Canberra's semi-final against the Cronulla Sharks is set to be played in front of a full house at home with more than 21,000 tickets sold by close of business yesterday.
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Ticket sales continued online overnight, meaning the game could be sold out by this morning.
The sales surge from 10am yesterday confirmed Canberra has jumped on the Raiders bandwagon.
The Raiders had the lowest home crowds in the NRL this season, but finals fever has hit the national capital and Sunday's qualifying semi-final match against the Cronulla Sharks is set to rival the 2010 home semi against the Wests Tigers, when a record 26,476 fans crammed into Canberra Stadium.
As support swells in the national capital for the Green Machine, in the Emerald City last night there was more reason to cheer the Raiders. Goalkicker Jarrod Croker was at the Sydney Town Hall ceremony to be awarded the Dally M medal for the NRL's highest point-scorer for 2012.
Eager Raiders fans will be backing Croker's form to continue on Sunday with the match the fastest selling game in the first week of the finals, eclipsing early sales for the Sydney blockbuster between the Sea Eagles and Bulldogs.
''The crowd for the Manly versus Bulldogs game at ANZ Stadium will be the biggest crowd of the weekend by a long way, but people in Canberra are getting in fast because they don't want to miss out and it's a smaller stadium. The members have been going bananas,'' NRL spokesman David Taylor said yesterday.
It is a massive boost for the Raiders, who averaged home crowds of only 10,190 this season. The Raiders yesterday even launched a special finals membership for the one game.
The $50 membership entitles supporters to a ticket in the inner bowl and a 2012 membership kit. The memberships can only be purchased in person at Raiders headquarters in Bruce.
