Luke Keary, Russell Crowe at centre of feud that changed paths of foundation clubs
Luke Keary once again dominated his former club in the Roosters’ belting of South Sydney, and had it not been for a blow up with Russell Crowe it could have been a very different result at the SCG.
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Russell Crowe has shouted some hefty bar tabs in his time.
But the biggest?
Has to be that night a furious Luke Keary stormed off his Nana Glen property.
For right now, three years on, South Sydney’s Hollywood owner is still paying.
Big time.
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Which isn’t a slight on Crowe.
Or Keary.
But geez, talk about a sliding doors moment?
Understanding that ever since that night the pair exchanged words inside Crowe’s wonderful little drinking hole, The Blind Rabbit … well, nothing has ever been the same again.
Not for Souths.
And certainly not for Keary.
This now reigning Clive Churchill medallist who, in an SCG thumping nobody could have seen coming, was orchestrating tries, kicking 40/20s and according to Triple M analyst Mark Geyer “playing like a pitbull”.
And a pitbull with one cracking left to right pass.
Indeed, by the finish Keary was best on ground.
Three try assists.
In everything.
Which is now how it seems to go every time this 27-year-old shapes up against his old club.
Which again, makes whatever it cost to shout the Souths side beers that night not only expensive, but ongoing.
Up there with North Queensland refusing $700,000 for Kalyn Ponga, Canterbury less for Damien Cook and Wests Tigers offering even fewer bucks again to keep indigenous flyer Josh Addo-Carr.
More than an old Bunnies player, Keary is now his own chapter in Crowe’s infamous Book of Feuds.
Not only for that morning he called a cab around 2.30am, but for everything he has done against the Redfern mob since.
Like in this one.
Where if not offering up his best performance of the season, it was certainly on the podium.
So long memory?
Yeah, you reckon that might be the case.
Not that the incumbent Kangaroo has ever said as much.
Or likely ever will.
Still, there’s no doubting the future of two foundation Sydney clubs changed forever on one conversation.
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A boozey blow up which, way back in 2016, allegedly had Crowe arguing with Keary about contracts, young hooker Cam McInnes, or a wonderful mix of both.
And given how much the Gladiator pumps into this club, and the way he helped resurrect them from the Australian sporting wilderness, well, the bloke can say whatever he likes.
But still you have to wonder what the Bunnies would look like now - and, indeed, where Cody Walker would have emerged - had Keary not gone on and signed with the Tricolours in June.
Then within 18 months of that, gone and won a Roosters premiership.
Just as he had with Souths in 2014.
Which again, makes that bar tab an expensive one.
Even for rugby league.
Originally published as Luke Keary, Russell Crowe at centre of feud that changed paths of foundation clubs