauraki, Clark, Holmes, Marian, Wheeldon, Ellis, Channing, Finn, Jewitt.
This game has all the marks of a classic derby and could go either way but I see Castleford continuing their hold over their rivals so Wakefield 18 Castleford 26.
The second game of the afternoon sees another Yorkshire derby as Huddersfield face Bradford with the Giants boasting a 66-18 win over their local rivals from earlier in the season.
The sides have have met only once at Magic with the sole meeting seeing Huddersfield triumph 42-6 at last years event and this year form suggests that a repeat result could be on the cards with Huddersfield having a decent start with six wins from 12 while Bradford despite their six point deduction have three wins from 12, the most notable a stunning win over Warrington in round 11.
A win for Bradford on Sunday would be a much needed boost for their flagging season which in recent weeks has been up and down with the win against Warrington sandwiched between heavy defeats to Wigan and St Helens while a win for Huddersfield would extend a run of four wins in a row which began after a humbling defeat at Hull in round eight.
Bradford welcome back Luke Gale with James Donaldson returning alongside young ooker Nathan Conroy with Manase Manuokafoa missing out while Huddersfield recall Brett Ferres after a five game suspension along with Scott Grix in place of Jermaine McGillvary and Jake Connor who were injured in the win at London.
Huddersfield: Grix, Cudjoe, Wardle, Murphy, Brough. Robinson, Crabtree, Lunt, Kopczak, Ferres, Chan, Bailey, Lawrence, Patrick, Faiumu, Ta'ai, Wood, Broughton, Mullally.
Bradford: Addy, Arundel, Conroy, Diskin, Donaldson, Foster, Gale, Gaskell, George, Henry, Kear, O'Brien, Olbison, Mellor, Pitts, Purtell, Sidlow, Walker, Wood.
Huddersfield to come out on top in this one but I see Bradford having a good go at the Giants so Huddersfield 30 Bradford 18 .
The weekend closes with the clash between fierce rivals Warrington and St Helens with the Saints boasting a 38-8 win over the Wolves from the opening weekend of the season.
The sides have met only once at Magic with Warrington winning 48-22 in last years meeting between the sides and they will be eager for a repeat as they look to avenge the defeat to their rivals on the opening weekend of the season.
Both sides come into the game on the back of wins over Catalan and Bradford respectively with the Saints humbling a Bradford side that defeated the Wolves in round 11 while Warrington were comfortable winners over a poor Catalan side.
After the round one game, many tipped Warrington to bounce back well but currently they sit eight points behind St Helens in seventh while the Saints sit second. Warrington's mixed form has seen six wins from 12 while St Helens after winning the first eight games have stuttered to ten wins in 12 overall.
St Helens are without Adam Swift with Jordan Turner recalled while Warrington look to be unchanged from the previous round against Catalan.
Warrington: Russell, Bridge, Atkins, J. Monaghan, Ratchford, Hill, Higham, Asotasi, Waterhouse, Westwood, M. Monaghan, Harrison, Currie, R. Evans, England, Dwyer, Laithwaite, B.Evans, Ormsby.
St Helens: Lomax, Makinson, Turner, Jones, Hohaia, Walsh, Masoe, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Wilkin, Flanagan, Wellens, Walmsley, Greenwood, Walker, Dawson, Richards, Thompson.
A tasty game that could be close but I see Saints coming out on top so Warrington 20 St Helens 32.
The thought of the entire league playing in the same stadium across a single weekend was a strange idea back in 2007 but has flourished into a showpiece event that every year is the most awaited and exciting of the 27 regular season rounds.
Many factors of the event including the schedule and venue have changed over the years but the magnitude of the weekend has grown year-on-year with this weekend expected to be the best attended since its inception seven years ago.
After stints in Cardiff (Millennium) and Edinburgh (Murrayfield), the event seems to have found a home in the Etihad Stadium (Manchester) which hosts the event for a third year in a row this weekend and is set to be the most exciting yet with no clear favourites across the schedule after an unpredictable start to the season.
