But that doesn't mean there wasn't some serious craw sticking back then. Back in 1989. Back when the Canberra Raiders took on the Balmain Tigers in the grand final.

Back when the mighty Green Machine was introduced to the crowd. Well if you can call it an introduction. If an MC can't remember any Canberra Raiders' names have they really been introduced?

Steve Walters wasn't happy. Bet a few of his teammates weren't either. At least they remembered Mal Meninga's name. Future Immortal and all.

But what did they care, those Sydney snobs. They were convinced it was the Tigers' to win.

But we're about to find out if they're right. Given this COVID-19 shutdown has us all locked indoors with nothing but our couches and our blank TVs for company.

So let's strap on the stubby holder, open the chips and tune into Fox League at 3pm on Sunday to find out if the Raiders can win. Or if those smug Sydneysiders were right and the Tigers got the chocolates.

Walters certainly had a point to prove after the grand final breakfast.

But he was still nervous. Had a funny feeling in his gut. "Holy hell", he was playing in a grand final.

"I don't remember much other than they had the grand final breakfast on the Friday I think it was," Walters recalled.

"I think Peter Peters was the MC. And they introduced Balmain first: 'Here come the Balmain Tigers. Here's big 'Blocka' Roach and bouncing Benny Elias, and 'Siro' Sironen. Gary 'Jimmy' Jack and Wayne 'Junior' Pearce.'

"He went through the whole team. Then, 'Here come the Raiders. Here's big Mal Meninga and here's Gary Belcher and here comes the Raiders.'

"He didn't know half the team. They weren't established a lot of them fellas, they were just on the way up.

"I remember that. It really stuck in my head. It was 30 years ago now, but that's the main thing I remember about before the game. They didn't even know who we were."

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Raiders forward Steve Jackson, no way in Hades the MC knew his name. But he didn't mind. He wasn't even going to play.

If the Raiders reserves hadn't lost to Parramatta in the preliminary final. He wouldn't have even been on the bench.

So Jackson was just soaking it all up.

After the captain's run - didn't even have much to do then except watch the starting side do their thing - he caught up his lady friend of the time for lunch. Then the rest of the day was spent relaxing. Waiting.

"I can't remember yesterday - there was no HIA back in our day. Joking," Jackson said, off to a flyer as he puts down a chicken from his Mackay shop to take up the story.

"I'd just started dating a Canberra girl, probably three months prior to that game and she came up to the game.

"I went downstairs to meet her and have lunch with her and her friends.

"I remember saying to that group of people, 'This is so exciting, just to be involved. I won't get a game tomorrow because there's eight fresh reserves'.

"And I was relaxed. I think that was the secret ... I only got put into that side a week prior because our reserve grade got knocked out by Parramatta in extra time the week before.

"So if we beat Parramatta that day I would've been playing reserve grade, I wouldn't even been on the bench for first grade.

"I do remember that day before because I was so relaxed. I was just enjoying the whole week in camp."

Things start to get hazy when recalling the Saturday night though. Not due to a big session on the Tooheys. That wasn't even the go back then. But, well, because 31 years ago.

Probably to a hotel for a countermeal though. Thank god it wasn't a night grand final like these days. Then you had the whole day to think about it. Let those nerves build.

"We didn't have any beers. I can never remember even in those days drinking before the games," Walters said.

"We often used to get down the hotel and go and have something somewhere instead of just eating in the rooms all day."

Then let the magic begin.

"Once we had that afternoon it was lockdown then. The team dinner," Jackson said.

"I can't remember much of that Saturday night, it must've just been an early night.

"Breaky in the morning. Would've went for a walk on the Sunday morning before the grand final and then we all bussed it from the Sydney Travelodge - that was at Camperdown I think, that's where we used to stay all the time - and then we bussed it to the game.

"What a magic moment. Just knowing you were involved in something as a kid I dreamt of.

"I was a Mackay boy and Sydney football used to be on a Saturday afternoon then and then to be involved in a grand final I used to watch as a kid could only be a dream.

"At the time it must've been one of the most amazing things for me - for a lot of us."

So you gonna watch it? You can almost hear Jackson's hands rubbing together down the phone. Yeah, he just might.

Walters? Now there's a different kettle of fish. First of all, there's the floor he's tearing up to finish. Second, he'd rather watch modern footy. If it was on.

"No I won't be watching it. It's not that I'm sick of it, it's just old and slow now," he said.

"Watching that game now is like in 1989 watching the game from 1959.

"It was great at the time, but I won't be watching it on Sunday. I wish, the poor buggers, I wish we could watch the Raiders now. Anyway, that's how it is.

"I tell what I am pleased about. I've told the current players a number of times we've got some current highlights now from the boys playing in the grand final last year.

"That's the best news so they haven't got to watch boring old shit from 30 years ago.

"They can put on the tape from their own grand final they played in, which is fantastic."

1989 GRAND FINAL

Sunday: Canberra Raiders v Balmain Tigers at the Sydney Football Stadium, 3pm.

Canberra Raiders squad: 1. Gary Belcher, 2. Matthew Wood, 3. Mal Meninga (c), 4. Laurie Daley, 5. John Ferguson, 6. Chris O'Sullivan, 7. Ricky Stuart, 8. Glenn Lazarus, 9. Steve Walters, 10. Brent Todd, 11. Dean Lance, 12. Gary Coyne, 13. Bradley Clyde. Interchange: 15. Paul Martin, 20. Steve Jackson, 22. Kevin Walters. Reserves: Ivan Henjak, Mark Lowry, Wayne Collins, Phil Carey, Chris Houghton, Craig Bellamy.

Balmain Tigers squad: 1. Garry Jack, 2. James Grant, 3. Andy Currier, 4. Tim Brasher, 5. Steve O'Brien, 6. Michael Neil, 7. Gary Freeman, 8. Steve Roach, 9. Ben Elias, 10. Steve Edmed, 11. Bruce McGuire, 12. Paul Sironen, 13. Wayne Pearce (c). Interchange: 14. Michael Pobjie, 15. Shaun Edwards, 16. Kevin Hardwick.