May 5, 2025 • 8 mins
It's been a big week for the NRL, as fans flocked to Brisbane's Suncorp Stadium to catch the action.
Fox League presenter Jake Duke joined Piney to recap the highs and lows from the weekend.
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Speaker 1 (00:06):
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
So brilliant scenes over the weekend at sun Corps Stadium
for the NRL's Magic Round sixteen of the seventeen teams
gathering in Brisbane for the annual Rugby League Extravaganza eight
NRL games across three days in front of jam pack stands.
It all kicked off actually on Thursday night with the
opening game of the Women's State of Origin Rugby League Series.
(00:34):
Magic Round has been held since twenty nineteen, with the
exception of twenty twenty when it wasn't held because of COVID,
each time at sun Corpse Stadium, which has the contract
for at least the next two years. The Warriors had
it win over the weekend too, which made it even better.
Let's bring in Fox NRL commentator and presenter Jake Duke.
(00:55):
Jake Ahead to look your Instagram. Your latest Instagram post
says in capital letters, Magic Round never misses. The photos
look good too, mate. What do you think Magic Round
works so well?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Oh God?
Speaker 4 (01:10):
That collection of Instagram pictures is very much a good
summation of what Magic Round is. The highs and the
lows both on the field and off the field. It's
a big weekend. I think it works so well for
a number of reasons. First of all, I think Brisbane
is the perfect place for it.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
It's just so central.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Brisbane has a really fantastic nightlife, so it offers so
much for people to make a weekend out of it.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
A lot of people go for.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Bucks parties and it's just a great weekend away. Casing
Street right there, close to the city, close to Fortitude
Valley at Suncorp Stadium obviously an amazing ground to watch
football at.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I think all the teams really embrace it.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
The NRL does a fantastic job, and yeah, it's just
this perfect combination of everything in the right place that
kind of creates this fantastic atmosphere. And I think rugby
league fans just love a good time and getting together
and having a.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Beer in the sun as well. So it is. It
is magic. It doesn't really miss ever.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Do most fans come for the whole weekend or are
there fans who dip it on out for a day
or to most people, especially from out of state, come
for the whole shebang.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I think people mix and match.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
I know people that come for a night and then
they might go to the races in Brisbane the next
day or something. And then you have people that do
all three days. And I will say all three days
is a long slog. If you're there until eight nine
o'clock last night, like I was, you're really fading out. Luckily,
(02:41):
I'm just sitting here watching the reflay of the Raiders
Storm game, which was the last game, and it was
a fantastic game that really kept everyone in the atmosphere
kind of rolling right through.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
To the end.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I think there's previous years where people maybe have been
fading out once it gets plus six pm, But that
was such a great game last night that there was
no spare seats.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Everyone stayed around for it and really ended the Sunday
really strongly.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
But I think for the most part, people come and
do the three days, but they they're probably selective sometimes
with how early they get in and you know, they
go up to Cason Street for a bit or you know,
it is a long time to sit there for all
three days.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
You've got to kind of pick your battles.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
I think, how are the logistics handled with so many
teams in town and so many games packed into such
a short space of time.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
I think.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Sorry, it runs so smoothly now, Like credit to the NRL,
they take over the whole thing that's not left up
to the individual clubs. So teams just kind of move
in and out of the dressing rooms. That there's four
dressing rooms at SUNCRP Stadium, so you can kind of
have one team in one that's playing and then move
in you know, two more behind them. And they do
(03:53):
a great job just logistically, there's people everywhere, there's staff everywhere,
and it runs so smoothly. Like I went to the
first one in twenty nineteen and to be fair, from
the very start it was a concept that was run
really well. And that's I guess why it's been such
a success. That the clubs love coming, you know, they
all kind of dip in and out, unlike the fans.
