Footy fans flock to Wagga's McDonalds Park as the Canberra Raiders return for epic clash with Redcliffe Dolphins

Canberra Raiders from near and far flocked to support their side, which returned to Wagga for a blockbuster match against the Redcliffe Dolphins.

While vastly outnumbered, some Dolphins fans also turned out to back their team.

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One of these, Patrick Duggan, travelled all the way from Melbourne and believes they can pull through.

"We've been pretty good with Wayne Bennett] at the helm," Mr Duggan said.

He believes the Dolphins have the talent and the experience to take home the win.

But his mate Charlie Winchester, a Raider's fan, is pretty confident that won't be the case, pencilling in a win for his side before the season even began.

"If we go down to them it will be pretty disappointing," Mr Winchester said.

Meanwhile, Wagga couple Craig McCaskill and Jessica Bialowas also picked opposing sides.

The pair moved from Canberra a few years back due to ill health in the family.

"She dragged me back here to Wagga," Raiders supporter Mr McCaskill said.

"I didn't get to watch the Raiders here last year or the year before that, so this is the first time I get to see them outside of Canberra."

Travelling up from Wodonga for the match were Mel Eddy and Mick Blythe, and they were hoping for a win for the Raiders.

The pair also backed the idea of having more regional games.

"It's fantastic and it's great for the area," Mr Blythe said.

"It's also good for the community to be able to experience high profile games in regional areas without having to foot the expense of travelling to the [major cities]," Ms Eddy said.

Wagga's Andrew Treloar agreed.

"It's fantastic we can bring our kids to an NRL match without having to travel and have the expenses of fuel and accommodation," Mr Treloar said.

In other news, South Sydney Rabbitohs supporters did not disappoint either, with several spotted among the vast crowds packed into McDonalds Park.

For one of these supporters, Julie Thomson of Wagga, it was her first ever NRL match and while she didn't really care who won, she was certainly glad to welcome the Raider's five-eight Jack Wighton to the fold.

"We got Jack signed. We are taking their best player, so it's happy days," Ms Thomson said.

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