The weekend begins with four games on Saturday with the early kick-off featuring the Anglo-French derby between London and Catalan with the Broncos still searching for their first win of the season while Catalan are looking for a fourth win over their opponents in 2014.
The Dragons triumphed in pre-season and the Challenge Cup before a narrow win in round nine, a match that saw London's late comeback fail as they lost 22-28 but performance that many regard as being their best chance of a win so far this year.
After throwing away a 16-10 half-time lead against Huddersfield to lose 16-30, London are on a nightmare run of 12 consecutive defeats and a defeat on Saturday could potentially leave them five wins away from preventing relegation to the Championship.
This meeting has featured five times at Magic with London (Harlequins) winning three and Catalan winning two meaning the Broncos have at least one advantage going into the game as they hope to spring a Magic trick of their own on the Dragons who are in mixed form with five wins from 12 in the league.
London include Mike McMeeken and Maxime Herold in the 19 while Catalan bring in Olivier Elima, Thomas Bosc and Elliott Whitehead in place of Antoni Maria, Julian Bousquet and William Barthau who drop out of the 19.
London: Atkins, Bishay, Caton-Brown, Cook, Cunningham, Drinkwater, Farrar, Foster, Greenwood, Herold, Krasniqi, Macani, McMeeken, Minns, Moore, Slyney, Solomona, Vea, Wallace.
Catalan: Escare, Pryce, Oldfield, Bosc, Elima, Lima, Taia, Anderson, Pelissier, Whitehead, Millard, Pala, Simon, Paea, Baitieri, Duport, Garcia, Guasch.
Catalan have struggled on their travels this year and this could play into London's hands but I will go for a narrow win for the Dragons so London 18 Catalan 22.
The second game of the afternoon sees Widnes take on Salford with the Vikings looking for revenge after a last-gasp defeat in last seasons epic Magic meeting between the sides with the Red Devils looking for a repeat victory that would boost their mixed season.
At the pre-season Magic launch many expected this meeting to be between a side challenging at the top and another close to the bottom but the fact that Salford are the latter rather the former does show how their dream has faltered so far while Widnes have silenced many doubters with seven wins from eleven and also a place in the last eight of the Challenge Cup.
Salford's dream of challenging the top sides with a pack of stars has seen them win only four times in 12 attempts and a continuance of their poor form could see them drop to 12th by the end of the weekend something Widnes will be keen to influence with a win.
Widnes welcome Kevin Brown and Rhys Hanbury into their squad as they look for a repeat of the 32-18 win from earlier in the season while Salford include Greg Eden who sat out the 16-16 draw in the previous round against his parent club.
Widnes: Allen, Brown, Clarke, Clough, Craven, Dean, Flynn, Gerrard, Hanbury, Isa, Johnson, Joseph, Kavanagh, Lawton, Leuluai, Marsh, Owens, Tickle, White.
Salford: Ashurst, Chase, Eden, Gleeson, Griffin, Hansen, Hock, Howarth, Lee, Meli, Morley, Mullaney, Platt, Puletua, Rapira, Sa'u, Tasi, Tomkins, Williams.
This game could go close but I see Widnes coming out on top so Widnes 28 Salford 20.
Third up is a game many remark as the true Super League derby as Hull KR face city rivals Hull FC with the Black and Whites looking to gain revenge for the last-gasp loss to Rovers at Easter.
The sides have met five times at Magic with Rovers winning three and FC winning two so the bragging rights are firmly held by the red side of Hull who will look to claim victory against their rivals for a second time this season after a fierce Easter derby saw them win 21-20 with a last minute drop goal from Craig Hall.
Both sides do have a huge dilemma for the game with the kick-off only 30 minutes before the FA Cup Final which features neighbours Hull so the conflict has forced fans to choose with a few players also missing out namely Wigan's Scott Taylor who is gutted that the game has fallen on the same day as Magic Weekend.
Despite the sporting conflict, the game is one not to be missed as the Hull derby is always unpredictable and is one of the most exciting games of the season to watch with the result always a close one as can be seen from the previous Magic meetings with only one result ending with a winning margin of 6+ points.
