South Sydney co-owner Russell Crowe adds spice to bitter clash with Rooster
Ahead of Friday night’s blockbuster between the Roosters and the Rabbitohs the Bondi boys are still seething over a disrespectful tweet from South Sydney owner Russell Crowe.
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It was the “horseshit” tweet from Hollywood’s Gladiator which the Sydney Roosters haven’t forgotten.
“Typical Souths, whinging about what was a correct decision,” said Roosters legend, Brad Fittler, who played 217 games for the Bondi club.
Fittler was referring to a cheeky tweet from Academy Award winner and Souths co-owner Russell Crowe moments after the Roosters won a second successive grand final last year, albeit through the contentious “six again” refereeing call.
After the Roosters controversial 14-8 win over Canberra, Crowe tweeted: “Horseshit result in the NRL Grand Final. Yet another rugby league embarrassment. Raiders ripped off. #sixagain.”
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Horseshit result in the @NRL Grand Final .
— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) October 6, 2019
Yet another Rugby League embarrassment.
Raiders ripped off.#sixagain
Roosters players, staff and fans haven’t forgotten the post and now are ready to whack Crowe’s Bunnies when the two old rivals meet in a huge match on Friday night at Bankwest Stadium.
Sydney Roosters fans with long memories re-posted the tweet on social media with most claiming it to be “motivation.”
Asked about the tweet, Roosters champion Anthony Minicheillo said: “The fans certainly haven’t forgotten about it, that’s for sure.
“Whether it was a good or bad decision (in the grand final), they were always going to complain because we won the grand final. It didn’t matter what happened.
“I remember our digital team pushing that tweet around at the time but I didn’t take too much notice – we were champions.”
Fittler added: “Wasn’t the decision the right decision?”
The Daily Telegraph reminded Roosters coach Trent Robinson of the tweet via a text message on Thursday but he did not respond.
Souths CEO Blake Solly said the Roosters-Rabbitohs history was as intense as any sporting rivalry in world sport.
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“This rivalry is as strong as any between clubs, in any sport around the world. It matches rivalries like the Yankees v Red Sox or Manchester United v Manchester City for passion and tradition,” Solly said.
Souths skipper Adam Reynolds further inflamed the eastern suburbs rivalry this week when asked whether Sydney Roosters were the most hated team in rugby league.
“One-hundred per cent,” Reynolds responded.
The Roosters though are enjoying unprecedented success and have been premiers now for the past 608 days.
“It is the biggest rivalry in the game, without doubt, for both clubs,” Minichiello said. “When the two teams play, everyone is involved, from staff all the way down, and they all say: ‘You have to win’.
“It creates a good feeling, a good atmosphere during the week.”
The match will have added spice with South Sydney fullback Latrell Mitchell lining up against his former club. There are suggestions that Mitchell could swap positions throughout the match with Alex Johnston spending some time at fullback.
In excerpts sure to cause angst Bondi, Crowe’s fabled Book of Feuds taunts the Roosters by claiming: “Although they are indeed a foundation club, somewhere along the way the Roosters lost their soul. They simply don’t have the tradition, the stories or the romance that is South Sydney.
“There’s no doubt about it, this is a rivalry for the ages. There’s just something about the Roosters that just irritates the hell out the Rabbitohs. And vice versa.
“They (of course) claim to be the only foundation club to have played every season. It seems there’s nothing they do that isn’t in some way aimed at us, or at imitating us. They have changed their name twice to try and capture the inner city market.
“Yet, try as they might, there’s no escaping the cold hard facts that South Sydney was formed before Eastern Suburbs, has won far more premierships than Easts, Sydney City and Sydney Roosters combined, and has a much greater junior and fan base. In the end it comes down to the souls of the two clubs.”