Jason Demetriou has been punted as South Sydney coach after the board eventually decided his time was up.
The Rabbitohs board met for more than three hours at their Maroubra headquarters on Tuesday morning to address the future of their third-year coach who has led the last-placed Souths to only one win from seven games this season.
They then deferred any public announcements until after holding another meeting at 5pm so chairman Nick Pappas could be looped in from London for a second meeting.
He has been relieved of his duties, effective immediately, with the club issuing a statement to say it “need to go in a new direction with its coaching following a less-than-satisfactory series of results over the 2023 and 2024 seasons”.
“The board and management feel that now is the time to make a change to the leadership of our football program in terms of the head coaching role,” CEO Blake Solly said.
“There is no doubting Jason’s work ethic or his drive for success, but unfortunately that success has not been forthcoming over the past 12 months. We wish Jason, his wife Natalie and his daughters the very best of luck in the future and we thank him for his service to our club over the past five-and-a-half years.”
Assistant Ben Hornby will fill in on an interim capacity for the rest of the season with David Furner, who was only added to the coaching staff a couple of weeks ago, to help out the former St George Illawarra skipper.
Solly will front the media in Maroubra early on Wednesday morning, with Hornby expected to follow after the team’s captain’s run.
Jason Demetriou. (Photo by Matt King/Getty Images)
Souths had tied Demetriou to a two-year contract extension only last October, though it is understood a clause in that deal entitles him to only nine months of wages as his payout.
The Rabbitohs finish Demetriou’s 58-game full-time tenure with a 50 per cent winning record, but only a 25 per cent record across his last 20 games in charge.
Souths had led the competition through 11 rounds last year but things began to unravel spectacularly after star player Latrell Mitchell suffered a long-term calf injury.
During the slump that followed, Demetriou came under fire for allegedly giving the club’s star players preferential treatment, with club legend and assistant coach Sam Burgess leaving amid the rumours.
Earlier in the day, Demetriou said it is “not easy” to be the subject of ongoing scrutiny after South Sydney had deferred making a call on his future at the club.
Demetriou presided over training on Tuesday morning as the board mulled their options, and faced a media scrum as he left Heffron Park just after lunchtime – for the last time as coach.
“It’s not easy but it is what it is,” Demetriou said of the pressure. “It’s a big club, we’re not performing, so questions have to be asked. I understand that, I respect it.”
It is far from ideal preparation for the last-placed team as they prepare for Thursday’s clash against premiers Penrith.
“I’m prepping for tomorrow’s training,” Demetriou said. “I want to get on with coaching the footy team, that’s what I’m paid to do.”
Considered a head coach in waiting, Hornby dodged reporters by leaving Heffron Park through a side exit shortly before Demetriou departed through the front door.
The Rabbitohs’ slow start to the year has come after they capitulated from finals contention last season by losing seven of their last 10 games.
Club legend and assistant coach Sam Burgess quit amid the downturn, dogged by claims he disagreed with what was described as preferential treatment given to star players by Demetriou.
This year, Demetriou survived swirling rumours about his job security prior to the club’s round-seven bye, guiding the Rabbitohs to a spirited 34-22 loss to high-flying Cronulla in the face of three mid-game injuries.
But similar composure eluded Souths in round eight as they were thrashed 54-20 by Melbourne on Anzac Day.
Demetriou was pictured embracing several players at training on Tuesday as the pressure continued to mount. “The boys have been outstanding, that’s never been an issue,” Demetriou said.
“They’re tight, it’s a tight group. They’re battling with injuries at the moment, half a squad missing, and they keep turning up. They’ll turn up Thursday night as well.”
South Sydney have been heavily linked with Wayne Bennett, Demetriou’s former mentor at the Rabbitohs, who is due to leave the Dolphins at the end of the season.
Bennett, who led South Sydney to the 2021 grand final, has been coy when quizzed about his coaching future beyond this year.
with AAP
Morz
Roar Rookie
This may not be a popular view on The Roar, or maybe I might get some that agree. Anyway.... 'State of Bore'. It has run its course, it was great in its heyday, but frankly, as far as Rep footy goes, I am now more interested in International Footy. Yes, yes, I know both Australia and New Zealand have been pillaged a bit of some of their talent due to the International Eligibility changes that have made Tonga and Samoa much stronger, but I love it. To me, that is real "Origin" football these days with the amount of Maoris, Polynesians, Fijians and Papa New Guineans that play our great game. And let's no kid ourselves that State of Bore is any different, look at the amount of shenanigans that has and continues to go on with which players playing for one of the States when they should be playing for another - all you need to say there is "Inglis" but there have been many after him just as shady as far as State eligibility. And a final thought on this for now -- in no way whatsoever can State of Origin say it has the best players in the world. The Kiwi props would walk into the Kangaroo Team if they were Aussies. And a 30 nil thumping in the final test of last year indicates that International footy will continue to grow in interest as the Kangaroos grip of invincibility keeps getting shattered -- unless the International administrators stuff it all up, always a chance.