(04:15):
You know, the clubs come for their game and then
kind of get out of the way. And as Brisbane's
a kind of perfect city, everything's central, easy to get around,
and there's lots of hotels that kind of everyone can
fit in and come from out of town or in town.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
So it is a big road show, but it works
really well.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, it's been a brisban as you've seen every time,
and Brisbane awarded three more years of hosting in twenty
twenty four. So that's this year and the next two
pumps millions of dollars I'm sure into the Queensland economy.
So there must be other suitors. Jake, do you think
there's ever a chance to magic round what happens somewhere else?
Speaker 3 (04:52):
There's always talk about it.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
I think the Queensland government is pretty cool key to
keep it.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
And I think a lot of people in rugby league, you.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Know, sometimes think don't shoot the golden goose, you know,
just because something works really well and maybe you can
try and get a little bit more money somewhere else.
But do you sacrifice the experience and the just the
great product you've created. Because as I was saying before,
I think Brisbane's the perfect city for it.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Lots of people come from inter state. Everything's close.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
If it was somehow you know, Sydney, it's a bit different.
Sydney's a lot bigger, a lot more spread out. If
it was out of alliance, you know, that alienates the West.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
A little bit. If it's out in the West, it
alienates people from from.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
The coast in Sydney, so and then you've got to
account for the fact that you need enough accommodation, you
need enough places for people to stay.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
That rules out more regional places like Townsville. So you've
kind of got a I think Brisbane is just the perfect.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Place for it. It works so well and everything's so central.
But who knows, you know, money money, money rules at
the end of the day. But I think the Queensland
government also Queensland, You're going to remember. It is also
just such a massive rugby league town. There's so much
history around sun Cork Stadium in that area.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
It really is the perfect place.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I've seen lots of photos and footage Jake. It's just,
you know, rugby league repped like a jersey's as far
as the eye can see. It's almost like it's a
you know, it's compulsory to wear team colors. Did you
see many Warriors shirts around over the weekend?
Speaker 4 (06:28):
Oh, there was so many Warriors fans. I was talking
to someone earlier. I think the two highlights of the
whole weekend was the ending to this game I'm watching
right now, the Raiders and the Storm, but the Warriors
Cowboys game and just the Warriors fans.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
And how loud they were.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
They were the most supported team of the weekend for sure,
because in that part of the world there's so many
expat kiwi's and whenever the Warriors playing Queensland, they just
come in force. And it was a cracking game and
the team held on against all odds. And after the
game we interviewed Shawn Johnson and on the field and
right in front of all the Warriors fans and they
(07:05):
went nuts for him and it was the loudest of
stadium was all weekend.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
So yeah, plenty of Warriors jersey getting round. I also
I think the.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Old school Warriors jerseys, the white ones, they're pretty cool.
They're pretty pretty great, those vintage Warriors jerseys. I wanted
to get one on a hand on one myself, so
I saw plenty of them over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Well, it sounds like you've seen plenty over the weekend,
if your Instagram's anything to go by, and the slight
croakiness and your voice, you've done well to get show made.
If I'm honest, Thanks for spending some time with us. Look,
I know it's a bucket list event for many rugby
league fans, on this side of the Tessman. So I
think you'll be seeing a few more Warriors jerseys in
the years ahead.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Yeah. Absolutely, fantastic week.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
And I've just only gotten home actually, and i think
I'm going to get into bed and stay there for
another eighteen hours or so.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Thanks for taking that call, Jake.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Great to chat, no problem, good at talk.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
No good to talk to you too, mate, Jake. Juke
there out of Fox Sports and their NRL coverage.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it Be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
You're listening to the Sports Talk podcast with Dancy Wildergrave
from News Talk ZEDB.
Speaker 2 (00:12):
So brilliant scenes over the weekend at sun Corps Stadium
for the NRL's Magic Round sixteen of the seventeen teams
gathering in Brisbane for the annual Rugby League Extravaganza eight
NRL games across three days in front of jam pack stands.
It all kicked off actually on Thursday night with the
opening game of the Women's State of Origin Rugby League Series.
