Twist as $20 million Russell Crowe, Rabbitohs bomb drops
Russell Crowe has given a blunt response over a bombshell report surrounding rumours that have swirled for months.
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Russell Crowe has responded to reports he is looking to sell his stake as co-owner of the Rabbitohs.
The Hollywood star has reportedly been speaking to potential investors looking to snap up his 25 per cent stake in South Sydney, Code Sports reports.
However, Crowe has since reponded with a blunt message shared on his X account.
“Re SSFC. What would January in Australia be without desperate legacy media conspiracy theories?,” he posted.
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“Enjoy the summer sun while it’s there and ignore the trolls.
“WB back onboard. A fresh energy about the place. An arrowhead on our intentions.”
The drama twisted significantly on Monday with Crowe releasing a brief statement.
“Just tell them all it’s bulls***, and advise them to enjoy the summer sun,” Crowe said in a statement provided to AAP.
The resurgent NRL club has been fronted by Crowe’s famous face ever since he brought glamour back to Redfern when he first invested in the club in 2006.
According to the report, Crowe’s 25 per cent stake in the club is estimated to be worth between $15 million and $20 million.
MORE: My ‘LSD’ walk through - Crowe’s $42m secrets
Crowe, alongside businessman Peter Holmes a Court, bought the Rabbitohs in 2006 for $3 million when the club was struggling with financial instability.
The “Gladiator” has reportedly attracted interest from Australian and international investors, with one American party carrying out a business appraisal.
The rumours about a potential decision to leave the club after 18 years are made more all the more intriguing by reports last year the 60-year-old’s influence at the club had diminished.
Crowe’s shrinking position as the most powerful voice at the club was exposed last year when the club made the decision to sack former coach Jason Demetriou.
According to reports, tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes has emerged as the leading figure at the club since buying a 25 per cent stake in 2021.
James Packer also controls a 25 per cent stake in the club. The club itself still retains a 25 per cent stake. Nick Pappas has remained chairman of the club despite all the ownership changes.
Packer and Cannon-Brookes now have the option of purchasing the actor’s stake in the team.
Crowe’s departure comes at a time when the club has been a basket case on the field.
It has been a staggering capitulation for a football club that sat on top of the NRL ladder after Round 11 in 2023 — only to fall apart and miss the finals that season.
The mess continued into 2024 where the Rabbitohs finished 16th on the NRL ladder with just sevens wins for the entire season.
Hand in hand with that carnage was the scandal of favourite son Sam Burgess handing in his resignation after sharing concerns star players, including Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker, received preferential treatment when it came to training duties. Burgess and Crowe reportedly had a falling out over the muddy exit when his concerns fell on deaf ears. Burgess has denied this.
One of Crowe’s biggest, final acts as co-owner is the decision to bring back Wayne Bennett to coach the club.
It was reported last year Crowe led the push for the club to appoint Bennett as head coach, beginning in 2025, when Demetriou was sacked.
Bennett led the club to the 2021 NRL Grand Final before moving to the Dolphins.
The veteran coach has always previously praised Crowe’s actions as co-owner and it will no doubt have an impact on the so-called supercoach.
“I can’t give him enough raps,” Bennett said on 2GB radio in 2021.
“Football’s been my life since I was born and he’s as committed as anyone I’ve seen at a club.
“He’s done some wonderful things and he’s a great guy to work with. But what I admire most about him is that he’s so deep into the history of Souths. He believes it and lives it.”
Originally published as Twist as $20 million Russell Crowe, Rabbitohs bomb drops
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