Matty Johns: Whistleblower’s media leak could seal Jason Demetriou’s South Sydney fate

Late last week a sensitive conversation between Jason Demetriou and a player was leaked to the media. For the whistleblower, it was mission accomplished, another nail in the coach’s coffin.

Jason Demetriou is going to require a miracle and then some, to survive this mess at South Sydney, which somehow gets uglier as one day rolls into the next.

The only people who can deliver that miracle are his players and that seems highly unlikely as they are doing a very convincing impersonation of a team who’ve stopped playing for their coach.

I’ve written numerous articles about Souths’ inability to fix obvious on-field problems, but it’s clear the on-field deterioration is a by-product of the off-field mess.

And what a mess it is.

DAMAGING LEAKS PROVE COSTLY

Late last week a sensitive conversation between coach and player in a team meeting was leaked to the media. The leaked conversation was not a good one for the coach to have out in the public domain.

So, for the whistleblower, it was mission accomplished, another nail in the coach’s coffin.

It’s unfair to place all the blame at the feet of Demetriou, but that’s the plight of the coach. When change is needed, urgent change in this case, either the coach or the players need to be turned over. Unfortunately for coaches, playing rosters take time to reinvigorate, so the bloke with the clipboard ends up at Centrelink.

Jason Demetriou’s South Sydney career could be over after this weekend. Picture: Matt King/Getty Images

LATRELL CAN’T HIDE HIS FRUSTRATION

The other face of this mess is Latrell Mitchell.

Mitchell can’t disguise his frustration, whether it be an expletive-ridden post-match interview or clocking Shaun Johnson with an elbow that costs him three weeks on the sideline.

Some players, regardless of their stature, are ignorant to the influence they have on their teammates. They don’t realise their moods bleed through the club. They carry great responsibility, that’s why they’re the stars.

Kalyn Ponga has wrestled with this for years, frustrating Newcastle Knights fans as they waited for his leadership egg to hatch.

Only in the last six months has Ponga started to understand the extent of his influence and the responsibility that comes with it.

The one player who could’ve snapped Souths out of this early season funk was Mitchell, but he allowed his frustrations to reject his responsibilities.

It will be ironic if the three-week suspension ends up being a blessing, giving Mitchell time for some serious self assessment.

Because, if Mitchell does come back in a month fit, focused and fired up, it will almost certainly be a month too late for Demetriou.

THE DRAMATIC COLLAPSE

It’s extraordinary, after Souths re-entered the competition in 2002, it took a long time, plenty of heartache, numerous wooden and changes of coaches to build the club into what every Bunnies supporter hoped it could be.

Things have fallen apart in a flash.

Like a dream home that takes 10 years to build, through love and careful planning, and yet only a stick of dynamite and its rubble on the ground in 10 minutes.

Let’s remind ourselves, in Round 11 last season the Bunnies clinically defeated West Tigers after beating Penrith and smashing Brisbane and Melbourne, to make it six wins in a row. They were the team to beat, and then suddenly suffered a complete collapse from under which they are still showing no signs of emerging.

Hard to work out why?

SOLUTION STARING SOUTHS IN THE FACE

Although I do remember Sam Burgess had an unpopular opinion. And then of course, there’s the Wayne factor.

The last of the magic dust which Wayne Bennett sprinkles over his players might’ve disappeared as they did their victory song after the Tigers win last May.

They need some of that magic dust right now, but unfortunately it’s not sold by dodgy dudes with pitbulls and bum bags on street corners.

You want the magic dust? Then you need to get old man Bennett back in the burrow. And while you’re at it, best have a look at the bloke who’s coaching Warrington, he seems to be going all right.