The Daily Telegraph
By Dean Ritchie
August 07, 2007

Attention-seekers ... Manly CEO Grant Mayer yesterday accused Souths co-owners Russell Crowe (left) and Peter Holmes Court of hogging the limelight. Photograph: Kristi Miller / The Daily Telegraph
Any publicity is good publicity, or so they say
By Warren Smith
Wednesday, August 08, 2007
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I mean, only Hugh Jackman in a footy jumper could provide the sort of publicity opportunity that Russell Crowe brings to the table.
That reminds me, I'm sure it was the Manly club spruiking recently that Hugh would be attending the Sea Eagles game against the Dragons at Brookvale Oval in Round 25.
I don't surpose there'll be a photo of Jacko in a maroon-and-white jersey in the next days papers, will there?
Fancy using movie stars to promote your cause!
Hugh Jackman A Proud Manly Fan
By Jack Bartlett - Manly Sea Eagles
16/07/2007
Image thanks to Manly Sea Eagles
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Another major international celebrity has outed himself as a long time Manly fan. Hugh Jackman, most famous for his roles as Peter Allen in the Boy from Oz and Wolverine in X Men, has followed the Sea Eagles since he was a boy living on Sydney's North Shore.
The club found out about Jackman's support through a friend of Steve Bell's who is working on the set of Baz Luhrmann's epic Australia. The Hollywood Star has reportedly been wearing his Manly jumper around the set and is expecting to make it to Brookvale for the final round match against the Dragons.
By Rebecca Wilson and Phillip Heads
July 15, 2007
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THERE'S a bit of extra incentive for the Sea Eagles to stay in the top four and earn a semi-final at Brookvale Oval. If they can manage that, lifelong Manly fan Hugh Jackman has told the club he'll be in the crowd. He also plans to attend the final-round game of the season against the Dragons. The Hollywood superstar has been a fan of the club since his school days on the north shore at Knox College. Jackman has been wearing a signed Sea Eagles jersey on the set of the movie he is shooting with Nicole Kidman in north-western Australia.
Celebrities spotted with Souths gear from RC & PH C
Burt Reynolds - Image thanks to MaximumCrowe
Shane Warne
Ricky Ponting
Terri Irwin - Image thanks to Newspix
Mario Fenech
Merrick & Rosso (Merrick Watts & Tim Ross)
Leo Sayer
Koby Abberton
The Teutals
Anthony Mundine
Cordozar Calvin Broadus Jr (Snoop Dogg)
Alan Jones
Back in July Russell hooked up Lleyton & Bec Hewitt and ... Michael Clarke & Lara Bingle
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Crowe call goes out to Hewitt: It's time to become a Rabbitoh
LLEYTON Hewitt is known as a mad Adelaide Crows man, but it looks as if he's about to adopt a Sydney league team - The South Sydney Crowes, er Rabbitohs.
My understanding is that Russell Crowe heard an interview Hewitt did during Wimbledon in which he mentioned he didn't have an NRL team. Crowe leapt on the opportunity and a Souths jumper is on its way. "He said he didn't have a team, so we are happy to adopt him, "Crowe said. "Lleyton embodies the never say die spirit the Rabbitohs are all about. He's the kind of supporter we'd love to have."
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Hewitts back the Bunnies
Lleyton & Bec Hewitt
Michael Clarke & Lara Bingleto Bruno
A FEW weeks ago, I told you about Souths' attempts to recruit Lleyton Hewitt as a supporter.
Well, Russell Crowe has succeeded again. Hewitt was at the match last night with wife Bec, sporting the Souths gear Crowe sent him and cheering the Bunnies home against the Titans.
Hewitt said in an interview with Channel Nine during Wimbledon that he didn't have an NRL team, and Crowe jumped.
Also in attendance was Test batsman Michael Clarke and his girlfriend Lara Bingle.
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Boxed in at Rusty's
There was a very good reason why A-listers galore were sardined into Russell Crowe's owner's box at Telstra Stadium last Saturday night. It was likely to be Rusty's last home game this year because acting commitments will be dragging him overseas. While Crowe entertained other celebrities, such as singer Leo Sayer and former Rabbitohs Mario Fenech and Sean Garlick, Bec and Lleyton Hewitt happily chewed down party pies and sausage rolls in the adjoining box. So did Test cricketer Michael Clarke and his squeeze, Lara Bingle.
