Scattered around Russell Crowe's farm at Nana Glen on the NSW north coast are several costumes belonging to his many characters of the silver screen, such as Captain Jack Aubrey from Master and Commander and, of course, Maximus Decimus Meridius from Gladiator.
Those who have been there concede they have discretely snapped a selfie wearing said costumes. Seriously, how could you resist?
Crowe is the pre-eminent actorof this generation, alongside De Niro and Pacino. He has played every role possible, from brilliant mathematician to tobacco company insider to jaded New York cop to neo-Nazi thug.
Will he soon be adding owner of a premiership-winning club to the list, with the South Sydney hoodie he seems to always wear taking pride of place at his Nana Glen bunker?
Rugby league sometimes takes for granted that it has an actor of Marlon Brando's calibre owning its proudest and most storied footy club.
Crowe has indeed brought much Hollywood wankery to the working-class game of rugby league, and few have taken the mickey out of him as much as this column. But, with the Rabbitohs on the verge of their first premiership in 43 years, let's give credit where it's due: Crowe's involvement in the game is probably the best thing to happen to it since Super League.
Sure, he was heavy-handed in his approach in the early days. Former winger Adam MacDougall freely tells of how Rusty would pull him aside at training and offer tips on his to play. Yet the assumption is often wrongly made that Crowe treats his club as a toy.
When he split from wife Danielle Spencer two years ago, it was said to be because he was investing so much time on his club. That's why he flirted with the idea of selling his share.
Crowe has been critical in signing big-name players, such as forward Sam Burgess. He's been passionate about ensuring the club is tight-knit, and this season all the mothers of the players and coaching staff have watched a game from his private box.
But where Crowe has been most influential is taking control of the club's intellectual property. Actors deeply care about their brand.
He has rebuilt the Rabbitohs' trademark, linking it to the likes of Giorgio Armani, Oprah, Ellen, Jay Leno and Snoop Dogg.
I've been in Russell's company twice, and very briefly.
The first was for a fly-on-the-wall piece in his private suite for Fairfax Media in 2007 – although co-owner Peter Holmes a Court bizarrely instructed that I wasn't allowed to talk to Russell. What struck me that night was how Crowe treated the ANZ Stadium staff: politely and graciously. It says a lot about the man.
The second time was before a Return to Redfern match.
We were standing at the back of the grandstand at the refurbished Redfern Oval, when Crowe whipped out a packet of Benson and Hedges Special Filters. In other words, the really strong ones.
"Can you smoke in this stand?" I asked.
Crowe sparked up his fag.
"I can."
Dogs' titanic comeback
That said, the Bunnies faithful should be wary. There's been too much talk this grand final week about when the Rabbitohs will beat Canterbury, not if.
How did the Bulldogs go from defeat in the final round to the lowly placed Titans to grand finalists? A speech from coach Des Hasler at Cbus Super Stadium is being pinpointed behind the scenes at Belmore as one of the reasons.
After the dramatic 19-18 defeat, Hasler remained calm in the rooms as his players showered and changed. But before they boarded the team bus, he huddled them in a semi-circle, and looked them in the eye.
"It's up to you to inspire me," he told them, putting the onus squarely back on their shoulders.
Todd gets too close
Souths were furious and others left bemused when they saw NRL head of football Todd Greenberg hugging players in the Bulldogs dressing rooms on Saturday night. The image was caught by Channel Nine's cameras in the room, and some argued it was a bad look for a man who is supposed to be impartial. Greenberg, of course, was the Bulldogs chief executive before taking on his new role at League Central.
With hooker Issac Luke set to front the judiciary on Tuesday night, we understand Souths were far from happy about it and made their feelings known to Greenberg.
Greenberg didn't want to talk about the issue when we phoned him, but we're told he visited the dressing room of all four teams that played in last weekend's preliminary finals.
What Nine's cameras didn't pick up was Greenberg also embracing Panthers centre Jamal Idris, who was distraught after the defeat.
Tender rabbit
Souths' clash with the Roosters last Friday night was as brutal as it gets. Their forwards bashed their way out of trouble and onwards to victory.
But don't think the Roosters forwards were the only ones feeling tender the next day.
Souths' big man George Burgess complained of so much soreness to his ribcage after the match that he was rushed to hospital. There were concerns he might have suffered broken ribs, or a punctured lung, but he was cleared of serious injury.
Meanwhile, if you needed a reminder of the bitterness between Souths and the Roosters, it was there this week at Allianz Stadium.
