Yet this seemingly innocuous stretch of bitumen separates two of the fiercest rivals in world sport. To the north, it’s the affluent Roosters, venture south and you’re a Russell Crowe Rabbitoh.

And no one can avoid having to pick a side.

Officially, Clovelly Road is the geographic boundary splitting these untamed rugby league rivals.

“I try to avoid going into Roosters territory but when I do it gives me the creeps,” said former Souths halfback, Craig ‘Tugger’ Coleman.

Sean Garlick, the only player to captain both clubs, added: “If you’re a Souths fan, there’s always some trepidation crossing Clovelly Road.

“And Roosters fans know they’re marching into enemy territory when they cross the same road heading south.”

Souths were officially formed on January 17, 1908, the Roosters just a week. That’s 42,223 days of hatred.

On Friday night at Accor Stadium, the game’s longest and most passionate loathing continues in a winner-take-all grudge match.

This is an elimination match a week before the official NRL finals. The loser is finished for 2023, the winner likely to play finals footy. It’s that simple.

A crowd of around 40,000 is tipped to attend the match.

“This is a rivalry the equal of any in world sport — Red Sox v New York Yankees, Manchester City versus Manchester United, LA Lakers versus the Celtics,” said South Sydney CEO Blake Solly.

“Games between the Rabbitohs and Roosters match all of them for passion, heritage and drama. These are the matches that we all follow sport for.

“Two extraordinary clubs with great support and everything on the line. It will be another amazing night in the history of these clubs.”

If Souths win, they will definitely progress. The Roosters will not only need to but also hope either North Queensland lose to Penrith or Canberra lose to Cronulla.

The Roosters are $2.30 outsiders, according to TAB, with Souths $1.62 favourites.

Crowe’s Book taunts and teases the Roosters.

“Forever in our shadow. Although they are indeed a foundation club, somewhere along the way the Roosters lost their soul. They simply don’t have the tradition, the stories or the romance that is South Sydney,” the book reads.

NRL’S SIN BIN WARNING TO ROOSTERS, RABBITOHS

Friday could be bin night at Accor Stadium.

This masthead can reveal that a whopping 15 players have been sin-binned in the past six games between South Sydney and Sydney Roosters, prompting the NRL to remind players about on-field “discipline.”

The Rabbitohs and Roosters continue their fierce 115-year rivalry on Friday evening in a winner-take-all round 27 match.

And based on the past three years, the game and crowd can expect some fiery on-field evictions.

Since 2021, Joey Manu, Michael Chee Kam, Jared Waerea-Hargreaves, Victor Radley (twice), Tom Burgess, Taane Milne (twice), Junior Tatola, Nat Butcher, Latrell Mitchell (twice), Sitili Tupouniua, Dane Gagai and Daniel Suluka-Fifita have all been ejected to the bin during matches between the two foundation clubs.

Incredibly, seven players were marched for ten minutes in one wild game last September at Allianz Stadium.

Referee Ashley Klein has banished 11 of the 15 players. While the NRL has appointed Adam Gee to control Friday night’s match, Klein will be used in the bunker.

“Round 27 is crucial to the make-up of the finals series,” said NRL executive general manager – elite football Graham Annesley.

“All clubs know what is on the line and they don‘t need me to tell them how important discipline will be to the outcome.

“I‘m not necessarily referring to foul play, but discipline across all areas of the game.

“I‘m not expecting anything other than an outstanding culmination to the premiership after 27 rounds of unbelievable football.”

This is an all-or-nothing game. If Souths win, they will definitely progress.

The Roosters will not only need to but also hope either North Queensland lose to Penrith or Canberra lose to Cronulla.

Last year’s ‘sin bin Sunday’ game – in week one of the finals – still hurts and haunts the Roosters, who claim they handled the flashpoint moment poorly.

“We have to make sure none of that push and shove gets in the way of us playing our best footy,” said Roosters forward Egan Butcher.

“We definitely had a look at that game and certainly some players, probably the whole team actually, took on a fair bit of emotion through the off-season about that game, and how it unfolded.

“I remember in the pre-season that a fair few of us spoke how we felt after that game and maybe a feeling of letting each other down. We got caught up in the emotion too much.

