Todd Greenberg says the resilience of Canberra Raiders fans is "like none other" and their reward could be the right to watch grand final qualifiers in their own backyard.
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Canberra will hunt for the club's first home preliminary final in history when they meet the Melbourne Storm in week one of the NRL finals on Saturday.
The Raiders are eligible to host preliminary finals on their home turf until the end of the 2022 as the NRL waits for the Sydney Football Stadium and Sydney Olympic Park to be redeveloped.
Previous rules stated Ricky Stuart's outfit would have had to host grand final playoffs in Sydney but renovations have seen the NRL allow regional clubs to play at their home grounds.
Greenberg says there is scope for that to change long-term and "spectacular" Raiders fans have a chance to show why it should with Canberra certain to host a finals game over the coming fortnight.
"It looks like we got that decision right standing here in Canberra today," Greenberg said.
"If Canberra can beat the Storm this weekend, they'll play a preliminary final here at home in Canberra.
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"That would be the first time in history that would be the case ... I'd imagine if we get a preliminary final or a home final here, it would be another sell-out.
"It's a distinct advantage for the Raiders, and for Ricky and his team. It's also recognition for the fans here who can see their team playing at their home ground.
"We made that decision at the beginning of the year based on a number of factors, but primarily it was about infrastructure and stadiums in Sydney as they're going through a demolition phase.
"It's a big opportunity for the Raiders, and if they take that over the next few weeks it will hold them in good stead.
"Obviously we'll review the policies in the years ahead but it is going to be a number of years while we're being dislocated in Sydney [with the Sydney Football Stadium and Sydney Olympic Park].
"We'll review that at the end of the period of time, but for the foreseeable future, the policy is in place as it is."
Greenberg was in Canberra on Tuesday for an update on the Raiders' centre of excellence being built in Braddon - a Jarrod Croker goal kick away from the heart of the city.
The $19 million facility will be ready midway through the Raiders' pre-season campaign and will include an indoor training area, gym, recovery centre, 85-seat theatrette and office space for staff and the football department.
"This will be one of the very best there is in the game," Greenberg said.
"Ultimately for players coming to the Raiders, this is a big part of their retention strategy.
"Players want to train and play in the very best environments, and the Canberra Raiders now have that exact offering for their players."
Caden Helmers
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
Caden Helmers is a sports journalist for The Canberra Times.
