South Sydney Rabbitohs sack coach Jason Demetriou

Wayne Bennett is rumoured to be Rabbitohs’ number one choice to replace Jason Demetriou for the rest of the 2024 NRL season. 

After weeks of speculation and rumours about his future, Rabbitohs have finally decided to sack head coach Jason Demetriou. South Sydney have won just one match all season and the club have decided it was time for a change. The decision was confirmed after hours of internal debate at the club.  

Demetriou sacked 

South Sydney are in the midst of one of the worst starts in the club’s history. After seven rounds, the Bunnies have just one win and a dumbfounding -136 points differential. Multiple players seem to have checked out and the media have been brutal. Something needed to change. South Sydney agree with this sentiment and have sacked head coach Jason Demetriou.  
 
The club confirmed this decision on Tuesday via a statement.  
 
“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,” said Rabbitohs CEO, Blake Solly. 
 
“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,” Solly said.  
 
Ben Hornby has been named interim head coach for the rest of the 2024 NRL season or until a replacement can be signed.  

Bennett could be named new Rabbitohs coach 

As soon as the news broke that Demetriou was out at South Sydney, reports started to emerge that Wayne Bennett is the club’s target to take over at Souths. “If he wants it, he can have it,” one anonymous report claimed.  

These reports were confirmed on Wednesday. Rabbitohs CEO, Blake Solly revealed that Bennett is “Wayne is one of the coaches we will talk to.” 
 
The 74-year-old has already confirmed that this will be his last year with his current club, Dolphins. He has been strongly linked to Parramatta if Brad Arthur leaves the club this season. However, he now could be on his way back to South Sydney. “We’ve had some discussions,” Bennett told The Sydney Morning Herald on Wednesday.  
 
Bennett coached Rabbitohs for two seasons between 2019 and 2021.  
 
“Wayne had great success, he left the club on very good terms. We will speak to Wayne and if he’s available and interested certainly will progress that,” Solly said about Bennett’s last tenure.  

Drama behind the scenes with Hollywood owner 

The decision to sack Jason Demetriou was reportedly not a very easy one for the club to make. Several Souths owners and key players went back and forth for hours across two board meetings on Tuesday. One of Demetriou’s biggest allies throughout all of this was Hollywood star Russell Crowe.  
 
The childhood Rabbitohs fan has been a co-owner at the club since 2006. He currently owns 25% of the club and is very involved in all major decisions. Reportedly, Crowe was confident he would be able to sway his fellow board members.  
 
According to the SHM, Crowe texted Demetriou, saying “I’ve got your back.” Just hours later, Demetriou was given his marching orders and his contract was terminated.  

Interim manager Ben Hornby has a tough challenge waiting for him this round. Souths will host reigning  Premiers Penrith Panthers. The betting sites have them as huge outsiders. We’ll all be watching to see if Hornby can defy the odds and turn things around in his first match.