Roosters management were far from impressed to see the stadium's popular cafe decked out in red and green.
An angry missive was fired off to the SCG Trust, explaining how Souths play one match a year at the SCG, while the Roosters have been tenants for years.
Tragedy and triumph
The most moving story of the big day doesn't involve disaffected chairman George Piggins, but another Rabbitohs legend – the wonder winger of the 1920s, Harold Horder.
Horder's grandson Glenn has been a lifelong Souths fan but tragically lost his brother Howard and sister-in-law Susan when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down earlier this year.
The family has been doing it tough ever since.
Harold Horder was the king of rugby league wingers between 1912 and 1924, a Test player who scored 102 tries for the Rabbitohs and who played in two premiership-winning teams in 1914 and 1918.
Determined to witness a new chapter in the club's history, Glenn, who lives in Queensland, wrote to the Rabbitohs to tell them he was on his way.
Glenn and his son Christopher are flying down for the big day, and the Rabbitohs and ANZ Stadium are looking after them out at Sydney Olympic Park.
In memory of Andrew
Grand final day marks two years since respected rugby league journalist and Titans media man Neil Cadigan lost his son Andrew, who had been involved in an accident in Thailand 12 weeks earlier.
"It was a Friday and I remember vividly sitting in his room at Westmead Hospital thinking he'd go for sure during the Melbourne-Canterbury grand final the previous Sunday, but miraculously he went on for five more days," Caddo tells us.
Andrew walked around Australia and raised the best part of $65,000 for the Leukaemia Foundation trying to find a cure and treatment for myelodysplasia, which killed his mate Chris Simpson. His family held a walk in Andrew's honour last October, raising $5500 for Cad's Cause, a fund set up in his honour to raise money for charities.
The second walk is on October19, leaving The Entrance at 9am and is 15 kilometres to The Haven at Terrigal. Some legends of the game will be in attendance, including Parra great Brett Kenny. Go to ozonfoot.com.au to register and for more information.
IT'S A BIG WEEKEND FOR ...
Racing and rugby league fans, who aretrying to complete the rare Epsom Handicap-NRL grand final double.
IT'S AN EVEN BIGGER WEEKEND FOR ...
Slash. With a net worth of $145 million, the Guns'n'Roses legend might be the richest guitarist in the world but none of it helps him when he takes on the toughest gig known to mankind — being part of the NRL pre-match entertainment.
THUMBS UP
"He's the reason kids come to watch," said Johnathan Thurston of Jarryd Hayne, with whom he shared the Dally M Medal when it was announced at The Star on Monday. Hayne could've said it of Thurston.
THUMBS DOWN
The Swans. What's doing? Wewere ready to give Buddy Franklin the keys to the city, or at the very least several Kings Cross clubs. And then they go and spoil it all by doing something stupid like losing to Hawthorn by 63 points.
THE QUOTE
The Sydney trainer has Laser Hawk in Saturday's Epsom Hcp at Royal Randwick, and then his beloved Bunnies take on the Doggies in the grand final on Sunday. Big weekend.
It remains unclear if Souths will have a white or black bunny on their jersey.
Oh God! It's so important, so crucial. We play with the white bunny for our away strip. In a grand final, you just wouldn't run out in anything else but the black bunny. It just looks meaner. They win more games in it. I can't back that up statistically, but I'm sure that's right.
How long have you been a Souths supporter?
My dad grew up in Redfern, so my whole life. I had to find a new team when they were kicked out, so I went for the Warriors. They were lonely years.
What do you think about Issac Luke being kicked out?
He's my favourite player. I love him. I don't think it will be the difference between winning and losing, because I really do believe we've got a bit of a margin on them. I'm just so disappointed for him. To work for something for so long, and then have something taken away from you, I can't equate that to anything in my sport.
You had to scratch Epsom favourite Rock Sturdy this week. That's similar.
You can look at it that way. With racing, I know that sooner or later I will train the best horse I'll ever train. Maybe you can say it then. I love the spirit in which Issac plays the game. He's such a competitor. I met him at the season launch. He's a pretty cool cat.
What's more important: Laser Hawk getting the job done in the Epsom or the Rabbitohs winning their first premiership in 43 years?
Financially, Laser Hawk. Emotionally, Souths. I won't be at the game. I'm really superstitious. I got there on this ride with my eight-year-old son, Brave, sitting next to me on the lounge at home. I don't want to split that up.
Brave. Good name.
My mother-in-law didn't like it much. But I like it.
