NRL 2024: Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly on Jason Demetriou sacking, Adam Reynolds exit, boardroom drama and Wayne Bennett chase
As the Rabbitohs begin to pick up the pieces following Jason Demetriou’s axing, several key moments in recent history have been re-examined – including the treatment of one of the club’s favourite sons, Sam Burgess.
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South Sydney chief executive Blake Solly has once again been forced to defend the club’s decision to part ways with favourite son Adam Reynolds and dismiss talk of boardroom bickering as the Rabbitohs begin picking up the pieces following the departure of coach Jason Demetriou.
Demetriou was given his marching orders on Tuesday night, the club parting ways with the coach after a season of bitter disappointment which has left them at the bottom of the NRL ladder.
He wasn’t the only high-profile departure either as Souths chief operating officer Brock Schaefer opted to quit to pursue other opportunities and allow the club to make a fresh start.
Those plans ramped up on Wednesday as Solly reached out to seven-time premiership-winning coach Wayne Bennett. But, before the club could move forward, the chief executive was quizzed again over the failure to keep Reynolds at the Rabbitohs.
Reynolds’ decision to leave at the end of 2021 has been pinpointed by many as the moment when Souths began to go off the rails. The club offered him a one-year deal but he wanted longer and Souths were reluctant to come to the party because they had salary cap constraints and were wary of blocking the path of young half Lachlan Ilias.
That decision reared its head again on Wednesday.
“Of course we regret Adam going,” Solly said.
“We didn’t let Adam go – we made Adam an offer and Adam wanted a longer term. We wanted Adam to stay.”
BOARDROOM BICKERING
The ripple effects of that decision continue to be felt as Souths begin to rebuild on and off the field. On the field, Reynolds has never really been replaced.
Off it, the club has been beset by rumours in recent weeks of fractures at ownership level – Oscar winner Russell Crowe, tech billionaire Mike Cannon-Brookes and investor James Packer each own 25 per cent of the club.
The other 25 per cent is owned by the members. As Souths season has begun to unravel, it has become clear that key officials haven’t always been on the same page.
Some club officials insist they were out of the loop when Kangaroos coach Mal Meninga was approached about joining the club as an interim, when Demetriou appeared on borrowed time.
Former chief executive Shane Richardson was also sounded out about a return to the club. Crowe continues to wield great influence – he has two representatives on the board while the other private owners only have one – but recent events have given rise to suggestions that his power has been diluted.
The talk has been that Cannon-Brookes is having more of a say, which is understandable when you consider he outlaid upwards of $10 million for his stake in the club. Crowe and Packer reportedly split the investment.
Crowe has also been overseas of late, only returning recently after filming in Budapest. He had been forced to keep an eye on the club’s dismal form from afar but he wasn’t in and around the club as things went pear-shaped, although his representatives on the board – movie producers Keith Rodger and Michael Borglum – no doubt kept him abreast of developments.
Cannon-Brookes and his board representative – Kelly Morton – were up close and personal. They were in the dressing rooms after defeat and observed the interactions between Demetriou and his players.
Crowe declined to comment on Demetriou’s departure when contacted by this masthead.
“Nothing to say at this point,” he wrote. “Thank you very much for the opportunity.”
He then signed in usual style.
“Be happy and busy.”
Solly insisted the board and the owners were united.
“The fact that the decision was unanimous shows that they are seeing eye-to-eye on the decision,” Solly said.
“Any board that doesn’t give something like this the due discussion and deliberation it deserves isn’t doing their job.
“Our board has always been wonderful at discussing things and considering what options are on the table and coming to a unanimous decision.
“That is the sign of a great board, not a board that is dysfunctional.”
OPERATION BENNETT
South Sydney were contacted by a prominent player agent on behalf of former Wallabies coach Michael Cheika on Wednesday morning but the Rabbitohs job is Wayne Bennett’s to lose.
Talks have already begun between key officials and Bennett. If you listen to the rumour mill, the seven-time premiership winner was sounded out some time ago but Bennett has always refused to negotiate with clubs who have a coach in place.
There are some ethical boundaries Bennett won’t cross. Now that Demetriou is gone, the final impediment to a Bennett homecoming has been removed. He can open negotiations with Souths with a clear conscience.
Bennett spent three years at the Rabbitohs, a period in which the club was shrouded in success. He led them to preliminary finals in his first two years in charge before qualifying for the grand final in 2021, only for the Rabbitohs to lose a nailbiter to Penrith.
The Dolphins have made it clear they want Bennett to stay in some capacity at the club next season but at the age of 74, he has no desire to stop coaching.
South Sydney are willing to give him that opportunity. Solly stared down cameras on Wednesday morning and gave every indication that Bennett was the man they wanted.
Other coaches – Cheika included – are merely a backstop if they can’t get a deal done. Bennett won’t be short-changed. That means a seven-figure salary and a commitment to let him run the show.
His relationship with the likes of Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker makes him even more appealing for officials and money won’t be an issue given the club’s ownership structure – Mike Cannon-Brookes and James Packer are billionaires while Russell Crowe isn’t exactly short of a dollar.
Bennett has immense respect for the Rabbitohs’ history. He loves the club and has spoken effusively – as effusive as Bennett gets anyway – of his relationship with Crowe, the pair having bonded over their shared love of farming and cows.