“Our biggest challenge is keeping our heads, staying cool in those moments and focusing on the game.”

EX-SOUTHS CHIEF SLAMS POWER STRUGGLE RUMOURS

Former Rabbitohs boss Shane Richardson has slammed critics of Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker and declared besieged coach Jason Demetriou will deliver South Sydney’s 22nd premiership.

The CEO who helped Souths break their 43-year title drought in 2014, Richardson blasted claims the Rabbitohs are a club in crisis as they play for their season in Friday night’s Roosters blockbuster at Accor Stadium.

Demetriou is under pressure to steer teetering Souths to the playoffs following a week of drama in which assistant Sam Burgess sensationally quit amid speculation Mitchell and Walker run the show at Redfern.

Equal first after 11 rounds, Souths have lost eight of their past 12 matches to slump to eighth and they will miss the finals if the Rabbitohs are beaten by the Roosters in the Bondi grudge match.

But Richardson, the key architect of bringing super coach Wayne Bennett and his disciple Demetriou to Redfern, rubbished suggestions ‘JD’ has lost the dressing room ahead of the Roosters showdown.

“The talk about the state of South Sydney is rubbish,” said Richardson, now a Rabbitohs consultant.

“Any suggestion the club is divided is nonsense.

“Jason Demetriou is the coach, he is an outstanding coach and we wouldn’t have chosen him otherwise to succeed Wayne Bennett.

“There is no question who runs the football department.

“Halfway through the year Souths were leading the comp, he was a genius, and now people are gunning for him.

“I think JD is our future, I really do. He has done the hard yards and done the apprenticeship.

“He has his chance now and I have no doubts whatsoever about Jason Demetriou.

“I have never been more confident about a coach in my life and I’ve dealt with quite a few of them.

“He hasn’t lost the dressing room. The players all love him. Cam Murray wouldn’t have signed an extension if JD wasn’t liked by the players. Every club has their hiccups, we’ve had our little hiccup but JD is the coach to lead us to our next premiership.

“I have never been surer that Jason Demetriou will win premiership No. 22 for South Sydney.”

Richardson has a long association with Burgess dating back to the English Test legend’s inspirational role in Souths’ 2014 triumph, playing 79 minutes with a fractured cheekbone to beat Canterbury in the grand final.

The former Souths powerbroker scoffed at suggestions Demetriou is losing a power struggle with Indigenous big guns Mitchell and Walker.

“It’s absolute rubbish,” Richardson said.

“Souths are a proud indigenous club, that’s why Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker came to us and that’s why Jack Wighton is coming to us next year.

“I think it’s a storm in a tea cup the supposed issues with Latrell and Cody. They love the club, they get on well with the coach and they are the future of what the club wants to do.

“No-one trains harder than Cody and Latrell has had some injury battles. Critiquing his form is fair enough, but criticising him over politics and what say they have in the club is absolute garbage.

“Latrell and Cody are not in charge of the club in any way shape or form, just as Greg Inglis didn’t run the club.

“There is no doubt in my mind that JD runs the football department. Blake Solly has a strong hand as CEO, he took over from me and he probably is better at the job than I was as chief executive.

“JD consults the leadership group and every club in the NRL does that and should do that. But JD and Mark Ellison run the football department and he has the confidence of the players across the club.”

Burgess will coach English club Warrington next season and Richardson says time will heal wounds.

“Look, Sam Burgess was a great player for South Sydney, he is an icon of the club and some day he will come back and hopefully be successful in England,” he said.

“One of the great arts in this game is managing personalities.

“Wayne Bennett does it so well as a coach and JD has the same ability.

“Sam needed some managing as a player, don’t worry about that. Michael Maguire did a wonderful job managing Sam and he led us to a grand final win.

“Some of the people being quoted about the club have no idea what’s going on at South Sydney.

“I do know what’s going on. I talk to Jason Demetriou once a week and he is a hardworking coach who for the first time in his career is going through a hiccup. It will be good for him. You have to go through these things to be a better coach.

“Johnny Lang once said to me you only become a good coach when you start losing and you have to fight your way out.

“Jason will fight his way out of this.”