Magic WKND: Geordie Sure

Hull KR front rower Sam Luckley tells NIGEL WISKAR about the magic of Newcastle in this year’s Magic WKND programme.

Luckley has played in a Betfred Grand Final, Challenge Cup Final and on home soil in the World Cup.

But there’s one sporting memory that eclipses the lot for the Hull KR prop - Newcastle United’s Carabao Cup win.

The Black & Whites beat Liverpool 2-1 at Wembley in March for their first domestic trophy in seven decades. The tears were flowing.

We think Sam Luckley enjoyed his day yesterday ?#UpTheRobins??? pic.twitter.com/KafSPotM5L

— Hull KR (@hullkrofficial) March 17, 2025

“It was probably the best day of my life,” Luckley says. “I’ve never seen so many grown men cry in one spot.

“My dad took me to see them play when I was a bairn and my dad’s dad took him.

“Seventy years of hurt so the party afterwards was outstanding, dancing in the street, it was just amazing.”

Luckley went to the game with his dad Martin and uncle Michael. Mum Vanessa is another huge United fan who missed out on the day.

He says: “My uncle lives in London and my dad’s in the Navy based down there so it worked out perfect - boys’ day out!

“There were Geordies all over the streets. It was class.

“Where we were sitting, you can stay 90 minutes after the game so we watched the celebrations, lifting the cup.

“We ordered a bottle of champagne and thought ‘we are going to milk this for everything we can.

“I think we were the last ones in the stadium. Then outside there were lads giving out tinnies, everyone was on a high.”

When Luckley says ‘lads’ it comes out as ‘laaaads’ and his lovely, lilting accent is littered with the likes of ‘gan’ (going), ‘mam’ (that’s Vanessa). And ‘bairn’ of course means child.

It’s refreshing to hear that warmest of accents as Magic Weekend returns to his beloved home city.

He’s no stranger to Wembley, though, as Rovers were pipped 23-22 there by Leigh Leopards in the 2023 Betfred Challenge Cup Final.

Heartbreak that day but another memorable family moment for him.

He says: “Well I walked out there a couple of years ago and it was a bit more special because my dad got to carry the trophy out.

“Members of the military were there and I think someone pulled a few strings because obviously I was playing as well.

“They marched the trophy out and I saw my dad before the game and gave him a kiss and a cuddle.

“It was quite emotional. I was more chuffed for my dad than myself. It was an amazing shared experience for the family.”

Family is a prominent word for Luckley, 29, and it’s at the core of how he became a rugby league player.

His first club was Wallsend Eagles - which was also the breeding ground for the Thorman brothers Chris, Paul and Neil - but it took a varied route to get there.

“I did every sport under the sun,” Luckley says. “Me mam dragged us to every sports club she could."

Growing up in North Shields you can get into a lot of bother so it was me mam’s way of getting us off the streets and keeping us on the straight and narrow.

"I didn’t have a specialty sport until I was about 15 and picked rugby league.

"I did boxing, MMA, football and dad got us into golf and I still play. I did tennis and played rugby union for a couple of years.

“That’s where my love for rugby league came from because I’d never really heard of it.

“Growing up football was the main one but I got bigger and slower as the years went on - started as a striker and went further and further back.

“I was in high school and there was a science technician who loved rugby league and said there was an open trial.

“I think I played half-back. I was playing rugby union so I could spin a pass and I was sending 30-metre spin passes.

“But I loved running into people and bumping them off and really loved the physicality and that's when I binned off rugby union.”

I guess if you asked any Super League observer what one of Luckley’s strengths is, “bumping them off” would figure high on the checklist.

But it’s as a try scorer in this weekend’s stadium that he’s perhaps best remembered.

Cast your mind back to 2022 and a large, bearded Salford forward latching on to a pass from Brodie Croft against Huddersfield.

He’s almost begging for the pass as his eyes light up, legs go into fast forward and over he goes.

Breaking free from celebrating teammates, he skips away and gives the totemic salute of Toon hero Alan Shearer.

“Tell you what, Brodie Croft will never have to buy me a beer again,” Luckley laughs.

“It was just one of them, a blur. I took a carry a play or two before and I was just sitting up the middle and Brodie’s got that right foot step. Unbelievable.

“I get away from one of them and I’ll hate myself forever if I do not get over this line.

“And then I think I’m getting chased by Senior on the left and I thought ‘keep going, keep going’.

“It was like muscle memory. My body just took over and said ‘do the celebration’.

“(Jack) Ormondroyd and (Andy) Ackers were trying to celebrate but I was trying to get them off me so I could do the Shearer celebration.”

It was all too much for one of his pals.

“I don’t think the camera got it but one of my mates wasn’t too far in front of us in the stand and he tried to jump down right to the barrier.

“But he falls down the stairs in front of the Gallowgate End.

“Other than the Carabao Cup final it was the second best day of my life!”

