Barring a miracle, it appears the end is nigh for Jason Demetriou’s two-and-a bit-year reign as South Sydney Rabbitohs coach.
Fox League’s James Hooper reported Monday that Souths are “preparing to cut ties” with Demetriou, who will be “gone by Sunday” unless the Rabbitohs orchestrate a stunning form reversal against the Sharks.
If not, the Rabbitohs will likely give Demetriou his marching orders ahead of the club’s bye round, which will provide another week to get their affairs in line and importantly, a bit more time for whoever is named interim coach to acclimatise to the new role before their next game against Melbourne in Round 8.
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Demetriou under pressure to keep job | 02:42
Long-term, Hooper declared master coach Wayne Bennett was Black Caviar-like odds to return to the helm at South Sydney, the club he coached between 2019-2021 before he handed the reins to Demetriou when the legendary coach linked up with the Dolphins.
For a proud club like South Sydney, it’s easy to see why they are prepared to make a drastic move.
Demetriou has overseen a team that has won just five of its past 20 games, despite boasting a star-studded line up that includes Latrell Mitchell, Cam Murray, Cody Walker, Damien Cook, Alex Johnston and Keaon Koloamatangi.
There are signs Demetriou may have lost the locker room and cracks have been appearing for some time, including the Sam Burgess saga towards the end of the 2023 season and the fact Souths missed the eight that same year despite sitting second at the midway point.
Beyond Bennett there are other contenders the club could explore should they move on Demetriou as expected. Here is a list of possible coaching targets.
Wayne Bennett
We’ll start with the obvious.
Bennett’s contract with the Dolphins ends after this season, with a succession plan in place at the NRL’s newest club which will see current assistant Kristian Woolf take over.
Daily Telegraph reporter Paul Kent is confident 74-year-old Bennett will be able to fix the Rabbitohs’ problems, saying head coaching remains his first priority despite being linked with other clubs, including Parramatta, in various leadership roles.
“Absolutely he can (fix Souths),” Kent said.
“Wayne will coach until they put him in the ground and I say that respectfully. He’s got no ambition to stop coaching. He’s got no ambition to be a general manager of football despite what the Eels think.
“If he goes to Parra, he’ll go there as head coach. If South Sydney are the only job available next year, and the job comes up in the next six weeks … it’s odds-on that Wayne will be at Souths.”
Is Demetriou enabling player activities? | 01:21
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Sam Burgess
Burgess left his role as an assistant coach in the dying stages of the 2023 season, reportedly concerned with the favouritism handed to superstars Walker and Latrell Mitchell.
Burgess was departing the club at season’s end anyway having signed a two-year deal to coach the Warrington Wolves in the Super League from 2024.
It’s now looking like there was plenty of merit around Burgess’ concerns, and for that reason, Rabbitohs fans would love to see him back.
Not only because he’s a club legend, but it appears he’s got a big future in the coaching caper if the early returns from the UK are anything to go by.
After just seven rounds, he’s made quite the impression at Warrington, with the Wolves second on the ladder (five wins, two losses).
Burgess has signed a two-year contract with Warrington, so if he does return to the NRL, it probably won’t be until at least 2026. Combine that with the reported fallout with some of the club’s powerbrokers, it does appear an unlikely option, for now at least..
Michael Maguire
A somewhat surprising (and familiar) name to South Sydney has been tossed up as an option by veteran Daily Telegraph rugby league reporter Rothfield — former coach and now NSW Blues head coach Michael Maguire.
“I know someone who spoke to Madge today and he didn’t say he didn’t want it,” Rothfield said on NRL 360.
“I actually asked a very, very senior official at Souths would you approach Madge when you are during your due diligence, and he said he certainly would not rule it out.
“To my mind, where there is a necessity for someone strong, commanding, powerful at the Rabbitohs.”
Maguire has had a chequered history at the Bunnies. He was head coach of Souths from 2011-2017, leading the club to its most recent premiership in 2014.
However, it ended with his firing soon after the club finished a disappointing 12th on the ladder, with it being reported at the time he was blindsided by the decision.
“I think Maguire would be a great choice,” Kent said.
“Whether he wants to go back there as there’s a bit of bad blood with the way they got him out of there last time, but with that said, the management who fired him aren’t there any longer.
“It’s been going around for a bit that he could come in and be the caretaker coach (this year).”
