As South Sydney prepare to announce a deal to play 10 premiership matches in Perth over the next five years, co-owner Russell Crowe has been helping to promote the Rabbitohs brand in the US during an appearance on the Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

With the show's musical director sporting a Souths jersey and red-and-green-coloured balloons falling from the ceiling to coincide with his entrance, Crowe followed by handing out Rabbitohs merchandise to members of the audience. Asked to explain how different league was to American football, Crowe said: "It's like you're running a marathon, at pace, while surviving about 20 or 40 small car crashes."

After the success of the Australia Day Challenge match in Jacksonville last month, Souths and Leeds are set to return to the US on an annual basis.

The club is also considering playing two matches per season in Perth from next year; last week it held talks in Perth with the WA Government.