Rabbitohs owners Russell Crowe, Mike Cannon-Brookes, James Packer should support Mario Fenech

The super-wealthy owners of South Sydney have been urged to support club legend Mario Fenech as his devastating battle with incipient dementia comes to light.

Fenech’s health deteriorates rapidly after his deadly condition leaves him with almost no memory and will soon require full-time care.

‘The Maltese Falcon’ has played 274 NRL games, 181 of which were in the Cardinal and Myrtle – and the revered club figure can still be seen in South’s training, that’s the esteem he has.

So with the medical bills piling up — which will steadily rise as Fenech’s health deteriorates — there are calls for megabucks Souths owners Russell Crowe, Mike Cannon-Brookes and James Packer to step in and help.

Mario Fenech played 274 NRL matches, 181 of which were in South Sydney’s iconic Cardinal and Myrtle

The influential trio is worth more than an estimated $28 billion; with software mogul Cannon-Brookes ($22.5 billion), businessman Packer ($5.3 billion) and movie star Russell Crowe ($179 million) all of whom have significant estimated individual net worth.

Fenech’s wife Rebecca is now forced back to work to make ends meet – and is deeply concerned about how the family will survive on just one paycheck.

She also revealed that insurance companies are no longer paying for her husband’s care.

Rabbitohs owners James Packer and Russell Crowe are called upon to help one of the club’s favorite sons, Mario Fenech, in his hour of need

Mike Cannon-Brookes (center, in jersey) and his software billionaires could be crucial to helping Fenech, who will soon require 24-hour care

She also said she discovered that, in his dementia-induced confusion, Fenech had forgotten to pay his health and life insurance bills.

“He stopped paying the bills because he couldn’t remember,” Rebecca said Channel 7.

“I just found them all in a drawer. Six months worth of bills that were never paid.”

Devastated, Fenech couldn’t even remember his own son’s wedding — with a prominent neurologist, Dr. Rowena Mobbs, who said his brain resembles that of an 80-year-old.

It’s the perfect opportunity for the financially stable trio of Packer, Cannon-Brookes and Crowe to step in.

Considering the way Fenech literally threw himself into everything he did on a football pitch, and one of the most important foundations of the proud Redfern club; it makes perfect sense to return the favor.

Despite his ailing health, Fenech continues to jump around quite often during Rabbitohs training sessions.

As the man he once was is slowly disappearing, it would no doubt be a popular move by the club to financially support one of their favorite sons, after what he gave to the game.

Unfortunately, Rebecca claimed that not everyone in the footy world has always fully supported Fenech.

Mario Fenech (left) and Russell Crowe (right) enjoy watching a Rabbitohs game together in 2008

The ‘Falcon’ was treated by the hosts of The Footy Show as a comedic figure and an object of ridicule, and she said her husband often came home ‘wretched’ because of the way he was treated.

‘She [The Footy Show] perceived the mickey out of him, really, he’s a very intelligent man – but that’s the way it rolled,” she said.

“He wasn’t a boy boy because he didn’t gamble, he didn’t go out for a beer after the show. So I guess it kind of isolated him from those people.”

In a famous clip from the hit show, Fenech said, “I’m just a circus animal on this show.”

Fenech’s wife Rebecca revealed her husband was outraged by the constant ribbing he hit on The Footy Show

Rebecca said Fenech keeps track of just a few of the many presenters he has worked with on the program.

‘He speaks to Fatty’ [Paul Vautin] very occasionally or to Sterlo [Peter Sterling]sometimes Blocker [Steve Roach]it’s three people he talks to maybe once or twice a year,” she said.

“But no, we’re not hearing from anyone.”