The movie star made the admission when asked about his beloved team.
Russell Crowe, a movie legend and part-owner of the South Sydney Rabbitohs, has disclosed how he ceased displaying emotion in public when at games in order to stay out of the spotlight at the team. After the Gladiator star became a part-owner of the Rabbitohs in an attempt to improve the team’s fortunes, Crowe continued to attend games regularly for years.
And he was instrumental in South Sydney’s victory in the 2014 NRL Premiership under coach Michael Maguire. In recent seasons, Crowe has retreated and hasn’t been the primary focus of the show, regardless of how brilliantly or poorly the Rabbitohs are performing.
Fans at the game or on TV would see Crowe’s reactions in the corporate box during the early years of his ownership. From his box, Crowe responded passionately to every play, and he was thrilled when he saw his cherished side.
To avoid distracting the players, the actor has since stated that he no longer displays emotion when watching. Fitzy, the host of NOVA 96.9 on Monday, inquired as to whether a defeat to the Rabbitohs affects his attitude when performing with his band or in general.
In order to prevent the players from reading about it in the news and to allow them to focus on their task of winning, Crowe said he stopped reacting. He said, “Nah…it is what it is, I can’t affect that outcome so you sort of just have to accept what’s going on,” to Kate Ritchie and Fitz & Wippa.
When my children were young and I used to attend Rabbitohs games, I realized that expressing my enthusiasm in the grandstands would give the media outlets a means of psychologically influencing the squad. These pictures showed me strangling the fictitious referee.
“I decided to quit doing that after that. After seeing what transpires at a game, I would go backstage and swear. However, I make an effort to remain composed when I watch the game because, as you are aware, I consider it from the players’ point of view; they don’t want to see the boss looking angry in the Monday paper. Therefore, you must maintain your composure.
Rabbitohs facing huge changes in 2025
Latrell Mitchell had a wild season in 2024, as the Rabbitohs missed out on the top eight once more. According to reports, Crowe was a fervent supporter of coach Jason Demetriou, who led South Sydney to a 1-6 start in the season.
It wasn’t enough, though, and Demetriou eventually left the team. Additionally, Crowe and the board succeeded in persuading master coach Wayne Bennett to rejoin the team. With Mitchell appearing more fit than ever throughout preseason training, Bennett already seems to have made an impression on the team.
Bennett will regrettably be without Mitchell for the first round of the 2025 NRL season. The fullback was given a one-game suspension after a picture of him wearing what looked like white powder surfaced during a coaching clinic trip to Dubbo.
In any case, Mitchell will be hoping to lead his team and better on his performance in 2024, as captain Cameron Murray is expected to miss many weeks of action to begin the season. The second-rower will miss the start of the season after suffering a wrist injury while playing for Australia.
