“Let’s get 50,000 green jerseys there next week.”
Canberra co-captain Jarrod Croker has put the call out for the Green Machine army to invade Sydney next Sunday for the NRL grand final.
A record Raiders crowd performed the club’s famous viking clap before and after their preliminary final victory against South Sydney on Friday night.
It is understood the NRL will allow them to again perform their pre-game ritual at ANZ Stadium on Sunday, in similar scenes to when Souths rang their historic bell before the 2014 decider.
The Rabbitohs ended their 43-year premiership drought that season, while Canberra are into their first grand final since coach Ricky Stuart led them to the title as a player in 1994.
Croker said it was the crowd which got them home against Souths in a pulsating 16-10 win at a sold-out GIO Stadium and he wants another sea of green in the stands this week.
“It still hasn’t sunk in that we’re in a grand final but I’m just happy for the fans. It’s been a long time for them as well. Let’s get 50,000 green jerseys there next week and get that viking clap going again,” Croker told AAP.
“I think we had eight dropouts (against Souths) and every time we were behind the tryline the crowd just went off their heads again and it honestly gave us a lift.
“Then a couple of calls went against us and it just fired them up even more. They got us home for sure.”
Croker debuted in 2009 and in his fourth September campaign, has cracked the grand final for the first time.
The 29-year-old on track to finish as the NRL’s greatest point-scorer but yet to play representative football says he’s ready to embrace the biggest week of his career.
“You’ve got to enjoy it but it’s about switching on and off this week. Train hard but when you’re away from it you’ve got to stay calm because you know Canberra has been off its head this week,” Croker said.
“The biggest game of my career was this week (against Souths) and now it just gets bigger. You’ve got to enjoy it and we will because it doesn’t come around very often.
“Some of these blokes have played 20 games and they’re in a grand final but none of us will be taking it for granted.”