Warrington playmaker Blake Austin excited by Super League Magic Weekend

The 28-year-old Australian, who is an ever-present so far in his first season in Super League, is excited at the prospect of gaining his first taste of the Magic Weekend.

The Wolves' clash with the reigning champions on Saturday is one of six fixtures in the 13th staging of Super League's annual two-day on-the-road event, which is being held in Liverpool for the first time.

"I'm a bit jealous of the fans that I have to play to be honest because I'd love to be sat in the stands experiencing it for myself," said Austin, who tops the Steve Prescott Man of Steel votes after 15 rounds during an impressive start to his Warrington career.

"It's one of the things I was most excited about getting involved in. Obviously there are some big games coming up at the end of the year as well but Magic Weekend is a wonderful concept and testament to that is the NRL adopting the same idea.

"I think we've got a pretty special sport when we can bring all our fans together in one stadium.

"We've got a sport where the fans have a love for the game before they have a love for their own clubs.

"I know there's certainly some other sports where you wouldn't be able to do this because you'd have riots for days."

Playing at Anfield will be special for the former Penrith and Wests Tigers stand-off who adopted Liverpool as his football team when he signed for the Wolves, even though that move has caused ructions in the Austin household.

"I'm a one-year-old Liverpool fan but I've got an eight-year-old son who took on (Manchester) City so there's been plenty of banter around the house," he said.

"Obviously football is a foreign sport to me, being from Australia, but the moment I signed, I knew I'd have to take on a team and Liverpool was the team I chose so it adds a bit of spice to playing here.

"I've been able to get to four or five matches this year and I'm really in awe of their live product."

Another Liverpool fan getting to run out onto the pitch will be London Broncos full-back Alex Walker, whose only disappointment is that he will be in the away changing room for the game against Leeds on Sunday.

"I'm a southern Liverpool fan so it will be a fantastic occasion," said the Hertfordshire-born Walker.

"I grew up watching Steven Gerrard and Michael Owen and went a few times when I was younger but, playing most weekends, it's very hard to travel all the way up.

"We're in the away changing room but it will still be a fantastic occasion walking out there and playing in front of the Kop End.

"As soon as it was announced that we'd be playing at Anfield, I was just praying I would stay fit and get selected."