Ex-Wakefield Trinity player Jason Demetriou sacked as South Sydney Rabbitohs coach

Demetriou, 48, played for Trinity from 2004-2010 and also had spells with Lancashire Lynx, Rochdale Hornets, Widnes Vikings and Keighley Cougars. He coached Cougars from 2011-2012 before returning to his native Australia.

After a stint in charge of Queensland Cup side Northern Pride, he spent time as assistant-boss at North Queensland Cowboys, St George-Illawarra Dragons, Brisbane Broncos and the Rabbitohs. He had been head coach since the start of 2022.

Souths are bottom of the NRL table having lost six of their seven games so far this season. A statement announcing Demetriou’s exit said the club had decided it “needs to go in a new direction with its coaching following a less-than-satisfactory series of results over the 2023 and 2024 seasons”.

Chief executive Blake Solly told Rabbitohs’ website: “The board and management feel that now is the time to make a change to the leadership of our football program in terms of the head coaching role. There is no doubting Jason’s work ethic or his drive for success, but unfortunately that success has not been forthcoming over the past 12 months. We wish Jason, his wife Natalie and his daughters the very best of luck in the future and we thank him for his service to our Club over the past five-and-a-half years.”

Ben Hornby has been appointed interim head-coach for the rest of this season. Demetriou’s connections to the English game will inevitably see him linked when coaching vacancies arise in Super League.