sport news Inside Russell Crowe's Souths 'power struggle' with Aussie tech billionaire as ... trends now
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Russell Crowe is reportedly locked in a power struggle with tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes as the Souths co-owners deal with the fallout from the biggest dramas to hit the club in 20 years.
The Hollywood star is widely credited with playing a leading role in making the Rabbitohs a footy force when he and businessman Peter Holmes a Court bought 75 per cent of the team in 2006.
He has since been joined by Cannon-Brookes and James Packer, with the trio now each having a 25 per cent stake in the club, with the remaining quarter owned by Souths members.
Once hailed as the man who brought Souths back to being the 'pride of the league' after he took control of the club in 2006, there are now strong signs the Hollywood star's influence at the club is sliding away
Tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes (pictured third from right with Souths players and current CEO Blake Solly, third from left) is increasing his clout with the Bunnies after spending millions to buy a stake in the club in 2021
Recent events surrounding the sacking of Jason Demetriou after he presided over a shocking run of bad form have shown that Crowe's influence at the club is on the slide.
It has been revealed that the Gladiator star backed Demetriou to the hilt just hours before he was sacked on Tueday, telling him, 'I've got your back.'
But despite Crowe's eagerness for the coach to be given the chance to turn things around, the board unanimously voted to let him go.
The 60-year-old also reportedly tried to get former Bunnies CEO Shane Richardson to return to the club in what would amount to a huge vote of no confidence in current chief executive Blake Solly.
And he is barely on speaking terms with club chairman Nick Pappas, according to a Fox Sports, with the publication also claiming Crowe has had several phone conversations with 'supercoach' Wayne Bennett in an attempt to convince