Johns joins big league film stars
the diary
Shelly Horton
The Sun-Herald
September 2, 2007
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While Andrew Johns stole the spotlight last week with his admission of years of drug abuse, his big brother, Matthew, was making a positive impact on the big screen.
On Monday night the elder Johns walked the red carpet for the premiere of The Final Winter, a film, it seems, he was destined to star in. The Final Winter is set in the 1980s and follows the Newtown Jets rugby league team. Johns plays the team coach. In real life, Johns's father coached Cessnock - sister team to the Jets from 1980. And in the early 1980s a young Matty Johns was actually a Jets supporter.
But here's where you have to cue the Twilight Zone music: Johns's character name in the film is Jack Cooper - and in real life his two sons are named Jack and Cooper.
"When I read the script and saw the name and all the other connections I figured it was meant to be," Johns told me.
And in another coincidence, in 1981 Paramount Shirts sponsored the Newtown Jets. After making the film, writer and lead actor Matt Nable shopped the movie around. In the end it was Paramount Pictures that released the film.
Nable says he thoroughly researched the film and, although it's a fictional story, the era is represented factually.
I don't doubt him; league is in his blood, too. Nable played for Manly, his dad was a trainer for the Kangaroos and his brother played for Balmain. (And, just quietly, Nable intensely smoulders in the lead role - Russell who?)
At the after party, Jacqueline McKenzie, who's back from filming The 4400 in Hollywood, blew me out of the water with her league knowledge. First of all, her date was Joe Cross, the chairman of the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles.
And she couldn't stop gushing about the league greats.
"These guys were my idols," she said. "Growing up I wasn't big on TV, I hardly ever went to the theatre but I certainly knew my league. And they're all here: Max Krilich, Ray Price, Steve Mortimer and Mario Fenech. If Peter Sterling turns up I might die."
As my mouth dropped open at her enthusiasm, she softly shook her head.
"You just don't get it, do you? I've done a play with Al Pacino and I've never been so star struck as meeting [Noel] Crusher Cleal."
Rabbitohs copied us - Delmege
Glenn Jackson
September 5, 2007
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IF IT wasn't bad enough that they think Souths are more deserving of the "silvertails" tag, now Manly are taking much of the credit for the Rabbitohs' success.
Max Delmege, who along with fellow businessman Scott Penn has a majority stake in the Sea Eagles, revealed Rabbitohs co-owner Peter Holmes a Court met him during the infancy of his bid with actor Russell Crowe to take control of the club.
"Yes, Souths, through Peter Holmes a Court, rang me about it, he asked me about it, and I did explain it all to him," Delmege said. "It's exactly the same model. Except that they have owners who have a much higher profile.
"But that's fine. We don't have a problem with that. I'd just rather the coaches and the players be the ones who are getting all the publicity. Our club is controlled by the CEO, the coaches and the players. All we are are a few people putting in some dough to keep the club afloat."
After Delmege's comments, Holmes a Court said yesterday he was attempting to keep a low profile this week, although he confirmed the Souths model was largely based on Manly.
"I met with Scott Penn, who's a good personal friend of mine, and I saw the model he put forward to Manly. Max bought me lunch and I'm very happy for that," he said.
The build-up to the sides' most-recent clash - Souths' 24-18 win in round 23 - was dominated by bickering. Delmege suggested the Rabbitohs deserved the silvertail tag more because the Sea Eagles couldn't afford Armani suits, while Holmes a Court responded by saying: "Let's see if more than 100 of them [Manly fans] turn up to the game."
Delmege conceded the Rabbitohs' making the finals in the first full season with the new ownership team in charge was a significant effort.
"I can't take anything away from them," he said, even hoping "for a great patronage of their supporters".
Still, one thing is certain, Souths' former chairman George Piggins will not be among them. Despite being coach of the previous Souths side to play in the finals, Piggins told the Herald yesterday he would not attend the game.
"I'm in litigation with some of these people," Piggins said. "The way they discredited me what for? I was there for 40 years. Anybody could have come to get the vote the way they did. They didn't have to be critical of me.
"I'll be watching. I've watched every game this year. But I'll watch them from TV. It's as simple as that."
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You don't have to be an angel to support Souths.
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