NRL 2024: Jason Demetriou’s classy response to South Sydney Rabbitohs exit

In his first interview since parting ways with South Sydney Rabbitohs, Jason Demetriou addressed his exit from the club and the myth about taking the reins Wayne Bennett.

Sacked Rabbitohs head coach Jason Demetriou has declared he’s not done with coaching. Picture: AAP

Not bitter, emboldened by both the triumphs and the turmoil and with a burning desire to continue coaching in the NRL.

Former South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou has broken his silence on having his contract terminated by the Rabbitohs by declaring he is a career coach who will only be stronger for the experience of leading one of the most famous brands in rugby league.

“My ambition to coach in the NRL hasn’t waned at all,” Demetriou said.

“In fact, I know I’ll be a better coach for having experienced this challenge.

“I love the game, I love giving back to the game and I don’t hold a bitterness towards South Sydney.

“In these last few days I’ve been able to reflect on so many things I’m proud of as a coach and the other side of that is that there are so many learnings that I take away from the tough times.

“What I’m not going to do is sit still, I’m going to keep learning, I’m going to be watching every game, breaking down the trends both technically and tactically. I’m sure when the next opportunity comes along, I’ll be ready to hit the ground running.”

Sacked Rabbitohs head coach Jason Demetriou has declared he’s not done with coaching. Picture: AAP

South Sydney management made the brutal call after only re-signing the coach to a new deal last year, believing Demetriou was no longer the right man to lead the club, which is anchored to the bottom of the NRL ladder.

His assistant coach Ben Hornby has taken charge for the remainder of the 2024 season before the anticipated return to the club of Wayne Bennett.

Demetriou took the shattering phone call from CEO Blake Solly that his three-year career at Souths was over as he was coaching his daughter’s under-14’s junior rugby league team.

Despite the obvious disappointment, the 48-year-old has laid low since having his contract terminated as a result of two board meetings held by the Rabbitohs eight-days ago.

At no stage have the Rabbitohs suggested the narrative that Demetriou lost the dressing room, a fact that has been supported by the many messages of support from the current Souths players, coupled with the personal visit to his home of Latrell Mitchell.

He has also been applauded by large sections of the media for the class and dignity in which he has handled his swift exit.

That continued when agreeing to speak to The Daily Telegraph.

Demetriou acknowledged the challenges of succeeding Wayne Bennett as coach. Picture: Phil Hillyard

Demetriou made it clear he wasn’t interested in slinging pot shots at his former club. Instead he spoke of his pride in taking the Rabbitohs to a preliminary final in 2022, his first season in charge after taking over from Bennett and without a host of stars from the previous season.

“History shows it’s not easy taking over from Wayne and I know a lot of people have spoken since the decision was made against me about the challenge of being the succession coach after Wayne,” Demetriou said.

“That first season (2022) we not only lost Wayne, we lost Adam Reynolds, Dane Gagai and Jaydn Su’a, but we were strong enough to build through our season to make a preliminary final.

“I’m proud of that and equally proud of the playing group that year.’’

In 2023, Demetriou continued to prove his qualities as an elite NRL coach with wins over champion mentors Ivan Cleary, Bennett and Craig Bellamy across three successive weeks.

Demetriou then pointed to what he claims is one of the great moments of his career, before admitting the club’s failure to make the 2023 finals series was one of his toughest.

“The transition from our training base at Redfern to Heffron Park prior to the 2023 season was unique and special. We honoured Souths history and created a collective buy-in by honouring our past and celebrating our future in a way that united us,” Demetriou said.

Demetriou took the Rabbitohs to a preliminary final in his first year as head coach in 2022. Picture: Getty Images

“On top of that, the leadership program in that pre-season we did with the Richmond Tigers (AFL) was one of the highlights of my coaching career so far.

“Cam Murray, Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker, Damien Cook, Campbell Graham, Thomas Burgess, Jai Arrow, Alex Johnston and Tevita Tatola were all part of our three-day leadership camp.

“The growth those boys took out of that was immense. We saw evidence in that maturation in how we came back from behind to beat Penrith on ANZAC Day (in 2023) and then had back-to-back wins over Melbourne and Brisbane by a convincing margin.

“The first 12-rounds (of 2023) we played Brisbane, Melbourne and Penrith twice and led the competition.

“I take a lot of confidence out of that pre-season and the leadership program we undertook.

“However, there was also the second-half of that season, where injuries and external pressure, which comes from being in charge of a huge club, began to infiltrate.

“How I managed that period and also this year, yes it was hard and not the outcome anyone wanted, but for me going forward, there’s so much learning that is going to make me a better coach from the good experiences, as much as there is from the tumultuous times.

“Few coaches get the chance to learn how to navigate through the internal and external influences at such a huge club and that will make me a stronger coach.”

Demetriou concluded by stating he was passing on his best wishes to Hornby and the Rabbitohs players for the remainder of the season.

“All I take away is proud and fond memories of the lifelong connections I’ve made with so many individuals and I wish them all the best,” he said.

Originally published as NRL 2024: Jason Demetriou’s classy response to South Sydney Rabbitohs exit