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6 months ago
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Souths co-owner Russell Crowe backed Jason Demetriou to the hilt with a simple message just before the coach was sacked on Tuesday, it has been revealed.
The 48-year-old was fired with immediate effect on Tuesday night after the Bunnies fell to the bottom of the table amid a shocking run of form that dates back to the middle of last season.
His sacking followed two board meetings - one on Tuesday morning, the other starting at around 5pm - and Crowe contacted him that day with the message, 'I've got your back,' shortly before the axe fell, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Demetriou was backed to the hilt by Russell Crowe (pictured at a Souths game with Chris Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum) on the day he was sacked
Demetriou (pictured leaving Souths training on Wednesday) had his fate sealed when the Bunnies fell to a 54-20 hammering against the Melbourne Storm last Thursday
The board unanimously voted to let Demetriou go in a sure sign that the Hollywood star co-owner isn't even close to having the final say on the big decisions at the club.
CEO Blake Solly met with Demetriou on Sunday and told him he had lost confidence in him and the 54-20 loss to the Storm last Thursday would be his last game in charge, the publication reported.
Demetriou responded by writing a lengthy report detailing why he deserved to have another eight weeks to turn the team around - but it had no effect when it was shared with the board members.
A club statement pointed to a 'less-than-satisfactory series of results' over the past two seasons as grounds for the termination. Demetriou was also in charge when the side crashed out of finals contention in 2023, suffering a shocking run of bad form over the last half of the season after topping the ladder in round 11.
'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,' said chief executive Blake Solly.
'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.'
Despite the shocking end to his time with Souths, the coach (pictured on Tuesday with Bunnies star Jack Wighton) had the class to send a heartfelt message to his players
Assistant coach Ben Hornby, once tipped as head-coaching material by Demetriou himself, will take charge of Thursday's clash against reigning premiers Penrith and for the remainder of the season.
Demetriou had survived swirling rumours about his job security by guiding the Rabbitohs to a spirited 34-22 loss to high-flying Cronulla in their last game before the bye in round seven.
But Souths hit a new low in round eight, conceding the most points in any game of Demetriou's tenure as they were thrashed 54-20 by Melbourne.
On Wednesday morning, Solly confirmed the club will approach former Bunnies coach Wayne Bennett to take over for 2025.
The unequivocal support from Crowe (pictured at a Souths game in 2008) did nothing to help Demetriou in a sure sign the co-owner's influence at the club isn't what it used to be
'Unfortunately, we didn't think Jason's coaching style would be able to get the change we needed, or the improvement we needed,' Solly said.
'Given that we now sit 17th on the table and our for and against is 50 points worse than 16th, I think now is the time to make a change.
'We've tried to support the coach and tried to gibe him as much backing as we could but I think, over the weekend, everyone realised that change was needed and unfortunately the change had to be Jason.'
Despite the shattering nature of the end to his time with South Sydney, Demetriou had the class to send a heartfelt message to his players after the axe fell, telling them 'blessings to you and your beautiful families' before he left the club's Maroubra headquarters for what looks to be the last time.
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