steveng
Roar Rookie
GB :laughing: that is the usual and spot on clown show that you have been pointing out and now it's even more apparent what you have always been saying! The South's board and management are totally useless and theyall need to be sacked! :thumbup:
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Let's take a look at the Rabbitohs board, including their chairman, Nick Pappas and their inability to act decisively. Firstly, IMO this decision should have been made mid-late last year, but certainly by the end of last season after Souths missed the finals for the first time in almost a decade after being 1st on the NRL ladder after 11 rounds. Then, at the end of the 2023 season, Demetriou gave us his expected and perfunctory mea culpa, saying he was going to conduct a rigorous and thorough review into what went wrong with the Rabbitohs 2023 season, with promises this would be fixed before the start of following season. Souths then went on to lose 5 of their first 6 games this year. So clearly, Demetriou has NO idea what the problem is, much less how to fix it. I mean, HOW do you fix the problem when YOU ARE the problem? This decision should have been made at least by the end of round 6 going into the Bye round for the Rabbitohs to give their caretaker coach 2 weeks to prepare the side for the Storm. No! That would be too reasonable. Much better to sack the coach and give caretaker coach Ben Hornby TWO DAYS to prepare the side for the defending premiers!!! The cherry on the cake for me in the procrastination and indecisive action, the hallmarks of incompetence, by the collective board members and chairman was that the board had to have 2 meetings on the same day and 5 hours apart to reach a decision. Why? 'Slippery Solly' tells us it is because Rabbitohs chairman Nick Pappas was on an overseas jaunt, and it was 2am in the morning, his time. So poor old 'Pappa Nick' needed to have a nap first! They had to wait for their chairman to have a sleep while they pretended to consider Demetriou's lengthy word salad of a 'proposal' to save his job. This 'proposal' would have had as much substance to it as the 'rigorous and thorough review into what went wrong with the Rabbitohs 2023 season' (working title: 'Word Salad #1'). I wonder whether 'Pappa Nick' was even aware of the Demetriou 'proposal' much less have time to consider it while he had his Dolmades with Tzatziki and goat's cheese for breakfast? In short, Sam, the whole board needs to go, including 'Pappa Nick'. Souths CEO 'Slippery Solly' should get shown the door as well, along with Mark puddin' Ellison, who looks like he spent more time with his head in a fridge than as 'head of football' responsible for recruitment and retention of Rabbitohs roster. Lachlan Ilias, Taane Milne, Michael Chee Kam, Sean Keppie, the giants of the game. All recruited by puddin'. But I think George Piggins has played his role at the club and deserves to enjoy his retirement. I was going to say at 79 yrs George would be too old for the role. But then, looking at Souths preferred coach for 2025, Wayne Bennett (74 yrs) it would seem a little hypocritical to endorse one and not the other. So who knows Sam? Anything is possible.
andrew
Roar Rookie
I hear Ray's known as Google Tony. He knows everything, just ask him.
Big Mig
Roar Rookie
Abbot, good points, however in my view Gray is too small for FB, just like Blake Taafe, full of talent and enthusiasm, better suited in the halves. Wighton has played FB before, and I think he has the maturity to read plays and organise the defence from the back better than Mitchell.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
Remember the lengthy period Oates was inexplicably dropped for? Although I'm sure it was just a coincidence. :silly:
Tony
Roar Guru
He's even older than Bennett
andrew
Roar Rookie
Ray Martin? After his belittling of people during the voice campaign who'd take him seriously. To use one of his old quotes, he's probably just a carpet stroller at Souths.
mushi
Roar Guru
Shocked!
mushi
Roar Guru
Yep when ever I've seen it tested with data it doesn't seem to exist. It just we report the bounce backs and ignore the losses
Albo
Roar Rookie
Good point ! I forgot about him, as he has been out for so long !
Short Memory
Roar Rookie
We'd take Stretch at the Tigers in a heartbeat.
Albo
Roar Rookie
But based on the past 12 months form of all these players, which other club would want any of them apart from Cam Murray ?
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
I remember a bit of that now.
Albo
Roar Rookie
Yep ! Those contract extensions always have a proviso clause in the fine print, something along the lines of ......"Unless you stuff up and send us to the bottom of the table " !
Albo
Roar Rookie
I tend to agree with all that, Cam. Seems there must have been some serious personality impasse that JD could not get through? Players have not been putting in for him? The Club was left with either letting some players go, or letting the Coach go ? They are punting that they have gone the right way.
Glory Bound
Roar Rookie
There was talk this character was "white-anting" Corey Oates marriage during his tenure at Red Hill. Did Ikin confirm there was any truth to that report?
Nick Maguire
Roar Rookie
:laughing: :laughing:
aerial lizard
Roar Rookie
Ben Ikin had a bit to say about your white-anting mate Seibs. Seems he strolled into a Broncos interview with top hat, cane and power point presentation; wowed the board into accepting him, and that was all he had. He is one Turbo hammy from the same at Manly.
Abbot
Roar Rookie
Not a bad line up. I’d switch up a few positions with Gray at 1, Wighton at 6, Walker at 7