(00:34):
Magic Round has been held since twenty nineteen, with the
exception of twenty twenty when it wasn't held because of COVID,
each time at sun Corpse Stadium, which has the contract
for at least the next two years. The Warriors had
it win over the weekend too, which made it even better.
Let's bring in Fox NRL commentator and presenter Jake Duke.
(00:55):
Jake Ahead to look your Instagram. Your latest Instagram post
says in capital letters, Magic Round never misses. The photos
look good too, mate. What do you think Magic Round
works so well?
Speaker 3 (01:07):
Oh God?
Speaker 4 (01:10):
That collection of Instagram pictures is very much a good
summation of what Magic Round is. The highs and the
lows both on the field and off the field. It's
a big weekend. I think it works so well for
a number of reasons. First of all, I think Brisbane
is the perfect place for it.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
It's just so central.
Speaker 4 (01:29):
Brisbane has a really fantastic nightlife, so it offers so
much for people to make a weekend out of it.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
A lot of people go for.
Speaker 4 (01:35):
Bucks parties and it's just a great weekend away. Casing
Street right there, close to the city, close to Fortitude
Valley at Suncorp Stadium obviously an amazing ground to watch
football at.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
I think all the teams really embrace it.
Speaker 4 (01:49):
The NRL does a fantastic job, and yeah, it's just
this perfect combination of everything in the right place that
kind of creates this fantastic atmosphere. And I think rugby
league fans just love a good time and getting together
and having a.
Speaker 3 (02:03):
Beer in the sun as well. So it is. It
is magic. It doesn't really miss ever.
Speaker 2 (02:09):
Do most fans come for the whole weekend or are
there fans who dip it on out for a day
or to most people, especially from out of state, come
for the whole shebang.
Speaker 3 (02:17):
I think people mix and match.
Speaker 4 (02:20):
I know people that come for a night and then
they might go to the races in Brisbane the next
day or something. And then you have people that do
all three days. And I will say all three days
is a long slog. If you're there until eight nine
o'clock last night, like I was, you're really fading out. Luckily,
(02:41):
I'm just sitting here watching the reflay of the Raiders
Storm game, which was the last game, and it was
a fantastic game that really kept everyone in the atmosphere
kind of rolling right through.
Speaker 3 (02:51):
To the end.
Speaker 4 (02:52):
I think there's previous years where people maybe have been
fading out once it gets plus six pm, But that
was such a great game last night that there was
no spare seats.
Speaker 3 (03:00):
Everyone stayed around for it and really ended the Sunday
really strongly.
Speaker 4 (03:03):
But I think for the most part, people come and
do the three days, but they they're probably selective sometimes
with how early they get in and you know, they
go up to Cason Street for a bit or you know,
it is a long time to sit there for all
three days.
Speaker 3 (03:18):
You've got to kind of pick your battles.
Speaker 2 (03:19):
I think, how are the logistics handled with so many
teams in town and so many games packed into such
a short space of time.
Speaker 3 (03:29):
I think.
Speaker 4 (03:30):
Sorry, it runs so smoothly now, Like credit to the NRL,
they take over the whole thing that's not left up
to the individual clubs. So teams just kind of move
in and out of the dressing rooms. That there's four
dressing rooms at SUNCRP Stadium, so you can kind of
have one team in one that's playing and then move
in you know, two more behind them. And they do
(03:53):
a great job just logistically, there's people everywhere, there's staff everywhere,
and it runs so smoothly. Like I went to the
first one in twenty nineteen and to be fair, from
the very start it was a concept that was run
really well. And that's I guess why it's been such
a success. That the clubs love coming, you know, they
all kind of dip in and out, unlike the fans.
(04:15):
You know, the clubs come for their game and then
kind of get out of the way. And as Brisbane's
a kind of perfect city, everything's central, easy to get around,
and there's lots of hotels that kind of everyone can
fit in and come from out of town or in town.
Speaker 3 (04:29):
So it is a big road show, but it works
really well.
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Yeah, it's been a brisban as you've seen every time,
and Brisbane awarded three more years of hosting in twenty
twenty four. So that's this year and the next two
pumps millions of dollars I'm sure into the Queensland economy.
