It's a shame Blake Austin doesn't have the keys to the Canberra double-decker bandwagon bus because the Raiders playmaker could have probably filled it when he stopped to pick up fans on his drive to the clash against Newcastle last weekend.
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The reality is the bandwagon bus will arrive at some point. The sad truth is that the Raiders and ACT Brumbies are scratching their heads wondering when that point will be.
The issue of crowds was a hot topic in the chilly capital again this week after both the Raiders and the Brumbies attracted less than 10,000 to their respective games last weekend.
The Raiders sit on the cusp of the NRL's top four and the Brumbies will play their last regular-season home game next week as they push for a Super Rugby finals berth.
The predictable excuses were rolled out for the 9830 and 9731 crowds at the Brumbies and Raiders respectively – too cold, too expensive and a stadium too old.
The fans who did go were treated to a nine-try Australian derby after an error-riddled first half between the Brumbies and Reds, while the Raiders turned half-time heartache into one of the most unbelievable golden-point finishes the NRL has seen.
The ACT government remains committed to its plan to build a new, roofed Civic stadium over the next decade in the hope of luring fans back to a venue where they are protected from the cold and wet.
Fairfax Media can reveal the ACT opposition remains undecided on whether it will scrap Civic stadium plans to instead inject money to a Canberra Stadium refurbishment and use the expected $300 million elsewhere.
So for the fair weather fans saying they'll turn up when the roof is put above their heads, that might be too late.
The Raiders are considering shifting a home game to Wellington as part of Canberra's sister-city relationship with the New Zealand capital.
The Brumbies have been approached in the past to see if they were interested in moving games interstate to cash in on stadiums willing to spend money for content.
The crowd figures in Canberra always seem to be a topic of conversation and it is becoming a broken record for the Brumbies and the Raiders.
The Raiders want their fans to invest in the Green Machine players.
For example, coach Ricky Stuart gathered Josh Hodgson, Jarrod Croker, Joey Leilua and Austin this week and invited all the kids from the Ricky Stuart House to the Canberra Zoo for an afternoon of fun.
The NRL Footy Show was there to capture their faces as Croker and Hodgson turned sausages and shared stories with carers of the children. It will air the segment in two weeks.
Then there was the story of Austin, one of rugby league's nice guys, pulling over on his way to Canberra Stadium last weekend to pick up a stranger dressed in Raiders kit to drive her to the ground.
You can bet there'll be a few more supporters at the bus stop on Monday waiting for Austin to see if he's got room for them in the back seat.
So maybe the Raiders and Brumbies should invest in that double-decker bandwagon and let Austin drive it around whenever there's a game on in the capital.
Declining crowds is an issue that faces every sporting code and every team in Australia. It's not new and it won't go away as television coverage changes the way sport is viewed.
The test will come if the Brumbies and the Raiders get a chance to host a finals match this year.
If only 9000 fans watched their games last weekend, is it fair to think that the 16,000 more needed to sell out Canberra Stadium are bandwagon supporters?
The Brumbies' two previous games against the Reds in 2015 and 2014 attracted almost 5000 more fans. Where did they disappear to in the past 12 months?
The Brumbies face different issues to the Raiders, namely the month-long Super Rugby hiatus that drains all momentum and energy from teams and their fans, as well as a year filled with off-field drama.
The Raiders are having their best season since 2012 and need results to do the talking to get supporters back into the stands.
There's no quick fix because even if the government settles on a design for a new venue, it's unlikely to be completed until at least 2025.
The ACT government has been forced to delay its stadium plan to foot the bill for the Mr Fluffy loose-fill asbestos clean-up, but it did allocate $400,000 to finding a new home for the Civic pool.
Relocating the pool, potentially to West Basin or ANU, is a vital piece of the puzzle to free up land in the city to start planning for a venue with a roof to protect Canberra's fans from the cold.
Almost exactly two years ago ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr said: "How bad does it have to get before people don't turn up? I don't think anyone is surprised that on our cold, rainy nights that crowds drop. A stadium in the CBD is the way to go."
All options are being looked at, but why would the government invest $300 million if only 10,000 people are going to attend a 25,000-seat venue in the city?
The concept of a roof and watching rugby union or rugby league protected from the elements does work. For proof you only need to see the 30 per cent increase in crowds the Otago Highlanders experienced when a new stadium was built in Dunedin.
The Adelaide Crows and Port Adelaide Power relocation to the Adelaide Oval saw a similar boost in crowd numbers in previous years.
Canberra Stadium has gone into minimalist mode for the uncertain period before its future is determined, with less than $500,000 per year allocated to keep it up to industry standard.
Everyone agrees it's not a perfect venue and changes need to be made. One option on the government's radar is to buy another big screen that can be used at either Canberra Stadium or Manuka Oval to improve spectator experience.
Former Brumbies chief executive Michael Jones invested the club's money in better facilities in renovating and rebuilding at Canberra Stadium this year to make it more modern.
All the little things add up, but surely the most important aspect for fans is to see winning teams. The Brumbies have won five of their seven games at home this year and are on the verge of another finals appearance.
The Raiders have already won more than double the number of home games they won last year, and are pushing for a finals return.
Playing the defending premier North Queensland Cowboys without their State of Origin stars and in the unpopular Monday night timeslot is a hard sell in the middle of winter.
But maybe Canberra fans need to grit their teeth, wear warm clothes and fill the stands.
There's no doubt the bandwagon bus will arrive over the coming weeks if finals footy arrives in Canberra, but to speed things up, maybe the Brumbies and Raiders can fund Austin's bus licence.
- Comment, email or tweet @canberratimes to tell us what it would take to get you to Canberra Stadium to watch the Brumbies or Raiders.