This year KR play his former club Salford in the second Saturday game and with the Red Devils struggling financially and having to sell players, it leaves a bittersweet feeling.

He says: “It’s a real shame. I love the fans and I still have loads of pals there.

“It’s not just players, but staff too. To see what they are going through is heartbreaking.”

Salford were his first Super League club, after starting at Newcastle Thunder, when Covid brought to an end a dream to play the game over 3,000 miles away.

His agent lined up a contract with fledgling outfit Ottawa Aces, an offshoot of Hemel Hempstead who later became Cornwall (bear with me geography students).

He says: “When I was at Thunder and Toronto first started, luckily we got to play them over there.

“We stayed four days and at the time it was the best four days I’ve ever had.

“It was amazing, like we were NBA stars, so as soon as the opportunity came I wanted to take it.

“After the four days I had over there I’d sign away my life to go back.”

There was, however, one slight language barrier for a Geordie moving to a bi-lingual city.

“It’s French Canadian there and I had to do a sign-on video in French,” he says.

“It was shocking. Laurent Frayssinous was trying to coach me and I think he just gave up!

"I was like…BONJOUR! But Salford snapped me up and it worked out after that.”

Luckley will be back home this weekend, back at his favourite stadium and back among family once again.

Home away from home for Wor Sam ??

Onto Magic this Saturday ???#UpTheRobins ??? pic.twitter.com/GnaAxw6ij9

— Hull KR (@hullkrofficial) April 28, 2025

“I love Magic here,” he says.

“I'm going to stay for the weekend anyway. It’s a bit selfish but I get to be a fan.

“I’ll get changed and sit with my family in the Milburn End and have a few beers.

“Me mam brings in a bag-for-life full of pies and Scotch eggs.

“I remember when I scored that try I’d had a couple of bottles of brown ale and Jon Wilkin asked me to come on the telly and talk us through your try.

“I told him I was half-cut with crisps in my beard. If I swear I’m so sorry.”

His mum recently got a shock too when her boy made a surprise appearance on the big screen.

Premier League darts came to Newcastle’s Utilita Arena in March with Warrington fan Luke Littler beating Luke Humphries in the final.

The event was preceded with a video of local icons doing famous things.

There was Kevin Keegan wearing headphones during his infamous meme-friendly “I will love it if we beat them” outburst over Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United. And there was Luckley…

He explains: “There was Kevin Keegan, Sam Fender, also from North Shields, and my try came on.

“I think me mam filmed it. That is mental.

“The local boy and all that. The whole family were watching the darts and I appear!”

When his beloved Newcastle take to the pitch at the ground where Magic returns for the eighth time, they are greeted by a rousing song.

The tune is by Dire Straits frontman Mark Knopfler, raised in the suburb of Blyth, and from the soundtrack of the 1983 film Local Hero.

The song is called Going Home and this year Sam Luckley is coming home once again. A true local hero.

Sam Luckley's Guide to Newcastle:

THE PUB

“I love the Nautilus in North Shields - my aunty Christine works there. Sam Fender has sung about it.” 
(The pub is referenced on Leave Fast on Fender’s debut album Hypersonic Missiles).

THE WALK

“Get yourself down to Tynemouth and have a stroll. My sister’s got a young child now and we all go for a nice walk along the coast. My nana doesn’t live too far from there too so I go and see her and get some scran. She has a flat looking over the Tyne there, it’s a lovely spot.”

THE HERO

“My favourite ever is Paul Gascoigne but that was before my time. Off the field he was such a character and on the field he was such a wizard. But Alan Shearer was my generation so it’s really hard to pick between both of them. And then there’s Peter Beardsley - he’s a Saints fan you know!”

THE MUSIC

“Sam Fender is a North Shields lad like myself and lived round the corner from me. I’m gan to see him when he plays at St James’ in June. My mate Joe does keyboards and writes some of the music. I used to play rugby union with Joe when we were young.”
 (Joe Atkinson met Fender at Whitley Bay High School where the Brit Award-winning star was studying English and Theatre).

THE DRINK

“Newcastle Brown Ale. Nectar of the Gods. Though I do like a £3 Guinness in the working men’s club.”

Sam Luckley's Super League Story, in association with Glen's Vodka is COMING SOON - make sure you keep an eye out on our Super League channels!

Will you be there to watch Sam Luckley and Hull KR in action against Salford Red Devils?

Betfred Super League's Magic WKND returns to St. James' Park in Newcastle on Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 May!

With a blockbuster Betfred Super League line-up and plenty happening in and around the stadium, will you be taking full advantage of the Bank Holiday brilliance and a weekend of Rugby League’s epic extravaganza in the Toon?

Be a part of it and purchase your tickets online now!

Information regarding kick-off times can be found here, with ALL six games across the weekend broadcasted LIVE on Sky Sports.

The official Magic Weekend programme is available online for £5 now or a physical copy can be purchased at St. James' Park on either day.