The NRL is confident ANZ Stadium’s Easter extravaganza will have crowds flocking through the gates this weekend.

The 2014 campaign has been plagued by poor attendances with figures down 15 per cent on this time last year.

However, NRL head of football Todd Greenberg believes two afternoon kick-offs featuring four of Sydney’s best-supported clubs, who are all in red-hot form, will make for a bumper weekend.

Canterbury and South Sydney meet on Good Friday and western Sydney rivals Wests Tigers and Parramatta go head to head on Easter Monday.

With the Easter Show taking place at the Sydney Showgrounds next door to ANZ Stadium, many fans are expected to go to both with children being given free Easter eggs and ice creams at the game.

“We talk about a right time, right venue strategy and the Canterbury-Souths game last year picked up a record of more than 51,000,” Greenberg told AAP.

“Both sets of fans are very passionate about their clubs and we hope again they turn out for what has become one of the marquee games on our calendar.

“The Tigers and Eels both have very tribal followings and their memberships are going through the roof.

“It’s a huge opportunity to watch good footy in a big weekend out there, with the Sydney weather set to be fine, it has all the hallmarks of being a big event.”

Greenberg, when he worked as Canterbury’s CEO and Souths chief Shane Flanagan led the way in making the Good Friday afternoon clash an annual fixture.

And should the encounter between the Eels and the Tigers, who have both won their past three games, prove to be a similar success, it’s also likely to stay.

It would be a big step in the right direction for NRL chief Dave Smith’s stadium policy which is aimed at playing more games at ANZ and Allianz stadiums instead of the more popular but less comfortable suburban grounds.

“It takes several years to make these big marquee events a part of the calendar,” Greenberg said.

“The clubs have been working together regardless of whose home game it is.

“Ultimately, you want to grow crowds and improve the fans’ experience and that comes by giving people quality access to transport and good facilities.

“We have worked on pricing and there are a lot of affordable prices for families.

“Ultimately, we want to make rugby league a fun and affordable day out.”

Although he admits the crowd figures this year haven’t been ideal, Greenberg is expecting a spike this weekend and next with Anzac Day fixtures in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne.

More than 40,000 packed in for last year’s Sydney Roosters v St George Illawarra game and the Melbourne v Warriors clash at AAMI Park is already almost sold out.

The Broncos-Souths game is also expected to be close to a full house at Suncorp Stadium.

“We don’t assess the crowds in isolation and at one week at a time,” he said.

“We know we have big games coming up. Historically, crowds have been there or thereabouts.

“A lot of hard work is being put in to make sure we get more people through the gates.”