It was just a kickabout with four-year-old son Henry, but it was enough to give Danny Brough a taste for more St James’ Park action.
The Huddersfield Giants skipper this week visited Newcastle United’s famous home to help promote rugby league’s ninth Magic Weekend, which will pit his side against Catalans Dragons on Sunday.
And he liked what he saw of the venue which beat the Ricoh Arena, now home to rugby union’s Wasps as well as Coventry City Football Club, to succeed Manchester City’s Etihad Stadium as the fourth to stage the two-day Super League extravaganza, Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium and Edinburgh’s Murrayfield being the others.
“I’ve been on the pitch, in the stands and behind the scenes, and it’s a great stadium. I’m really looking forward to playing there,” said the experienced half-back.
Organisers are hoping to beat the two-day record attendance of 64,553, set last year, when the Giants best Bradford Bulls for the second Magic Weekend in succession.
Around 20% of the 60,000-plus tickets sold so far have been snapped up by locals in a city usually engrossed by football.
“It’s a great place as well as a great stadium,” said Brough. “I know rugby league fans will enjoy themselves, and I hope Newcastle people do too.
“I know they love their football, and having seen the scale of the stadium and the number of people wearing black and white striped shirts around the city, I can sense what it meant for them to ensure Premier League survival last weekend.”
Huddersfield, currently fourth, two places and two points above Catalans, are looking at the top rather than foot of the table, and Brough, whose side have taken nine of the last 10 league points available, added: “It’s important we focus on the match and not the occasion.
“We beat Catalans (38-14) at our place last month, and we played well, but that’s gone now and this is a completely different match.”
Catalans saw off Wigan Warriors 58-16 in France last weekend to make it three wins running in all competitions and Brough pointed out: “They are seldom easy to play against and they are in good form at the moment,
“They have a big and strong pack but also some creative players in the halves and out wide, and they will give us a real challenge.”
