Magic Weekend 2016: How are Leeds so terrible, can Hull FC go all the way and more questions Adrian Durham wants to ask
Having been to Newcastle to watch Magic Weekend, there are five questions Adrian Durham wants to answer.
Hull FC have gone top, but can they go all the way this year?
Not a classic FC performance, more of a grind but that’s a positive. To still get a win [FC beat Hull KR 28-16] and not be at our best can only be a good thing. And it meant yet another derby win over that lot. Forwards are powerful, there’s magic in the halves, while Houghton and Shaul are local lads performing at a consistently high level. It would be so awesome to pick up some silverware this season, and this lot play like winners.
How are Leeds so terrible?
Yes senior players left, we know all about that. But to go from winning everything to being bottom? Young players aren’t ready, senior players are letting the side down. At Magic, Hardaker was sin-binned and Jamie Jones-Buchanan penalised for chatting back to the ref. Poor from them two. Brian McDermott is now mumbling through press conferences unable to explain the mess. It’s hard to believe just how bad Leeds were against Wigan on Saturday night.
Has Marwan Koukash backed down?
Off the record conversations I had with relevant people in Newcastle this weekend revealed minimal appetite for the clubs to do what the Doctor ordered and breakaway from the RFL to form a SuperDuperLeague. It would be hard to argue the RFL are perfect, but checkout the weekend we just had - it was magnificent. The least Koukash should do is give credit where it is due. Otherwise he loses all credibility, which would be a shame because beneath the trash talk and uberhype he’s got some good points.
Is Chris Chester emerging as one of the most promising young coaches in the game?
One of my mantras in life is that it’s not about the setbacks, it’s how you respond to them. And wow - has Chris Chester bounced back from his sacking at Hull KR or what? The late drop goal from Jacob Miller was a stunning climax to the game of the weekend, and with a nod to Castleford’s sensational performance, Wakefield’s win was the highlight for me. Take a bow, Chris Chester - a good guy who deserves all the credit.
Will Magic be back at Newcastle next year?
There was talk over the weekend that in 2017 it could be moving to the Olympic Stadium in London. I can see why a London venue would be good, but I’m not sure cost and distance will help it be as good as it has been in Newcastle. St James’ Park is right in the middle of the city centre and that’s partly what makes it such a wonderful weekend. But it’s a bidding process, and if London blow Newcastle out of the water, then Magic could well be heading down south next year. If it does, I hope the fans embrace it. Manchester’s Etihad also want it back, I’m told. Deep down a lot of us want it to stay in Newcastle.
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