I created a thread about this:
http://forums.silvertails.net/Thread-NRL-2011-Grand-Final-Thursday-Fan-Party-29-Sept
My kiwi-blooded warriors-supporting mate & I went - we took days off work for it and caught the train down from Newie & back for it.
I tried to research a bit about it prior, but only found the sparsely-detailed schedule on the page:
http://www.rugbyleague.com.au/grandfinal/fan-party.html
We were mainly hoping to see our 1st grad GF team heroes and get some signature on our jerseys - both wearing our own teams jerseys & caps etc.
Made it to a local pub around 10am for a beer, couldn't really get going any earlier so our train soon after got us to Central just after 1pm.
Got to our 1st pub on George street and hooked up with a table of 3 warriors-supporting strangers and had a good chat and some laughs there, was cool.
They had been to the Fan Party event @ Darling Harbour and told us that it was now all sealed off and nothing happening while they set up for the ticketed footy show event.
I was still hoping there would be peripheral activities and rugby league stuff to check out but they said there didn't look like much after the morning's activities etc. so we just stayed there with them for a couple more beers (which was fun).
We headed down to Tumbalong Park soon after and they were right - was quite dissapointing to see very little going on outside of the big sealed enclosure, and the ticket office had signs over it's windows "SOLD OUT" which surprised us as we were by that stage keen to buy a ticket and join it.
So we wandered around yelling in turns at each other: "Go Manly!", "Go Warriors!" etc.
We actually there caught up with a kiwi Richard who we had both met @ Brookvale a few months prior - a real nice guy who takes a good-size flag on a heavy pole to the games (his photo was actually in both the Telegraph & Newcastle Herald that day in warriors articles).
He actually had a photo of my mate & he on his camera from the Brookie day he showed us and we had some good laughs - we were looking out for him and hoping to catch up with him so that was really cool.
We hung around the "red carpet" area they had prepped for the teams' arrival, was great to see the cheer girls strutting thier stuff there.
The highlight of the trip was when our teams entered along that carpet - we easily found spots along the fence, my mate shook hads with 4 of 5 of his warriors heroes as they came past, and I shook hands with over 2/3 of our entire squad when they came past!
As each one came by I said: "Come on Killer", "Come on Matty", "Come on Snake", "Come on Foz", "Come on Kitey" etc. as I shook each of thier hands - they were all grinning and happy to walk along close to the fence shaking hands or hi-5-ing thier supporters, was really good to see.
In addition to those mentioned I think I also shook hands with Gifty, Hoppa, Daly & George. Then toward the rear of the team I spotted Joe walking a little way off the fence and I yelled out: "Smokin' Joe!" and he turned with a big grin, came over and shook my hand.
Absolutely stoked, we were.
My mate & I both had out textas ready in our pockets, but whilst I thought I might have seen Daly pause a bit with some fans earlier along the fence, it didn't look like any of them were signing anything and they were all kind of moving along steadily without stopping.
I had also noted several kids near us wearing thier gear and also waiting to see thier heroes and if I got a signature I was going to pass my pen to one of the kids and ask the Manly player if he might sign something for them too etc., but not to worry.
So I didn't push the issue, just enjoyed shaking hands and encouraging them.
The team set up some photos near a big trophy replica thing they had, then went into the enclosure proper with announcements from the stage inside etc.
We wandered around the perimeter of the enclosure as they went in and onto the stage, my mate & I still yelling in turns "Go Manly!", "Go Warriors!" to the inside - we could sort of see through the mesh etc. so it was still kinda fun.
Then we headed back into the city to another pub for more beer & some food, both quite stoked with seeing our heroes ad shaking hands with so many of them.
Got a train home that evening, ended up getting home around 12:30am and had to get up soon thereafter for work the next day.
Overall, we were stoked that we shook hands with our team players, but a little dissapointed in missing out on any other stuff.