“The hatred they have towards us is real.”
Those are the blunt words from Angus Crichton that perfectly sum up the rivalry between the South Sydney Rabbitohs and Sydney Roosters.
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Beginning in 1908, no rivalry in the NRL runs as deep as the one shared between the two foundation clubs, with more than 115 years of history, hostility and unforgettable moments fuelling the tension every time they meet on the field.
Whether it is playing in grand finals, poaching players or battling over junior territories, the animosity between the two clubs has been impossible to ignore.
“It doesn’t matter where the teams are coming, every year for the 15 years that I was involved, it was always one of those games where you looked at the calendar and pencilled in when you were playing the Bunnies,” former Roosters enforcer and Fox League expert Jared Waerea-Hargreaves told foxsports.com.au.
“It’s a big part of why I played the game. That rivalry the two clubs have, the passion, you always knew that it was gonna be on. You looked forward to it.
“It was hostile, it was so much energy, and it’s what keeps this great game going.
“You look forward to going to the beaches the next day on recovery, you like flying the flag for sure.
“We share the same area, so when you get a win over the neighbours, it definitely feels like you’ve got a bit of a swag in your step the next morning.”
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There has always been tension between the two teams.Source: Getty Images
Now, they will add another chapter to their ever-growing ‘Book of Feuds’ on Friday night.
In what promises to be a high-intensity battle, Cameron Murray, Cody Walker and Latrell Mitchell will lead the charge for the Rabbitohs, while the Roosters look to defend their home ground and will be spearheaded by Angus Crichton, Daly Cherry-Evans and James Tedesco.
But rivalries like this are never built overnight.
With only a few kilometres separating the two clubs geographically, the two clubs have been locked in a fierce battle for supremacy across Sydney’s eastern suburbs
Generations of players and supporters have grown up understanding exactly what the clash means, with the result carrying more than just two competition points, but bragging rights.
“I’ve grown up with this rivalry,” Bunnies TV’s Steven Mavin, who played over 85 matches for the Rabbitohs, told foxsports.com.au.
“I’ve been a Souths supporter my whole life and we’ve always had that rivalry with the Roosters cause they’re our cross-town rivals, they’re our closest neighbour.
“It was a game that we were always up for back then and the boys are still up for it now. I think the rivalry has developed more in modern times.”
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Reflecting on the battles he had against the Roosters, Mavin remembers giving some ‘extra attention’ to a few opposition players whenever the rivals met on the field.
“There was a player that played for the Roosters called David Smith and he was my opposite. Back in the day, I liked to focus on my opposition player and try and single him out for some attention,” Mavin added.
“Me and David Smith had a bit of a running battle and I think I got the better of him a couple of times…that was sort of the fun thing to do back then.
“Back in the day it was a little bit more rougher so you could get away with quite a lot because there weren’t as many cameras and bunkers and all of that and every game wasn’t televised.
“I was in an all-in brawl once where someone might’ve taken a bit of an exception to what I did.”
The rivalry between the two clubs have remained the same.Source: Getty Images
Fast-forward to the current day, and while the game itself has changed, the rivalry remains the same.
Two players who will be taking part in the match on Friday evening are Roosters back-rower Angus Crichton and Rabbitohs recruit Bronson Garlick.
And while the duo have gone down different paths, they share a similar understanding of what is expected of them when their teams meet at Allianz Stadium.
Crichton has played for both the Rabbitohs and Roosters during his time in the NRL, while Garlick, a local boy, has never played against the Roosters in first-grade while wearing the famed Cardinal and Myrtle jersey.
“It feels like a bigger game than just a regular round game and the hatred they have towards us is real and I felt that when I came across,” Crichton said.
“I made my Roosters debut against Souths and they were booing me and I think I played another milestone a couple of years ago against Souths.”
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Angus Crichton has played for both foundation clubs.Source: Getty Images
Garlick echoed the words of his rival, admitting that the rivalry was something that he had grown up with.
“It’s gonna be our first game against the Roosters and I don’t think you need any motivation growing up in the area,” Garlick said.
“(I was) pretty much taught to hate the Roosters but I’m sure they’re going to be coming out to make amends on what happened last week.
“Being a South supporter and growing up in the area, you either went for Souths or the Roosters. Even though you had mates that were Roosters fans, you hated them when it came around.
“It’d be the talk into the weekend and then you get to school on Monday and whoever won had the bragging rights until the next game.
“That hasn’t changed. You get around your community, and you see these days, nothing’s changed. So I think for me it’s going to be a really special week.”
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For players like Crichton and Garlick, the rivalry isn’t something that begins when they reach the NRL – it’s something that starts long before that.
The deep-rooted passion has ensured the fixture remains one of the most anticipated clashes of the season.
“It’s always a big game against the Roosters. Any member of the Souths community can tell you that there’s a little bit of added heat and intensity with these games,” Rabbitohs skipper Cameron Murray added.
“We love the rivalry, we love how the fans get around it, we love writing new chapters and so it’s a game that we don’t need to really psych ourselves up for.
“It’s always a big occasion, and for us, the occasion gets us up for it.”
Roosters and NSW Blues utility Connor Watson continued, “It’s something that I think probably earlier in my career was pushed a bit more in the Under-20s and all that.
“Your coach would be in here about going out there and trying to sort of smash them but I think as you go through your career, you look forward to these games because of the energy that comes with it.
“You want to go and play in these big games and there’s going to be a big crowd here.”