South Sydney forward Chris Grevsmuhl to leave club after fallout with coach Michael Maguire

SOUTH Sydney forward Chris Grevsmuhl has played his last game for the club and is set to join Penrith immediately after a fallout with coach Michael Maguire.

BOOM South Sydney forward Chris Grevsmuhl has played his last game for the club and is set to join Penrith immediately after a fallout with coach Michael Maguire.

In the latest rift to rock the troubled 2014 NRL premiers, on Tuesday the talented 23-year-old was axed from the Rabbitohs team to take on Parramatta in Friday’s crucial showdown.

As Souths look to end a four-match losing streak, The Daily Telegraph learned that Grevsmuhl was not at training on Monday or Tuesday and instead decided to train alone.

Grevsmuhl’s relationship with Souths coach Maguire has reportedly broken down.

It is understood Grevsmuhl feels he can no longer play under Maguire and wants to link with the Panthers in time to play in round 11 against Gold Coast.

Already signed to join Penrith next season, it is believed Grevsmuhl had a run-in with Maguire following the Rabbitohs’ most recent loss to the Wests Tigers.

The Daily Telegraph was told that Maguire was critical of Grevsmuhl’s performance in the shock 30-22 loss.

Grevsmuhl feels some of the criticism that has been directed towards him is unfair because he is not the only Souths player struggling to perform to their ability under Maguire.

Grevsmuhl also feels he is being limited in what he can and can’t do on the field under Souths’ structure and style of play.

The Daily Telegraph understands Grevsmuhl’s management has spoken with South Sydney boss Shane Richardson about the situation and the two parties were trying to work out a resolution.

Richardson did not return The Daily Telegraph’s call on Tuesday night. Grevsmuhl’s manager Col Davis was reluctant to comment.

“I am not in a position to tell you anything at the moment,” Davis said when contacted.

This latest drama at the Rabbitohs comes in the wake of Greg Inglis’s shock switch to five-eighth this week. That heaped further speculation on the futures of under-fire halves Luke Keary and Cody Walker.

Keary is also off contract at the Rabbitohs and is looking for a new home in 2017 after his now infamous pre-season bust-up with owner Russell Crowe.

While Souths have done their best to play down that ongoing drama, Keary was named on the bench with Inglis to wear the No.6 jersey and Alex Johnston to play fullback against the Eels.

The talk of a rift between some of the playing group at Souths and Maguire have been going on for some time.

While the club has constantly denied it there is an issue, obviously it is still bubbling along behind the scenes.

A former Australian Schoolboy and Junior Kangaroo as well as a member of Queensland’s Emerging Origin group, Grevsmuhl is so highly thought after that Penrith supremo Phil Gould has long been one of his greatest admirers.

Grevsmuhl revealed after he signed to join Penrith that Gould had been chasing him since he was an unknown teenager on the rise at North Queensland.

Rumours of unrest between the players and Maguire have been doing the rounds.

“I’ve spoken to Gus for the past five or six years,” Grevsmuhl told Fox Sports this year.

“He’s been quite unlucky before that I’ve chosen to stay where I am or go elsewhere but we’ll finally be linking up together.

“When I first looked at moving down south Madge (Maguire) got the jump there but Gus came up and had a chat.

“But better late than never and I’m very happy to be heading out there next year.

“I know that he’s been wanting me for a while and now we get to link up and there’ll be a bit of insight from both of us for each other.”

Originally published as South Sydney forward Chris Grevsmuhl to leave club after fallout with coach Michael Maguire