So there must be other suitors. Jake, do you think
there's ever a chance to magic round what happens somewhere else?
Speaker 3 (04:52):
There's always talk about it.
Speaker 4 (04:54):
I think the Queensland government is pretty cool key to
keep it.
Speaker 3 (04:58):
And I think a lot of people in rugby league, you.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
Know, sometimes think don't shoot the golden goose, you know,
just because something works really well and maybe you can
try and get a little bit more money somewhere else.
But do you sacrifice the experience and the just the
great product you've created. Because as I was saying before,
I think Brisbane's the perfect city for it.
Speaker 3 (05:21):
Lots of people come from inter state. Everything's close.
Speaker 4 (05:25):
If it was somehow you know, Sydney, it's a bit different.
Sydney's a lot bigger, a lot more spread out. If
it was out of alliance, you know, that alienates the West.
Speaker 3 (05:34):
A little bit. If it's out in the West, it
alienates people from from.
Speaker 4 (05:38):
The coast in Sydney, so and then you've got to
account for the fact that you need enough accommodation, you
need enough places for people to stay.
Speaker 3 (05:45):
That rules out more regional places like Townsville. So you've
kind of got a I think Brisbane is just the perfect.
Speaker 4 (05:52):
Place for it. It works so well and everything's so central.
But who knows, you know, money money, money rules at
the end of the day. But I think the Queensland
government also Queensland, You're going to remember. It is also
just such a massive rugby league town. There's so much
history around sun Cork Stadium in that area.
Speaker 3 (06:10):
It really is the perfect place.
Speaker 2 (06:13):
I've seen lots of photos and footage Jake. It's just,
you know, rugby league repped like a jersey's as far
as the eye can see. It's almost like it's a
you know, it's compulsory to wear team colors. Did you
see many Warriors shirts around over the weekend?
Speaker 4 (06:28):
Oh, there was so many Warriors fans. I was talking
to someone earlier. I think the two highlights of the
whole weekend was the ending to this game I'm watching
right now, the Raiders and the Storm, but the Warriors
Cowboys game and just the Warriors fans.
Speaker 3 (06:42):
And how loud they were.
Speaker 4 (06:44):
They were the most supported team of the weekend for sure,
because in that part of the world there's so many
expat kiwi's and whenever the Warriors playing Queensland, they just
come in force. And it was a cracking game and
the team held on against all odds. And after the
game we interviewed Shawn Johnson and on the field and
right in front of all the Warriors fans and they
(07:05):
went nuts for him and it was the loudest of
stadium was all weekend.
Speaker 3 (07:09):
So yeah, plenty of Warriors jersey getting round. I also
I think the.
Speaker 4 (07:11):
Old school Warriors jerseys, the white ones, they're pretty cool.
They're pretty pretty great, those vintage Warriors jerseys. I wanted
to get one on a hand on one myself, so
I saw plenty of them over the weekend.
Speaker 2 (07:26):
Well, it sounds like you've seen plenty over the weekend,
if your Instagram's anything to go by, and the slight
croakiness and your voice, you've done well to get show made.
If I'm honest, Thanks for spending some time with us. Look,
I know it's a bucket list event for many rugby
league fans, on this side of the Tessman. So I
think you'll be seeing a few more Warriors jerseys in
the years ahead.
Speaker 3 (07:46):
Yeah. Absolutely, fantastic week.
Speaker 4 (07:48):
And I've just only gotten home actually, and i think
I'm going to get into bed and stay there for
another eighteen hours or so.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
Thanks for taking that call, Jake.
Speaker 3 (07:56):
Great to chat, no problem, good at talk.
Speaker 2 (07:59):
No good to talk to you too, mate, Jake. Juke
there out of Fox Sports and their NRL coverage.
Speaker 1 (08:04):
For more from Sports Talk, listen live to News Talks
it Be from seven pm weekdays, or follow the podcast
on iHeartRadio.
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