The wives and girlfriends (aka WAGS) of the Raiders are a big part of the Green Machine success as the team heads into its do-or-die final against the Penrith Panthers on Saturday night.

But they are more about family and home life than stilettos, hair extensions and negotiating their way on to a reality TV show.

"A few clients are always asking me, 'Oh, are you a WAG?' And I'm like, I am definitely not a WAG," laughed Brittney Wicks, a 24-year-old beauty therapist and partner of Raiders captain Jarrod Croker.

"We're all pretty normal," said Chloe Ross, a 26-year-old studying health sciences and partner of hooker Kurt Baptiste.

"Most of us work, unless they have families as well. We're studying, we're working."

But even some of them didn't expect to see the Green Machine in line for a grand final berth.

Chloe thought she was safe to lock in her wedding to Baptiste a little over a week after the NRL grand final on October 2.

"We always plan everything around football but the last two years, the Raiders have obviously just missed out on being in the eight. So we made sure it was after whatever grand final weekend it was, but as they started winning, winning, winning, I was like,'Oh,'" she said.

"I'm scared, though - if they win the grand final, will they go missing?"

But first things first.

The Raiders have to win Saturday night's game to play the Melbourne Storm next weekend for a chance at playing in the grand final.

"We're so proud of the boys, how far they've come," Brittney said.

"Who would have thought they'd get this far? I know Jarrod's goal was just to get in the top eight."

The women said their partners were shell-shocked after last weekend's loss to the Cronulla Sharks.

"Deflated is probably the right word. They've been pretty sombre," Chloe said.

Mele Maea, partner of prop Junior Paulo, said "he couldn't talk".

"He just wanted a massage every second. I was like, 'All right, I do have kids!'" she said, with a laugh.

"But apart from that he was just, 'We have to pull up our socks. We've got another big game next week.'"

"Mine went out weeding the next day. Took it out on the weeds," Gemmah said, laughing.

But that was last week, this is now. The women said there was a lot of excitement around the club as they dared to contemplate what was possible.

Kirsten Stanton, 21, who is studying a double degree of IT and commerce at the University of Canberra, is the partner of second rower Joseph Tapine. She said the crowd was crucial to the players' mood, especially with the introduction of the Viking Clap.

"Joseph the next day was like, 'I literally had goosebumps running out while the clap was on,' and that was good to hear from him," she said.

And the WAGS are there to support their partner as they prepare for a big game - no matter how they do it.

"Jarrod will have an ice cream, something sweet," Brittney said. "Otherwise, he's just got to wear his lucky budgie smugglers."

"Kurt shaves his head the night before a game and he always has to have a roast beef wrap for lunch," Chloe said.

Kirsten said Joseph always had a sleep before a game.

Mele, 22, mum to Mario-Cade, two, and Rosalina, 11 months, said Junior had a particularly entertaining pre-match routine.

"He has his usual walk, swim, then has a nap and then gets up and starts pumping music and dancing in his undies," she laughed.

Gemmah, 31, who is studying accounting and mum to four-month-old Alesana, said Sia "always has to have his prayer before the game, that's the one thing he can't go without".

"I'll pray with him, either at home or over the phone," she said.

There's no doubt the women have faith in their men.

"They've got the ability and they believe in themselves," Brittney said.