The subject of fan involvement has come to the fore in recent days after South Sydney Rabbitohs star Latrell Mitchell slammed the jeers he received from Roosters fans every time he touched the ball during the Round 25 clash.
Mitchell is no stranger to the pressure of high-intensity contests and has also dealt with trolls in the past, but he admitted the novelty wears off quick.
“It’s sh*t to be honest,” Mitchell told the Daily Telegraph.
“It’s not nice because we cop it every day as it is, and regardless of what happens on the field, it stays on the field. (Fans) have control over what they do off the field when they come to watch a game.
“It doesn’t worry me, I’m just saying it’s disappointing to see it week-in, week-out.
“I think it comes down to me being who I am. I’ll cop what I cop.”
Mitchell famously left the Roosters for their arch-rivals in 2020, and his relationship with Tri-colours supporters became even terser after a disastrous hit on Joey Manu last year.
But former teammate Luke Keary - who moved the other way, from Redfern to Bondi back in 2017 - disagreed with Mitchell’s assertions, claiming that intense atmosphere is an ‘awesome’ part of the game.
“Whether it’s good or bad, as a player you feed off that stuff,” Keary told the Telegraph.
“I could care less about whether they boo me, boo him, cheer him, cheer me. (Fans) pay your money, you can do what you want. As long as it doesn’t step over the personal, racial or cultural things like that, boo who you want.
“I don’t think anyone went over the edge.”
There will be extra intensity in Sunday’s rematch between the teams, and not just because of the high-stakes nature of an elimination final. Relationships have also become strained after the pre-sale ticketing fiasco that saw South Sydney fans given the wrong password by the NRL to access pre-sale tickets.
The Elimination Final will be played at Allianz Stadium on Sunday, September 11. Kick-off is at 4.05pm (AEST).