ASSISTANT COACHES WORTH CONSIDERING
There are a number of talented head coaches-in-waiting around the league right now who are currently plying their trade as assistants.
One who should be in demand is former Titans coach Justin Holbrook, who is currently at the Roosters on Trent Robinsons’s staff.
You could argue Holbrook’s stock has risen significantly during the first month of the 2024 season based on the poor fortunes of the team that shockingly turfed him midway through last year.
On June 22, Holbrook was unceremoniously fired from the Titans effective immediately, with the club announcing premiership-winning coach Des Hasler as his replacement from 2024.
The decision hasn’t yet had the desired effect for the Gold Coast, with the Titans having lost 12 of 15 since Holbrook was fired while Hasler is 0-4 since taking over this season.
It goes to show that perhaps Holbrook wasn’t the issue at all, with the Titans going from a fringe top eight team with a talented roster to a struggling outfit with a talented roster.
You’d have to think that if they do part ways with Demetriou, current Rabbitohs assistant Ben Hornby will be the interim coach.
Hornby has been with the Bunnies since 2020 when he joined Bennett’s staff and an assistant since 2021.
If the Rabbitohs perform well under Hornby this season, but the club lock down a replacement coach for 2025, Hornby will become hot property
Other names the Bunnies could look at include Dean Young,Jason Rylesand Josh Hannay.
Like Hornby, Young played under Bennett at the Dragons before moving into coaching when his NRL career ended.
Young became St. George-Illawarra’s interim coach for six games in 2020 when Paul McGregor was sacked, going 2-4 in that span.
He would coach under Todd Payten at the Cowboys for three seasons before returning to the Dragons and joining Shane Flanagan’s staff from 2024.
He boasts a stack of experience working under some smart minds, and will be ready for his opportunity as a full-time head coaching when given the chance.
Hannay is another promising coaching prospect who should be leading an NRL team sooner rather than later.
The Sharks assistant, who had a taste of a top job in 2021 with Cronulla when he was named interim coach after John Morris’ sacking, is highly regarded by many around the league, including Queensland coach Billy Slater, who gave Hannay a huge endorsement last season.
In addition to his Sharks gig, Hannay is also one of Slater’s assistants on the Maroons staff.
“He could be one (a head coach) today, I’ve got absolutely no doubt about that,” Slater said in July last year.
“I’m quite surprised his name hasn’t been thrown up more often to be honest … He brings a lot of footy knowledge and he has a passion to coach and I certainly see him as a head coach in the future.”
“Where’s the Souths players?!” | 01:10
OUT OF LEFT FIELD
Brad Fittler
The odds are probably 1000/1 and drifting, but the Rabbitohs could do worse than the former Blues coach.
Fittler was reportedly on the wish list of Bulldogs supremo Phil Gould when Canterbury was looking for their next head coach for 2023 and beyond.
However, Fittler, who was Blues coach at the time, was perfectly content in his two roles as NSW coach and Channel 9 rugby league analyst.
“I will never, ever rule out anything,” Fittler told the SMH in mid-2022.
“But right now, had you asked me as a kid to picture what my two best jobs would be, one would be commentating on rugby league, and the other would be coaching Origin. I’m now doing both those jobs.
“There will be nothing done while I’m doing these two jobs.”
Now that Fittler is no longer with the Blues, perhaps the 52-year-old is exploring the idea of dipping his toe back in the coaching pool.
Why it could work? He’s got a strong relationship with the likes of Mitchell, Cook, Murray and Walker through coaching the Blues.
Also, due to his deeds as player and then rep coach, he’ll bring an aura and in turn demand a respect that unfortunately Demetriou appears to have lost in the Rabbitohs locker room.
Craig Bellamy
Due to the uncertainty over the last few years of whether the Storm coach will be at the helm in Melbourne beyond that current season, it’s no surprise to see his named linked to the Souths gig.
However, Melbourne chairman Matt Tripp has already squashed the rumours although acknowledged Souths may chase Bellamy.
“Good luck,” Tripp told The Daily Telegraph.
“I can’t begrudge them because I would want the best coach if I was in their position. I feel for them but it doesn’t mean we’re going to give him up.”
“We can’t stop them. To my mind he has a contract and knowing Craig the way I know Craig, he will honour that contract.
“I hope he keeps coaching (in Melbourne).”
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