NRL 2020: Souths caretaker Jason Demetriou ready to show Broncos just what they are missing out on
With Wayne Bennett sitting at home in his winter woolies tonight, the Broncos will get to see first-hand the coach they overlooked for Anthony Seibold in action. And he’s ready to deliver more pain.
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Souths assistant Jason Demetriou privately believes he is a better coach than Broncos rival Anthony Seibold.
On Friday night at ANZ Stadium, he gets the chance to prove it.
There is only one greater rivalry in the NRL than Wayne Bennett’s feud with Seibold — and it involves Wayne’s long-time right-hand man Demetriou, who lost out to Seibold in the desperate battle for the top job at the Broncos in 2018.
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With Bennett sin-binned for 14 days following his Italian-dining COVID breach, the super coach has been forced to watch Friday night’s Souths-Broncos clash from his living room.
Suddenly, Demetriou finds himself filling in for Bennett holding the keys to the South Sydney juggernaut — and he would love nothing more than to steamroll Seibold and his struggling Broncos.
Bennett believes Demetriou is a superior coach to Seibold, so much so that when the pair were at the Broncos in 2018, Wayne would give ‘JD’ a tactical licence to bring down Seibold’s former Rabbitohs sides.
Seibold was named NRL coach of the year in 2018 for his outstanding success in his only season in charge at Souths.
But both times that season, Seibold’s Souths side lost to the Broncos - after Demetriou offered to drive Bennett’s game plans to beat the Rabbitohs.
Demetriou believed Seibold’s teams played one-dimensional football and could easily be shut down in attack with the right defensive structures.
In that 2018 season, the Broncos beat Souths 24-20 in round eight at ANZ Stadium, then backed it up in round 23, whacking Seibold’s troops 38-18 at Suncorp Stadium.
The Broncos were the only club in the regular-season that year to beat Seibold’s Souths side on two occasions.
Demetriou’s tactical acumen and strong relationship with Broncos players were key reasons why Bennett advised Brisbane’s board to back his succession plan for Demetriou to replace him at Red Hill in 2020.
Instead, the Broncos board rejected Bennett’s proposal and charted a different direction, headhunting Seibold on a five-year deal.
Demetriou could handle losing out, but he could not handle the blatant disrespect he felt he
was shown during Brisbane’s hiring process.
Like many, including Bennett, Demetriou believes the pursuit of Seibold was a high-level cook-up. Broncos chief executive Paul White has always denied this, insisting the interview process was transparent and thorough.
As part of the interview process to succeed Bennett, Demetriou was one of four coaches interviewed. The others were Kevin Walters, Michael Maguire and Seibold.
A three-man Broncos interview committee was put together, comprising White, chairman Karl Morris and board member Darren Lockyer.
But when Demetriou turned up to his interview, he was left stunned.
Only Morris and Lockyer were there waiting for his presentation.
White did not show up, saying he had a personal matter to attend to.
At that moment, Demetriou personally suspected his interview was a waste of time, so he decided to go down in a blaze of glory.
He delivered a compelling power-point presentation. As part of his delivery, Demetriou compared his coaching record to that of Seibold’s, outlining their year-on-year placings at their respective clubs.
On pure statistics and performance alone, it was a carve-up; a knockout victory for Demetriou.
In the Intrust Super Cup, Demetriou had won 40 of 51 games at the Northern Pride for a 78 per cent win record. Seibold had 18 wins from 44 games at Mackay for a dismal 40 per cent win record.
He told Lockyer and Morris he had won four premierships, including an Intrust Super Cup title and NRL State Championship at the Pride in 2014. He pulled off the same title-winning quinella at the Illawarra Cutters in 2016.
Demetriou also pointed out he was an assistant to Paul Green in the Cowboys’ 2015 NRL premiership win.
On the power-point screen, Lockyer and Morris could also see a comparative record of Seibold, who had not won a premiership at any level in coaching in the northern and southern hemispheres.
In the end, the Broncos opted for Seibold, sacking not only Bennett, but Demetriou, who duly followed the super mentor to Souths and will formally succeed him as head coach at Redfern in 2022.
While Seibold is gripped by a form crisis at the 15th-placed Broncos amid allegations of player unrest, Bennett remains adamant Brisbane lost a great head coach in Demetriou.
“Jason was really disappointed to miss out on the Broncos job. They are a huge club and it’s got great prestige, so of course he was disappointed,” Bennett told News Corp last month.
“But I was honest with Jason. I advised him not to go for the Broncos interview because was never going to get the job.
“I hate people being false. The Broncos were false on it. Everyone in the game knows the Broncos had their preferred candidate (Seibold).
“I remember ringing Jason from England (where Bennett was coaching the British team) and saying do not go for the interview.
“I think he knew he was a dead-man walking but he wanted to go to show them what he could have brought to the club.
“Jason would have been a great coach at the Broncos. He would have delivered a great presentation in the job interview because I know how talented he is, but he was never going to get the job because the Broncos knew who they wanted.
“The entire playing group at the Broncos rated Jason. He had a great rapport with the players and would have been an excellent choice at the Broncos, but I’m just glad he will get his chance at Souths.”
Bennett is confident Demetriou will succeed at South Sydney.
“Souths asked me who I thought could do the job and I said it’s Jason’s time,” Bennett said.
“Jason has earnt the respect here. They love his energy and what he brings so he will be the next coach of the Rabbitohs.
“Tactically, he is brilliant. I have to keep getting away from him because he wants to talk football and tactics all day. I can’t do that. He has lots of energy. Emotionally, he has himself under control as well.
“He has done his apprenticeship and is a first grade coach in all areas. The key as a coach is to get buy-in from players and Jason can do that, he has a feel for people and has a lot of initiative.
“Emotionally, he can ride the rollercoaster of the NRL without getting too frantic.”
Friday night will be a test of Demetriou’s nerve and professionalism. He must put aside the bitter backdrop and his Seibold sentiments and simply get the job done for a Souths side missing their super coach.
Watching at home in COVID lockdown in his winter woolies, Bennett, crooked grin and slippers, could be the most enthralled spectator of all.