“If we’ve been averaging more than 35,000 fans at home games this year, I’d be confident we’d get double that number if we’re good enough to host a final,” he said. “There’s no reason we wouldn’t get 70,000 fans. We’ve got the most passionate fans, and they turn up.

“We’re always striving to be the biggest and the best, and we feel like the fan momentum has really started to crank up since midway through last year. It doesn’t look like slowing down. I know Cam [coach Ciraldo] and the players are always talking about the boost they get from the deafening noise from the stands.”

Warburton was even confident the Bulldogs would outnumber Wests Tigers fans at their own home game on Sunday at CommBank Stadium.

“We should have the Tigers fans covered this weekend,” Warburton said.

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Canterbury even took a cheeky shot at the Tigers’ “claws out” campaign by urging their own fans via their social media to “get their paws out”.

Long-serving Raiders boss Don Furner said the chance to potentially host two finals in the nation’s capital was priceless.

“Being a one-team town, it’s huge if you get the chance to host a final – it stops the town,” Furner said.

The Raiders had the chance to move four points clear on top if they defeated St George Illawarra on Saturday evening, and still have another bye.

Canterbury can leapfrog the Storm into second place with victory over the Tigers on Sunday, with the two clubs to meet in round 25, a Friday night blockbuster in the Victorian capital. The Dogs and Storm both have to play four-time premiers Penrith before the regular season wraps up.

For all their recent success, the Panthers have never drawn the biggest crowds, nor have the Sharks, the forgotten club still a live hope of pinching a top-four berth, especially with a favourable run home.

The Broncos are the other dream result for the NRL, with a fourth-placed finish to guarantee a Suncorp Stadium sellout in week two or three of the finals, while a fifth or sixth-placed finish would give Michael Maguire’s side the chance to host an elimination final in front of 50,000 fans.

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Michael Chammas and Andrew “Joey” Johns dissect the upcoming NRL round, plus the latest footy news, results and analysis. Sign up for the Sin Bin newsletter.