Jason Demetriou faces the threat of losing his job if his struggling South Sydney team doesn’t improve in the next three games, which are at home against Canterbury, the New Zealand Warriors, and Cronulla.
The Rabbitohs coach has a straightforward situation: his team is at the bottom of the table after three games after suffering a 48-6 thrashing at the hands of fierce rivals the Sydney Roosters on Friday.
Despite acknowledging that the loss was “probably the lowest point of my career right now,” Demetriou insisted he was still the greatest candidate for the position.
Officials from South Africa are privately supporting Demetriou and have provided him with all the tools he needs to succeed.
But the team needs to finish in the top four each year, and that won’t happen this season unless the coach makes a huge turnaround. Souths have only won four of their last 16 NRL games when the second half of last year is taken into account.
In that period, only Wests Tigers, the team that has won the last two wooden spoons, have lost fewer games.
If Souths lose against the Bulldogs on Good Friday, it will be their worst start to a season since 2008—a season in which they lost their first seven games and ended 14th out of 16 teams.
After there, things don’t get any easier for the Rabbitohs. After round seven, they get the bye, play the Storm in Melbourne, and then host Penrith, the three-time defending premiers.
