EQUEX Centre will be filled to the brim with league fans on Saturday, but it's taken hundreds of hours of blood, sweat and tears from volunteers to turn a "cow paddock" into an NRL venue.
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On Thursday the first lines were being painted on the field as the clock counted down to Wagga's first NRL fixture in 21 years.
Over the last few months the dressing sheds capacity has been doubled, seating increased from 340 to 755 and extra space created on the hill on the eastern side.
Wagga Rugby League chairman Warren Barclay, Steve Frankham, Ian Lloyd, Michael Trevaskis, Dave Mulrooney and Alan Jacobson have been the 'go-to' men, while local businesses have provided equipment at cost.
A few months ago a group of four travelled to the now demolished stadium and uprooted 900 seats, 755 of which are now installed in the Equex Centre grandstand.
"That's the great thing about rugby league, you've got blokes who will just put their hand up," Wagga Rugby League treasurer Lloyd said.
"I was there (at Parramatta). We got 900 and would like to have got a few more, but it was a hard slog.
"If we had to pay for them, we couldn't afford them."
Barclay said Saturday's Canberra-Penrith clash was just reward for the countless hours which have gone into making the ground NRL ready.
"We've only got a small band of volunteers, we went from a cow paddock to what we have today," Barclay said.
"I's all been hand built and for the Canberra Raiders to acknowledge it by taking a home game here is fantastic."
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