Club's plea after 'disappointing' draw snub

2 years ago 96

Newcastle CEO Philip Gardner says the NRL should see awarding the aboriginal hosting rights of Magic Round to the Knights aft the nine was named arsenic the unlucky broadside to miss retired connected the lawsuit adjacent year.

With Wayne Bennett's Dolphins entering the league successful 2023, 1 nine is forced to miss the NRL's biggest nine solemnisation to accommodate the Queensland-based enlargement side.

In 2023, that squad volition beryllium the Knights. However, the omission is acceptable to beryllium rotated each twelvemonth according to the NRL.

Gardner suggested that if determination was an accidental for different cities to bid for the hosting rights of Magic Round, the Hunter portion deserved consideration.

"We would emotion to," helium told the Sydney Morning Herald.

"A Magic Round oregon a State of Origin would beryllium great.

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"The economics of that makes it precise hard due to the fact that it's a bidding process. You would request the enactment of the NSW Government to bash that, but surely successful Newcastle, astatine McDonald Jones Stadium, it would beryllium a sellout each of the time.

"I don't cognize if that's economically feasible… but we would emotion to person it."

With the Knights signaling debased instrumentality engagement astatine this year's Magic Round, Gardner understood the reasons for Newcastle not making the chopped but inactive described the result arsenic disappointing for Knights supporters.

"It should beryllium shared astir successful years to come," helium said.

"Someone had to miss out, we get that. The fans are disappointed not to beryllium included.

"We recognize they would privation the Queensland clubs progressive due to the fact that they request to merchantability tickets, but it's inactive disappointing to person missed out. I don't deliberation you volition ever spot a Magic Round successful Brisbane without Brisbane and the Dolphins.

"We won't instrumentality a location crippled distant from McDonald Jones Stadium, truthful that puts america astatine the backmost of the pack. It's excessively important to our location fans, those games. Other clubs whitethorn beryllium successful a antithetic situation.

"It's disappointing for the fans due to the fact that the fans emotion a bully travel and getting up to Brisbane is simply a bully trip. We're disappointed, but we cognize the factors progressive successful it."

Next year's Magic Round is scheduled for May 5-7 astatine Suncorp Stadium successful Brisbane.

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