SUPER League’s Magic weekend heading to Liverpool’s iconic Anfield stadium this weekend has created a buzz among the players ­— but sadly, that has not translated to a wide layer of supporters.

Saints are currently top of the leaderboard when it comes to shifting tickets - ahead of Warrington - and why wouldn't they be they way they are dazzling with the entertainment.

The club have had a big push via social media and players like Kyle Amor, Tommy Makinson, Jonny Lomax and James Roby have put themselves out there to talk it up.

Saints have already surpassed their own Magic record but ticket sales so far across the board have been disappointing for an event that is supposed to showcase the game on a big stage.

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There is still time - and hopefully this week of extra marketing, with players at the forefront, will encourage a few more to swell it past the 50,000 mark.

But at the moment the attendance won't do the players of all teams justice.

We know some of the reasons why people have turned their noses up at Anfield ­— and those arguments have been well rehearsed since the switch from the very popular Newcastle was first mooted.

Read: Holbrook excited by Magic>

Too close to the heartlands for a weekender, too far away from the centre to cash in on the city and not enough pubs nearby. Then you have the odd one whose footballing loyalties get in the way - or those whose legs are too long.

We had that all before when Magic retreated from Cardiff and faced similar problems at Manchester and Murrayfield.

And some of the dissenters will now be sitting back saying: "I told you so."

But once the venue was selected, those in charge of picking it needed to provide a significantly more robust defence and promotion of Anfield rather than simply expecting the history and prestige of the venue to sell itself.

Once it became clear that the game’s traditional supporters were not enamoured, a twin track approach should have been adopted.

And the first one of those should have been to answer some of the criticisms and spell out the logistics of getting there (yes, despite the half marathon).

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Talking of that, have organisers done anything to hitch Magic to the Liverpool Rock n roll Marathon? Anything to encourage those attending and competing in the races over the weekend to get on the bus up to Anfield?

Or do we just see thousands of sporty people in the city the same time as our event as an inconvenience (hotels accepted) rather than an opportunity?

And on that note, sporting clubs - whether community football and junior rugby union - across the north west in Liverpool, Southport, Wirral, Knowsley and Cheshire should have been offered ticket incentives for the event.

Some work and marketing was done with Liverpool FC ­— but more should have been done to tap into their huge support base.

Could we have not persuaded a few more Liverpool-obsessed fans, the sort who pay for stadium tours, to sign up? You see plenty of Reds tourists up there simply to look outside the stadium and take pictures of the gates and Shankly statue.

Likewise with union players from across the Mersey region and Wirral - at school and club level.

They are not huge in number, admittedly, but were they contacted? After all we give salary cap dispensation to union players coming to league, we could have done the same in terms of fans to help the sport’s profile and maybe even find a player of the future among them.

I have been into Liverpool twice this week and not seen a single advert promoting it.

But the biggest miss is from rugby league's core fans.

Not enough has been done centrally to create momentum in this event to counter the negatives.

Fans have to be excited about buying into something - and if they are not Super League have had months to correct it if only they had put their ears to the ground.

Instead we could be left with a massive own goal with still plenty of Saints, Wigan and Warrington fans - some living 20 minutes from the ground - not even bothering.

That is not a good look when we know rugby union would have packed Anfield out for a two-day Premiership jamboree.

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We talk a lot in our game on how badly misrepresented it is - and grumble about coverage.

But when we take events to big venues - at a time when we need to showcase Super League at its best as it sets out its stall ahead of TV negotiations - we have to build them as the consequences for the game won't just end with a few red faces at the weekend.