The sides couldnt be closer this season with both sitting on ten points in eighth and ninth with FC higher due to five wins from 12 and Rovers with four wins and two draws from 12 making the prospect of a win and some potential bragging rights vital for a Hull side that come off the back of a huge loss to a youthful Wigan pack on Friday while Rovers drew with Salford.
Hull KR bring in Jonathan Walker in place of Wayne Ulugia while Hull FC recall Jordan Rankin and Dean Hadley in place of Josh Bowden and Ben Crooks as the Black and Whites look to overturn the winning run that Rovers have over them.
Hull KR: Burns, Cockayne, Costigan, Cox, Gardner, Green, Hall, D. Hodgson, J. Hodgson, Horne, Keating, Langley, Larroyer, Lovegrove, Netherton, Salter, J. Walker, Welham, Weyman.
Hull FC: Carvell, Crookes, Colbon, Ellis, Hadley, Heremaia, Horne, Houghton, Miller, Paea, Paleaaesina, Rankin, Shaul, Talanoa, Thompson, Watts, Westerman, Whiting, Yeaman.
As with every Hull derby, I see this being close but will got for a Rovers win so Hull KR 25 Hull 24.
The final game of day one is the clash between Wigan and Leeds in a tie that sees the winners of the last seven grand finals face off with the Rhinos winning 28-12 when the sides met a fortnight ago.
Tomorrow's meeting will be only the second time the sides have met at Magic with Wigan victorious 20-16 last year after the new schedule ended the traditional Bradford/Leeds and Wigan/St Helens Magic derbies.
The meeting in round 11 saw a injury ravaged Wigan side torn apart by a strong Leeds outfit and as with their last game, Wigan will field a youthful side while Leeds will be near full strength but the Rhinos will be wary of the fact that Wigan do excel when the sides meet in big occasions with last years win ranking alongside play-off and Challenge Cup victories in recent years.
Wigan will be eager to avenge their mixed display at Headingley with the confidence of a comfortable win at Hull for their young side boosting the morale of a team that tomorrow could be an average age of 22 with academy product Ryan Sutton the youngest at 18 being half the age of Leeds 'veteran' Jamie Peacock who at 36 is still a player to be wary of in Super League.
Wigan recall Matt Bowen and Greg Burke with Jordan James, Gil Dudson and Tony Clubb out after injuries at Hull with Ben Austin coming in as cover while Leeds are unchanged in the 19 with Ryan Hall and Ian Kirke in contention for the 17 after missing out at Castleford but a huge miss for the Rhinos is Rob Burrow who will miss Magic for the first time since its inception as he recovers from a broken collarbone.
Warriors: Austin, Bateman, Bowen, Burgess, Burke, Crosby, Farrell, Gelling, Green, Goulding, Hughes, Manfredi, McIlorum, Powell, Sarginson, Smith, Sutton, Taylor, Williams.
Rhinos: Zak Hardaker, Jones-Bishop, Watkins, Moon, Hall, McGuire, Leuluai, Peacock, Ablett, Sinfield, Ward, Delaney, Bailey, Kirke, Clarkson, Achurch, Briscoe, Sutcliffe, Singleton.
Leeds will be favourites for this game but I think Wigan buoyed by a huge following in the stands will just edge a win so Wigan 24 Leeds 22.
Sunday's action begins with the Yorkshire derby between Wakefield and Castleford with the Tigers having a superb season in fourth place with their local rivals sitting 12th after a mixed start.
The sides have met four times at Magic sharing two wins each with Castleford easing to a 49-24 win in last years meeting as well as a 20-43 win at Easter in round nine to claim the bragging rights ahead of a game that could go either way given the form of both sides in recent meetings.
Wakefield come into the game with four wins from 12 but on the back of two stunning wins at Hull and Widnes so will be brimming with confidence against a Castleford side who have eight wins from 12 but have suffered defeats to Huddersfield and Leeds in their last two outings so will be eager to bounce back.
