Leeds Rhinos' Jack Sinfield wants more Magic Weekends, says top-6 still on after loss v Warrington Wolves

Magic is expected to remain in the calendar next year, despite the recent visit to Elland Road drawing its second-lowest aggregate attendance and the poorest one-day crowd in its history. A return to Newcastle, which has hosted seven times, is being considered, with a move abroad, potentially to Dublin, being another option.

Sinfield had been in Rhinos’ squad for previous Magic Weekends, but last Saturday’s 24-6 loss to Warrington Wolves was his first time on the field and he says it’s an event players want to keep.

“It was really enjoyable playing at a big ground, a new stadium and with fans from other clubs there,” Rhinos’ 19-year-old scrum-half said. “It was a really special occasion and I was glad to be a part of it.

“I’d like to see it continue, I think all the players are big fans of it. It’s playing at a new ground and a bit of a special occasion, it makes it different to a regular round in that sense.

“It is something to look forward to. There were some really good games, so I think it definitely needs to stay and it’s something we all enjoy as players.”

Elland Road was chosen as the host this year because Newcastle United’s St James’s Park was unavailable. Sinfield, a Manchester United fan, reflected: “It’s nice and close for us and I enjoyed it.

“I think anywhere it has been has been a good venue. It is nice to play somewhere new and at a ground with a lot of history, in front of a big crowd. Those are occasions you want to be part of.”

Sinfield was drafted into Rhinos’ 17 in place of stand-off Brodie Croft who was unavailable after flying home to Australia to attend his grandfather’s funeral. It was Sinfield’s first appearance since the loss at Warrington a month earlier and only his fourth this year.

With Rhinos reluctant to loan out their only back-up half and the reserves playing once every two weeks, Sinfield has had little game time this season. He said: “It is tough to get into the flow of it, with not playing rugby every week, but I really enjoyed getting an opportunity.

“I probably made a few too many errors from a personal point of view, but I thought as a team we gave ourselves a chance to go and win the game, but we came up on the wrong side of it at the end. I was just trying to do my bit for the team, it was a really tough game and Warrington are a top side, really hard to break down.”

Leeds have dropped to eighth in Betfred Super League, four points outside the play-off positions. They take on fifth-placed Catalans Dragons at AMT Headingley on Friday and Sinfield insisted: “We are confident we can still make the top-six.

“We are trying to pick up Brad’s [new coach Brad Arthur] way of playing, we are all behind him and I think there’s been some positive signs over the last few weeks. I am enjoying it and enjoying playing under Brad.”