South Sydney Rabbitohs Part Ways with Coach Demetriou Amidst Season Struggles

South Sydney Rabbitohs have parted ways with coach Jason Demetriou following a disappointing start to the 2024 NRL season.

After two board meetings on Tuesday, the decision on Demetriou’s future was deferred until the evening to include chairman Nick Pappas, who was overseas in London. Following the second meeting, it was decided that Demetriou would be terminated due to the team’s poor performance, with only one win in their first seven games.

Demetriou, who had been in his third year as coach, also oversaw the team’s failure to make the finals last year, losing seven out of their last ten games.

The club has yet to announce who will coach the team for their upcoming match against Penrith, but assistant coaches Ben Hornby and David Furner are potential candidates.

An interim coach is expected to address the media after the team’s training session in Maroubra on Wednesday.

Demetriou’s fate was sealed after a heavy defeat against Melbourne in round eight, where the Rabbitohs conceded the most points in any game during his tenure.

Despite speculation about his job security, Demetriou led the team to a spirited loss against Cronulla in their last game before the bye week.

The decision was made as Demetriou held his final training session in the rain on Tuesday morning. While he expressed uncertainty about his future, Demetriou acknowledged the challenges the team faced.

Souths had extended Demetriou’s contract just last October, but a clause in the agreement means he will only receive nine months’ pay as severance.

During his tenure, Demetriou maintained a 50% winning record over 58 games but struggled in his last 20 games in charge with only a 25% win rate.

The team’s decline began last year after star player Latrell Mitchell suffered an injury, leading to rumors of preferential treatment for certain players. Assistant coach Sam Burgess departed amid the controversy.

As Souths face a challenging start to the season, speculation surrounds the potential return of former coach Bennett, who is set to leave the Dolphins at the end of the season. Bennett, who led South Sydney to the grand final in 2021, has remained noncommittal about his coaching future beyond this year.