Magic fixtures are unveiled
FC FACE RHINOS AND KR PAIRED WITH CENTURIONS
SUPER League have confirmed the fixtures for the 2021 Magic Weekend, to take place at Newcastle’s St James’ Park on the weekend of September 4-5.
All 12 Super League teams will be in action across the weekend with all matches broadcast live on Sky Sports.
Kick-off times for the games are yet to be confirmed, but the schedule has been revealed, with Hull FC closing the opening day with a clash against Leeds Rhinos, as previously revealed by Hull Live.
Hull KR will bring the whole event to a close on the Sunday aginst newly-promoted Leigh Centurions.
Following government’s announcement regarding a roadmap out of lockdown and the hopeful return of fans inside stadiums, even with a reduced capacity, Super League are confident of hosting a large number of spectators at this year’s event having decided to move it to the end of the season for that specific reason. This will be the fifth time Magic Weekend has been held in Newcastle, after a four-year period between 2015 and 2018.
Super League chief commercial officer, Rhodri Jones said: “Dacia Magic Weekend is an important part of the Betfred Super League calendar and it is great to have the event back in our plans for the upcoming 2021 season.
“Following the Prime Minister’s latest update about the easing of lockdown restrictions, we are optimistic that we will be able to welcome fans into St James’ Park to enjoy the festival atmosphere that makes Dacia Magic Weekend so special.
“With the event falling later in the calendar this year, it could be all to play for in the closing stages of the season with teams chasing the League Leaders shield, play-off spots or looking to avoid relegation.
“I’d like to pay thanks to Dacia for their on-going support of this event as well as our event partners at Newcastle United, Newcastle City Council, Newcastle-gateshead Initiative and NE1, and once again to Sky Sports for continuing to bring fans their excellent coverage of this unique event.”
Magic Weekend fixtures 2021 Saturday, September 4 Castleford Tigers v Salford Red Devils
St Helens v Catalans Dragons
Leeds Rhinos v Hull FC Sunday, September 5 Huddersfield Giants v Wakefield Trinity
Wigan Warriors v
Warrington Wolves
Leigh Centurions v Hull KR
HULL CITY
Hull City’s uninspiring home form once again proved costly, losing 1-0 to Ipswich Town in what was yet another hammer blow to their hopes of automatic promotion. Their chances of a top two finish are starting to dwindle courtesy of a fourth home defeat in the last 10 KCOM Stadium outings – and second successive by the odd goal.
An insipid start from the home side was punished by James Norwood’s crisp finish 15 minutes in, and in truth, City never looked like getting back into a game they stuttered in throughout.
Despite scoring eight in their last two games on the road, their lack of cutting edge at home proved costly once more, with City yet again failing to find a shot on target throughout a dispiriting display.
There was some significant news when the teams were announced, with the news that both George Honeyman and Greg Docherty were passed fit to play, which looked unlikely at the end of Saturday’s draw with Doncaster.
Grant Mccann opted to make three changes elsewhere in his side bringing in Josh Emmanuel, Dan Crowley and Gavin Whyte at the expense of Lewie Coyle, Alfie Jones and Josh Magennis.
Based on the state of the opening 45 minutes, Mccann must have wished he could have started it all over again.
That was a feeling he would have surely replicated at full-time on a night when his side were second best from start to finish.
From the first minute, the Tigers were slow, lethargic and looked like a side demoralised from that 102nd minute concession at Doncaster.
The absence of Richie Smallwood and Jones was felt all the way through the opening period, with Docherty forced to operate in the deep-lying midfield role, which had a negative impact on the way City played going forward.
There was no sign of the quick, free-flowing, swashbuckling football we’ve seen at times on the road this season, instead, Mccann’s side at home again proved to be a bore.
Ipswich’s tenacity and desire to press City high up the pitch was causing all sorts of problems which in turn pinned back Callum Elder and Emmanuel.
Given the way City started the night, it was no surprise when Norwood latched onto a direct ball over the head of Jacob Greaves to lash into the net past Matt Ingram with barely a quarter-hour on the clock.
If City fans were hoping that was to be a wake-up call, they were, unfortunately, mistaken.
Mccann’s outfit remained slow, cumbersome and lacking any tempo.
Despite the flat nature of the performance, Crowley’s smart pull-back a yard out presented Keane Lewis-potter with a glorious chance to roll the ball home, but he dragged his shot wide from eight yards out.
Lewis-potter again came close after a cleverly worked corner routine, missing his header at the near post.
Despite those rare forays forward, Troy Parrott and Miles Kenlock passed up good chances to give Mccann a bigger headache at half-time than he ended up with.
Obviously unhappy with what he saw in the first half, Mccann sent his players back out early for the second half with a flea in their ear, and two changes to his side.
Whyte and Crowley were withdrawn, with Magennis and Alfie Jones on their place.
Those changes resulted in a tactical tweak from the City boss, Lewis-potter moved wide left, Mallik Wilks went to the right and Magennis through the middle.
The tactics early on were clear, to get Lewispotter one-on-one with the full-back.
Wilks drove into the side-netting, but in truth, there was little evidence of that a comeback was ever likely to come, and in