What Russell Crowe really said to Luke Keary to send him storming out of Rabbitohs team bonding session

FULL details of the furious exchange that ended with Russell Crowe kicking South Sydney star Luke Keary off his farm during a team bonding session can now be ­revealed for the first time.

‘You didn’t earn your money last season’

IT was the blunt appraisal by Rabbitohs owner Russell Crowe that sent five-eighth Luke Keary flying into a rage: “You didn’t earn your money last season.”

Full details of the furious exchange that ended with the Hollywood star kicking the South Sydney NRL playmaker off his Nana Glen farm during a team bonding session can now be ­revealed for the first time.

After an alcohol-free day of sporting activities followed by a teetotal team dinner, ­tempers began to flare a few hours after Crowe lifted the booze ban about 8.30pm.

Russell Crowe in a corporate box before the 2014 Grand Final, which the Rabbitohs won.

In the early hours, as the team ­relaxed in Rusty’s in-house bar, The Blind Rabbit, Crowe began to deliver frank appraisals of some of the younger members of the 2015 squad.

But when he told young gun ­Cameron McInnes that the Rabbitohs should never have let hooker Issac Luke join rival NRL side the New Zealand Warriors, Keary rushed to his mate’s defence. Crowe retorted, telling Keary: “You didn’t earn your money last season.”

Infuriated, Keary further ­inflamed the situation by snapping at teammate and star UK recruit Sam Burgess for failing to stick up for the Rabbitohs’ younger players.

It is understood it was then that Crowe snapped, ordering Keary off his property.

This is why Keary went to the bizarre length of phoning a taxi at 2.30am to leave Crowe’s north coast farm, near Coffs Harbour.

Luke Keary and Russell Crowe clashed during a team bonding session.

The Rabbitohs are adamant the ­incident has brought Crowe and Keary closer together, with Crowe respecting the rookie for being prepared to defend himself and his teammates.

The actor, who is in Milan working on his latest movie project, and Keary have since thrashed out their differences over the phone.

Crowe has accepted responsibility for the situation getting out of hand, taking to social media with this apology on Tuesday: “Luke Keary situation entirely my fault. A bit of banter that went too far. I’ve apologised. He is a natural leader and great for our club.”

Luke Keary situation entirely my fault. A bit of banter that went too far. I've apologised. He is a natural leader and great for our club.

— Russell Crowe (@russellcrowe) January 19, 2016

Keary, who has played 46 matches for Souths since making his debut in 2013, is believed to be on a contract worth about $400,000 a season.

He said he would not comment on exactly what was said, out of respect for Crowe.

“Sometimes you say things on the piss, and when you’re on the piss you can also take things the wrong way,” Keary said earlier in the week.

The trip to Coffs began with the South Sydney squad preparing to ­embark on one of premiership-­winning coach Michael Maguire’s infamous 48-hour boot camps.

The players arrived at the Wanda beach sand dunes and completed a draining session of soft-sand hill climbs.

When the team bus arrived, instead of heading to an army commando camp the players were told they were travelling to Newcastle to engage in a game of paintball and then going to their final destination, Crowe’s 320ha Nana Glen property.

An aerial view of actor Russell Crowe's Nana Glen property west of Coffs Harbour.

To break up the 550km trip, the Rabbitohs stayed the night at a holiday apartment complex owned by Souths Juniors in Forster.

Once at the farm, the players began the day by playing cricket, tennis and quad-bike riding followed by dinner.

South Sydney remains adamant that, with the exception of the drink-fuelled flashpoint between Crowe and Keary, the evening was a success.

However the Rabbitohs’ decision to appoint ex-CEO Shane Richardson to the position of general manager of football is a clear signal the club needs a firm authoritarian to try to maintain order among the ranks.

Russell Crowe, pictured here with his former wife Danielle Spencer and their children Charles and Tennyson, has accepted responsibility for the situation with Keary getting out of hand.

The Dylan Walker and Aaron Gray prescription drug overdose incident last October followed by the Crowe-Keary blow-up has pointed the ­­off-field spotlight on the Rabbitohs for all the wrong reasons.

Keary’s future will be a must-watch this season, with the No. 6 off contract at the end of the year.

The Gold Coast Titans have been circling since Kane Elgey suffered a season-ending knee injury, but Keary said earlier this week he intended to remain at Redfern this year.

The South Sydney camp maintains the Crowe-Keary incident has been overblown and everyone at the club is on the same page leading into the new season this year.