Richard Owen is likely to face his former side after switching from the Tigers in midweek while Dean Collis is recalled in place of Andy Raleigh and Chris Annakin while Castleford recall Lee Jewitt in place of Ashley Gibson.
Wakefield: Mathers, Collis, Sykes, Godinet, Anderson, McShane, Kirmond, Washbrook, Ryan, Moore, Sammut, Walshaw, Smith, Molloy, Siejka, Scruton, Riley, Fairbank,Owen.
Castleford: Tansey, Dixon, Shenton, Webster, Sneyd, Carney, Lynch, Milner, Huby, Millington, Hauraki, Clark, Holmes, Marian, Wheeldon, Ellis, Channing, Finn, Jewitt.
This game has all the marks of a classic derby and could go either way but I see Castleford continuing their hold over their rivals so Wakefield 18 Castleford 26.
The second game of the afternoon sees another Yorkshire derby as Huddersfield face Bradford with the Giants boasting a 66-18 win over their local rivals from earlier in the season.
The sides have have met only once at Magic with the sole meeting seeing Huddersfield triumph 42-6 at last years event and this year form suggests that a repeat result could be on the cards with Huddersfield having a decent start with six wins from 12 while Bradford despite their six point deduction have three wins from 12, the most notable a stunning win over Warrington in round 11.
A win for Bradford on Sunday would be a much needed boost for their flagging season which in recent weeks has been up and down with the win against Warrington sandwiched between heavy defeats to Wigan and St Helens while a win for Huddersfield would extend a run of four wins in a row which began after a humbling defeat at Hull in round eight.
Bradford welcome back Luke Gale with James Donaldson returning alongside young ooker Nathan Conroy with Manase Manuokafoa missing out while Huddersfield recall Brett Ferres after a five game suspension along with Scott Grix in place of Jermaine McGillvary and Jake Connor who were injured in the win at London.
Huddersfield: Grix, Cudjoe, Wardle, Murphy, Brough. Robinson, Crabtree, Lunt, Kopczak, Ferres, Chan, Bailey, Lawrence, Patrick, Faiumu, Ta'ai, Wood, Broughton, Mullally.
Bradford: Addy, Arundel, Conroy, Diskin, Donaldson, Foster, Gale, Gaskell, George, Henry, Kear, O'Brien, Olbison, Mellor, Pitts, Purtell, Sidlow, Walker, Wood.
Huddersfield to come out on top in this one but I see Bradford having a good go at the Giants so Huddersfield 30 Bradford 18 .
The weekend closes with the clash between fierce rivals Warrington and St Helens with the Saints boasting a 38-8 win over the Wolves from the opening weekend of the season.
The sides have met only once at Magic with Warrington winning 48-22 in last years meeting between the sides and they will be eager for a repeat as they look to avenge the defeat to their rivals on the opening weekend of the season.
Both sides come into the game on the back of wins over Catalan and Bradford respectively with the Saints humbling a Bradford side that defeated the Wolves in round 11 while Warrington were comfortable winners over a poor Catalan side.
After the round one game, many tipped Warrington to bounce back well but currently they sit eight points behind St Helens in seventh while the Saints sit second. Warrington's mixed form has seen six wins from 12 while St Helens after winning the first eight games have stuttered to ten wins in 12 overall.
St Helens are without Adam Swift with Jordan Turner recalled while Warrington look to be unchanged from the previous round against Catalan.
Warrington: Russell, Bridge, Atkins, J. Monaghan, Ratchford, Hill, Higham, Asotasi, Waterhouse, Westwood, M. Monaghan, Harrison, Currie, R. Evans, England, Dwyer, Laithwaite, B.Evans, Ormsby.
St Helens: Lomax, Makinson, Turner, Jones, Hohaia, Walsh, Masoe, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Wilkin, Flanagan, Wellens, Walmsley, Greenwood, Walker, Dawson, Richards, Thompson.
A tasty game that could be close but I see Saints coming out on top so Warrington 20 St Helens 32.
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