With the NRL approaching its climactic conclusion, grand final week is officially underway as fans ready themselves for the blockbuster at ANZ Stadium.
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First-release tickets for the grand final are still on sale through Ticketek, but will come offline at 2pm on Sunday afternoon. Members at the two clubs will then have first bite on Monday morning from 10am, with tickets being released to the general public from 10am on Tuesday.
An NRL spokesman confirmed there are tickets "in the thousands" for members.
Meanwhile, the grand final week festivities begin on Wednesday with the Dally M Awards, followed by the grand final lunch on Thursday. Johnathan Thurston won last year's Dally M, although this season Cowboys teammate Jason Taumalolo, Canberra's Josh Hodgson and Melbourne's Cooper Cronk are rated better prospects of winning the award.
The grand final fan day is also taking place on Thursday at the Sydney Opera House Forecourt from 1.30pm. Entertainment includes virtual kick, kids entertainment and activities, player signing and photo opportunities, live entertainment and a photo opportunity with a life-size NRL premiership trophy.
Both teams will make an appearance later in the day.
From then on it's all systems go until Sunday, when the sides will clash at ANZ Stadium.
Gates open at 1.15pm with the Holden Cup decider taking place at 1.35pm, followed by the NSW Cup at 3.40pm. Pre-game entertainment for the main game gets under way at 6.30pm with kick-off at 7.15pm.
