Fans rally throughout Sydney ahead of tonight's NRL grand final

Gates have opened at ANZ Stadium and the first of the 83,000-plus sell out crowd for tonight's NRL grand final between South Sydney and Canterbury are filing into the ground.

Souths are hot favourites to finally end their 43-year premiership drought against an injury-hit Canterbury side who are missing captain and hooker Michael Ennis with a foot injury.

Halfback Trent Hodkinson will take a knee injury into the game.

Rabbitohs back-up rake Apisai Koroisau will take the place of suspended hooker Issac Luke.

Most pundits don't give the Dogs much of a chance to beat the rampant Rabbitohs.

"I just can't see Souths getting beaten," rugby league Immortal Andrew Johns told the Channel Nine Footy Show.

Long-time Rabbitohs patriarch George Piggins will attend his first game in eight years at this year's decider, after vowing never to attend a game while Russell Crowe and Peter Holmes a Court owned the club.

"I reckon it will be Souths in a pinch," Piggins told Triple M.

Fans could expect long delays outside the ground due to beefed up security arrangements after the Abbott Federal Government raised the terror alert.

The first curtain-raiser was played in simmering 30c temperatures and saw the Warriors edge out Brisbane for the Under-20s Holden Cup.

NSW Cup winners Penrith meet Queensland Cup champions in the inaugural State Championship grand final that starts at 3.55pm.

And the big one between Souths and Bulldogs is due for a 7.22pm kick off.