Scott Booby bleeds red and green. Has done for as long as he can remember.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
The former Bendemeer half's support for his beloved South Sydney is well-known around Tamworth, and ahead of Sunday night's grand final has been on display for all to see.
As it was in 2014 when the Bunnies broke their 43-year premiership drought, Booby's house has been adorned in red and green, and bunnies paraphernalia.
READ ALSO:
A family project, the decorations include red and green curtains, banners draped over, and hanging, from the roof, wooden bunny cut-outs and placards of some the players spread around the lawn.
Out the back, one of the banners that they had up to decorate the house back in 2014 still remains up.
Reflecting on how it all started, Booby said it was simply a case of they had a couple of his favourite players playing for them at the time.
From there it has snowballed into a fanatical passion that is shared by not only his wife Jodie, three of his four daughters (one is a Dragons supporter) and his two grandsons, but both his younger brothers, Josh and Colin, and their families.
Both of his grandsons have Rabbitohs birth certificate, and it is a well-known rule among the families that if you want to watch the footy at Scott's house and the Bunnies are playing you'd better be cheering for the red and the green.
"Even some family who don't go for the Rabbitohs, they will still support them.
"No choice really - if they want to be here," he joked.
He isn't immune to the odd bribery either. Jodie's sister Teegan Hewson recalled how her son Kobhan Hewson-Nean was staying over one time. A Dragons supporter at the time, Scott said to him one night if he changed and supported the Rabbitohs he'd by him a membership.
He's supported the Bunnies ever since, and is, Jodie said, as passionate as Scott is.
"He won't watch the football if it's a close game," she said.
As often as they can they go to games and sit in The Burrow. Unfortunately that has been tough the last two years but they were able to get down to watch them take on the Tigers back in April.
Many pundits wrote the Bunnies off when superstar fullback Latrell Mitchell was suspended, but Booby didn't lose the faith.
"I'd seen it Blake Taaffe play before," he said.
"You're confidence does dim a little bit but I was pretty confident in him and his ability. Obviously he's no Latrell, but if he could do his job I still had a bit of faith in them."
As for Sunday, defence will be the key.
"They played well last Friday night and when they played the Panthers before they put in a good defensive effort," Booby said.
"I think that's what they've got to do.
"If they get their defence right I think they'll be too skillful with Cody Walker and Adam Reynolds running the side."
The first grand final he had seen the club play in, back in 2014 they had a "big party" at the house.
"The celebrations were pretty big," he recalled.
"There were people streets away that messaged us the next day saying we heard you.
"It was all in good fun."
Due to the current climate, things will be a bit more subdued on Sunday. The plan is to have a bit of a family barbecue "and watch the football and hopefully celebrate at the end of it".
