Magic Weekend – Five things we learned: Magic Makinson, fantastic Hull & Yorkshire’s bleak Super League table

From the impressive Hull to Magic Makinson, here are five things we learned from Day Two of the 2023 Magic Weekend at St James’ Park in Newcastle.

Saturday saw wins for Salford, Catalans and Castleford, with the Dragons overtaking Warrington to sit at the top of the Super League table.

And Sunday saw Leigh, St Helens and Hull come out on top, with a total of 63,269 attending over the course of the weekend.

Winless Wakefield

It was a bad weekend for Trinity, who lost 30-4 to the impressive Leigh in the first game of Day Two of Magic Weekend.

They were also dealt a blow on Saturday when their rivals Castleford – one place above them in the Super League table – picked up a vital 26-24 win against Leeds, seeing the Tigers go six points clear of Trinity in the ladder.

If chances of staying up were slim before Magic Weekend, then surely their survival hopes are on the thinnest of thin ice now.

But credit where credit is due – big up the Big Bopper, David Fifita. He’s travelled to the other side of the world to try and help save the club he loves.

Super Leigh

Adrian Lam’s side are currently fourth in the Super League table and in the quarter-finals of the Challenge Cup.

If you’d have offered any Leigh fan the position they are in now before a ball was kicked at the start of the season, then I’m sure they would’ve ripped your hand off.

Every player in Lam’s squad is playing their part at the moment but the combination between Lachlan Lam and John Asiata is mouth-watering.

It has been a terrific start for the Leopards on and off the field. They are display serious play-off credentials with their silky displays on the field and are attracting bigger home crowds with their matchday experiences off the field.

It’s certainly a good time to be a Leigh fan.

Magic Makinson

Pardon the (terrible) pun, but it was a Magic display from St Helens winger Tommy Makinson as he racked up an individual points tally of 28 points in their 48-6 demolition of Huddersfield.

The England international scored four tries and kicked six goals as St Helens proved exactly why they have won the Super League Grand Final for the last four seasons with a clinical and professional display.

Yeah, St Helens haven’t made the best start to the season following their return from their World Club Challenge triumph. But they certainly shouldn’t be written off.

Saints have plenty of champion pedigree in their ranks and know more than most about what it takes to win in big games. They’ll be there or thereabouts come the end of the year.

Fantastic Hull

Hull have now claimed victories in four of their last five Super League games following their 30-18 triumph over Warrington to close the potentially last ever Magic Weekend.

Warrington were in control in the first 40 but only managed to secure a 12-6 lead at the break. But Tony Smith’s side have turned a serious corner in recent weeks.

Josh Griffin enjoyed a hat-trick in the victory, with plenty to like about Hull’s performance. 

Adam Swift, Danny Houghton and Tex Hoy also scoring in a worrying second half display for Daryl Powell’s Warrington.

One positive sight was seeing Connor Wrench make his long-awaited return from injury in the first team and enjoying two tries either side of half-time in the defeat. 

Yorkshire’s bleak Super League table

The bottom six spots on the Super League table are now occupied by Yorkshire teams following Magic Weekend.

Wakefield remain winless at the foot following their 14th straight Super League defeat, while Castleford extended the gap to six after beating Leeds on Saturday.

Hull move above Huddersfield following their win. Ian Watson’s side were embarrassed 48-6 in the middle game on Sunday.

Hull KR take seventh spot, and Leeds eighth, with Catalans remaining at the top of the table following their win over Wigan. 

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