“Football’s been my life since I was born and he’s as committed as anyone I’ve seen to a club,” Bennett said of Crowe three years ago.
“He’s done some wonderful things, he’s a great guy to work with, he’s always asking me what more can he do. ‘How can I help here?
“But I think what I admire most about him is he’s so deep into the history of that club. He believes it, lives it. All the change rooms, all the corridors are full of South Sydney history.
“You can’t walk through that place without feeling a part of it. I can tell you.”
The band may be getting back together.
UNLEASHING LATRELL
If Bennett does land at Souths, one of his first priorities will be to find a way to get the best out of the Rabbitohs’ best player.
Latrell Mitchell is a superstar on his day but they have been few and far between this season and Demetriou’s inability to inspire Mitchell has played a major role in his axing.
Demetriou wrapped his arms about Mitchell. He gave him every ounce of support he could. Yet it failed to prompt the desired response and Mitchell’s season reached its nadir three weeks ago when he was suspended a cheap shot on Shaun Johnson that still has him on the sidelines.
Solly hinted that extracting the best from Mitchell was one of the qualities that attracted the club to Bennett. He also pointedly made reference to Demetriou’s player management when he was asked about he decision to change coach.
“First of all I want to say that Jason is an incredibly hardworking coach,” Solly said.
“He’s a good person, we’ve worked together for the last five-and-a-half years. Very strong values and a great family man, but, in our view we just felt that the style of play and probably Jason’s management of the players needed to change.
“That’s no criticism of his work ethic or how much effort he’s put in, but we just felt we needed a change in management.”
It is understood those comments were made more in reference to Demetriou’s handling of the club’s young players, but there is no doubt Mitchell has failed to flourish this season.
Even those close to the NSW and Australian superstar concede something needs to change. They urged him to stay off social media Mitchell to focus on his football – Mitchell has only now begun posting again, heralding his return with a video of him training accompanied by words about becoming a champion.
The biggest change may be Bennett. He knows what makes Mitchell tick.
BURGESS BATTLES
The dramatic departure of Sam Burgess as an assistant coach on August 22, last year is viewed by many Rabbitohs fans as a moment that still haunts the club.
While highly revered and respected, it would be naive to suggest the club legend would be the panacea to the Rabbitohs’ myriad of issues.
Still, there would be plenty who believe he is never needed more than right now.
Ultimately, the appointment of Burgess comes back to Crowe’s urgings and influence.
Few, if any, NRL coaches are told which support staff they must appoint. Trust is key and to have every leader on the coaching staff on the same page, is paramount to any team’s success.
However, that wasn’t the case for Demetriou.
The match that triggered Crowe to ensure Burgess stopped coaching the Orara Valley Axemen, was on June, 16 2022, round 16, when the Rabbitohs trailed St George-Illawarra 32-0 nil, before losing 32-12.
It was the infamous match that saw rookie halfback Lachlan Ilias hooked from the field after 28 minutes.
It was immediately after that meek showing that Burgess and Crowe spoke. The discussion was based around the lack of Rabbitohs DNA within the dressing room and on a coaching staff that included John Morris and Ben Hornby.
Within 72 hours of that match, reports emerged that Crowe would be looking to bring Burgess back.
Just over a month later, it was confirmed Burgess had knocked back interest to join Bennett at The Dolphins to take up a role on Demetriou’s coaching staff in 2023.
Ultimately ending in tears when the 2014 premiership-winner walked out last year after failing to see eye-to-eye with the head coach’s coaching principles, it was a forced marriage between Demetriou, his staff and Burgess, of which management should’ve realised rarely works in the NRL and pushed back against, when Crowe thrust it upon them in the beginning.
Many believe Burgess will return to the club now that Demetriou is gone.
However, the catch is, will the same management that moved him on, be so willing to welcome him back?
“I don’t really know what Sam’s plans are,” Solly said.
“Sam I think has a two-year contract at Warrington and … we wouldn’t want to disrupt that. My view is it is Sam’s opportunity to show the world that he can coach.
“We wish him every success with that.”
RECRUITING ALARM BELLS
South Sydney head of football Mark Ellison jetted out to England this week armed with a contract for St Helens halfback Lewis Dodd.
Dodd, one of the best players in Super League, is regarded as a star in England and he will be a key plank of the bid to turn around their fortunes.
He will need help and Ellison also plans to scour the Super League for middle forwards, an acknowledgment that the club has left itself short in that department this season.
They signed Manly forward Sean Keppie in the off-season but others at the club believed they needed to pursue Addin Fonua-Blake, a former Rabbitohs player who had made a mark across the Tasman at the Warriors.
A middle forward is a must. The Rabbitohs have been regularly out-muscled in the middle of the field and without more muscle in their arsenal, it won’t matter who they bring in to coach the side.
The gap to the big clubs will be too great. Dodd, if he lives up the billing, will help. At 22, his best years are ahead of him. He has been the cornerstone of a Saints side that has been a perennial force in Super League.
He has been signed as the club undergoes a change of coach and Solly insists that if the new coach isn’t happy with Dodd joining the club, he is the wrong man for the job.
“I think over time at this cub we have been pretty strong in that the coach has an influence over recruitment and retention, but they don’t have the final say,” Solly said.
“The head coach will be signed after we sign Lewis and if they are not comfortable with Lewis if we do get him, they probably shouldn’t be the head coach.”
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