Eighty-odd thousand fans heading to today's NRL Grand Final at Sydney's Olympic Park would benefit from bringing zinc cream, a hat and a cardigan (all in team colours of course) to protect from the afternoon sun then the evening's cooling wind.

A temperature of 27-28 degrees is likely for the early game, State Championship Grand Final between Newtown Jets and Norths Devils, and for the start of the NRL Women's Grand Final (Sydney Roosters vs Cronulla Sharks). Thankfully, the dry and moderate westerly winds will make it feel a degree or two cooler, apart from in the sun where it'll feel hotter - this is where the zinc cream and hat will be handy.

The NRLW players and building crowd should then experience a little cooling later in the game as the sun lowers.

Cooling will continue for the rest of the day as the sun goes down, to about 22 degrees for the men's kickoff at 7:30pm. During the big game, winds should ease to gentle, still making it feel a degree cooler than actual. At the final whistle, it should feel as cool as about 18 degrees, cardigan-worthy for some.

Check the Sydney Olympic Park forecast

As far as the playing conditions go, it's about as good as it gets to promote fast-moving and high-skilled footy. However, if you see a few fumbles late in the game it may not just be the growing pressure of a grand final but possibly a little dew forming on the turf. The ground absorbed about five millimetres of rain during the week, just enough to translate into dew in the cooler part of this evening as it did yesterday evening. Will that light dew be enough to turn the game in the last few plays?