Russell Crowe's Love In Upsets Rugby Hard Man  8/6/07

Russell Crowe has come under fire from a rugby rival - for telling players at the team he co-owns that he loves them.

Former South Sydney rugby league club players like tough guy John Sattler were stunned when they watched the actor hugging players and "sharing the love" in a new Australian TV documentary.

Angry Sattler says, "It's a lot of bulls**t."

The retired player admits he was particularly offended when Crowe was seen hugging star Dean Withers in one scene.

He tells the Sydney Daily Telegraph, "Imagine me walking up to (teammate) John O'Neill and saying I loved him and giving him a hug.

"He'd run. We had coaches like Clive Churchill and Bernie Purcell. They never said they loved us even when we won four premierships."