Souths part ways with Demetriou after board meetings seal coach’s fate

Coach Jason Demetriou’s tenure at South Sydney has ended after the club terminated his contract at a board meeting on Tuesday night.

Demetriou was told of the club’s decision to part ways effective immediately following two board meetings at the club’s Heffron Park headquarters.

Assistant coach Ben Hornby is likely to take charge for the rest of the season with the club to undergo a rigorous recruitment process for a long-term successor, including a push from sections of the club to bring Wayne Bennett back.

Demetriou sent an emotional message to his players and staff just moments after learning his fate.

“Hey lads, just a quick note from me to let you know sadly I have been sacked,” Demetriou wrote on the team’s noticeboard app. “Being your head coach has been an absolute privilege and being part of many of your professional journeys over the 5.5 years has been a blessing.

“Watching you make your debuts, hit milestones and become young fathers are memories I will forever cherish. As your head coach and assistant coach I’m grateful for the memories on and off the field. The run to the 2022 final series and pre lim [sic] alongside the pre season and transition to Heffron in 2023 was a great highlight.

“That feeling in the change rooms that led us to the top of the nrl ladder less than a year ago was some of the greatest experiences of my career. I’m sure this team is destined for more of those memories.

“Blessings to you and your beautiful families. JD.”

Chief executive Blake Solly was the first person in the building at Heffron Park before Demetriou arrived just after 6.30am.

Demetriou had prepared a submission for the board to consider, outlining his plans to turn around the Bunnies, who are bottom of the ladder with one win from eight rounds.

Jason Demetriou leaving Heffron Park on Tuesday.

Souths board members, except chairman Nick Pappas who was in London, gathered at the club’s Maroubra facility from 8am to consider Demetriou’s proposal.

Three hours later, with the chairman still on the line at 2am London time, they agreed to carefully consider their next move before reconvening at 5pm Sydney time to decide the coach’s future.

All board members present at the meeting left the building – except Russell Crowe’s representative Keith Rodger, who went upstairs to the club’s offices where it is believed he remained for the rest of the day.

Demetriou, who had just run his team through a session on the field below the boardroom, wasn’t asked to front the board and left the building unaware if he would be back the next morning to lead his team at the captain’s run before Thursday’s clash with premiers Penrith.

The players were kept out of the loop, too, doing their best to avoid the media in the lobby of the building.

Ben Hornby on his way out of South Sydney training on Tuesday.

Hornby, after spotting the media contingency, left the building through a back door, followed by fellow assistant coach David Furner and Demetriou.

Demetriou answered questions on the way to his car.

“I’m preparing for tomorrow’s training, and we’ll see how we go,” he said in response to queries about his future as he left Heffron Park.

“It was a good day, the boys trained well. I want to get on with coaching the footy team. That’s what I’m paid to do. I appreciate you all being here, but I’m going home. It’s not easy. But it is what it is. We’re a big club, we’re not performing, questions have to be asked. I understand that and I respect it.

“The boys have been outstanding. That’s never been an issue. They’re a tight group, we’re battling with injuries at the moment – half our squad is missing – but they keep turning up, and they’ll turn up Thursday night as well.”

Demetriou went home unsure of his fate, and Furner said he too was in the dark about the club’s plans.

Sources close to Demetriou, talking on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely, told this masthead he was privately disappointed about being kept in the dark by the club about his future.

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