RUSSELL Crowe made a brave move by forcing former Rabbitohs star Luke Keary out of his club and it’s come back to bite him on the backside.

The South Sydney co-owner is now paying a heavy price for his famous blow-up with Keary which saw the premiership-winning playmaker move to the Roosters this off-season — and he’s paying his debt in embarrassment.

Keary has already been declared by some rugby league commentators as the best buy of 2017 with the 25-year-old starring in the Chooks’ undefeated start to the season.

Bunnies coach Michael Maguire is already under pressure after the club’s 34-18 loss to the Tigers in round one.

Rugby league greats Matthew Johns and Mark Geyer have joined the chorus of NRL commentators criticising Crowe and the Bunnies for forcing Keary to walk out the door.

It comes after Crowe famously blew up at Keary at a Rabbitohs pre-season bonding session, telling his star player, “You didn’t earn your money last season”.

It resulted in Keary walking out of the bonding session at Crowe’s Nana Glen farm before the 2016 season.

From that moment on Keary was reportedly on the outer at the Rabbitohs before he was signed by Roosters coach Trent Robinson, who was searching for a halves partner alongside Mitchell Pearce.

Keary’s response to his Rabbitohs humiliation has been emphatic.

As of Friday afternoon, Keary leads the competition in try assists for the 2017 season and has been instrumental in the Roosters’ wins over the Titans and Bulldogs.

“We know that he was going to be one of the buys of the year,” Johns told Triple M’s Grill Team.

“A sensational, tough young player. Souths must be watching him playing going, ‘Oh my god. How did we let him go’.

“He really should have been a Rabbitoh for life. They’ve absolutely stuffed up on that one. When you’ve got a player like that you keep him.”

When Keary was putting the nails in the Bulldogs’ coffin on Thursday night at Allianz Stadium, NRL fans were poking fun at Crowe and his rugby league intelligence.

Luke Keary with three try assists tonight..#NRLRoostersBulldogs pic.twitter.com/8Ck31vicSP — William Hill Aus (@WillHillAus) March 9, 2017

Luke Keary is a superstar now he isn't worried about Russell Crowe throwing a phone at him. #NRLRoostersBulldogs #NRL — Daniel V (@Bamboujikin) March 9, 2017

@russellcrowe thanks for having a crack at Luke Keary and getting rid of him. Sincerely @sydneyroosters fans. — Lachlan McKay (@LachlanMcKay) March 9, 2017

One of the best things to happen to the @sydneyroosters in the last year is Russell Crowe sledging Luke Keary! — Tim Carroll (@T_J_Carroll) March 9, 2017

Keary was in January overtly diplomatic in his response to his falling out with the Rabbits.

“I guess you’d say we’re on good terms, I don’t know,” Keary told Fox Sports.

“Once you leave a club you don’t really keep in contact too much. I guess you’d say good terms.

“Definitely good terms with all the boys there. We had some really good times over the four or five years I was there.

“I wouldn’t have done anything different on my end, it’s footy isn’t it? No one really gets to stay at one club any more do they? That’s just how it is.”

“You learn from things like that and it’s not ideal, but it’s something that happened.”

He appears to be letting his football do the talking.

The Rabbitohs host the Roosters in a round four blockbuster on Thursday March 23 at ANZ Stadium.