South Sydney have confirmed the departure of Jason Demetriou as head coach, effective immediately, with Ben Hornby to take charge of the side as interim head coach.
The Rabbitohs announced Demetriou's termination in a statement, saying that a "less-than-satisfactory series of results over the 2023 and 2024 seasons" had led to the need to go in a "new direction with its coaching".
Rabbitohs CEO, Blake Solly, said: “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.
Rabbitohs CEO Blake Solly
“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.”
Demetriou joined South Sydney in 2018 as an assistant coach, following Wayne Bennett from Brisbane, with a succession plan announced in 2020 that would see Demetriou take over as coach at the end of the 2021 season.
In his first full season as head coach, the Rabbitohs earned their fifth straight preliminary final appearance before being beaten by eventual premiers Penrith.
In 2023, the Rabbitohs enjoyed a strong start to the campaign but fell away badly over the second half of the season – winning just four matches after Round 11 – as well as just one game through the opening eight rounds of 2024.
Following his retirement in 2012, Hornby began his coaching career with the Dragons development system before progressing through to the first grade ranks.
He joined the Rabbitohs in 2020 as a development coach before making the transition to assistant coach in 2021 under Bennett.
More to come.
