Nothing is going to stop them from treating a soldout Suncorp Stadium to the best pre-match ritual in the NRL.

A trickle of lime green jerseys slowly started to build throughout the afternoon in the lead-up to the preliminary final between the Green Machine and the Melbourne Storm on Friday night.

A construction worker stuck his head over a fence to shout, "Go Raiders" at a young Storm fan heading to the game.

The Raiders' roots run deep in this part of the world thanks the legacy left by legends like Mal Meninga, whose statue was getting plenty of selfies.

He even found himself wearing a Raiders cap, scarf and a lime green wig as the fans started to wait for the gates to open. If only Mal could be here.

Then the beverages started to flow in the pubs around Lang Park, including the infamous Caxton Hotel.

Raiders fan Corey Heywood was stoked the game was on his doorstep, having been living in Brisbane for about a year.

If the coronavirus pandemic hadn't moved the Storm to Queensland for most of the season then he'd have a much bigger trip on his hands.

He was camped at the aptly named Green House, a few doors up from the Caxton.

"Honestly it's probably one of the only benefits that's come out of COVID - that the game's actually being played in Brisbane so we're able to go to a local match and not have to fly somewhere else to see it," Heywood said.

Born in Canberra, Sheldon Johnson moved to the Gold Coast in 2006 and the season ticket holder was stoked he only had a short drive up the road.

He couldn't go to the semi-final win over the Sydney Roosters last week. Well, not without doing two weeks' quarantine in his own home when he got back.

Johnson made the trip down to Canberra last year for the prelim win over South Sydney and recalled watching the Green Machine's last premiership triumph as a 15-year-old back in 1994.

Having a drink at the Brisbane Broncos home, the Caxton, made it all the sweeter.

"It is eh, especially when they get the wooden spoon. Really satisfying, but everyone has their team," he said.

"I was invited down to Canberra last year for the prelim when we beat Souths.

"Really good [having the game in Brisbane], only 70 kilometres down the road.

"It's a massive achievement from the situation we were in after round four with all the injuries and stuff we've had this year with Big Red [Corey Horsburgh] going down [injured], [Josh Hodgson] going down, [Sia] Soliola going down."

The dawdling Queensland government might have stopped the Raiders having a stopover in a Brisbane hotel, but they won't be able to stop the fans from their traditional pre-game routine.

They don't need a Raiders legend like Steve Walters or Steve Jackson or Glenn Lazrus or any of the other Queensland-based club legends to lead the way.

They'll do it themselves. Not surprising given there's 1197 Raiders members in the Sunshine State. Although it would've been nice if the NRL or the Storm or Annastacia Palaszczuk had've let them do it.

"One hundred per cent [we'll do it]. Even if they say we can't do it I guarantee there's going to be a few topped-up members from the stadium that are going to get a clap going," Heywood said.

"When one kicks off I'm definitely going to get involved."

Wandering around Brisbane you could've been excused for thinking you were in Melbourne - given all the AFL banners and flags all over the place.

Although the glorious weather gave it away that you weren't.

Even Canberra's Jack Steele, who was named All Australian this year for his efforts with St Kilda, made an appearance in the Queen Street Mall.