Jason Demetriou breaks silence after Rabbitohs exit, Demetriou sacked by South Sydney, Ben Hornby, news, videos, highlights

Former Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou has broken his silence, saying his “ambition to coach in the NRL has not wavered at all”.

The 48-year-old was sacked by South Sydney bosses on May 1 following two board meetings which ultimately led to his demise.

Demetriou, speaking to the Daily Telegraph, explained that he believed his recent experience would only strengthen his coaching credentials for any future NRL role.

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He also explained that he “has no bitterness towards South Sydney”, despite having been forced to endure weeks of speculation over its future.

“In fact, I know I will be a better coach after taking on this challenge,” he said.

“Over these last few days I have been able to reflect on so many things that I am proud of as a coach and the other side is that there are so many learnings that I take away from the difficult moments .

“What I’m not going to do is sit around, I’m going to keep learning, I’m going to watch every game, break down the trends both technically and tactically.

“I’m sure when the next opportunity presents itself, I’ll be ready to go.”

Ben Hornby, who was Demetriou’s assistant, has taken over as head coach for the remainder of the 2024 season and it is likely that Wayne Bennett will return in 2025.

Demetriou was praised for the way he handled his departure, sending an emotional text to his players after his departure.

Star five-eighth Cody Walker also broke his silence on Wednesday, revealing the playing group “felt some responsibility” for his sacking.

“I think everyone in the team felt responsible for JD losing his job because at the end of the day we weren’t getting results, we weren’t winning football games and we “We weren’t performing well on the football field,” Walker said.

“I couldn’t imagine what was going through their minds while they were going through this ordeal. Knowing JD, he’s always pretty positive in his thinking.

“His family is probably the one riding the wave the most. As football players, we undergo all this media pressure, all that, we don’t think about who it impacts.

“This falls heavily on our families. Many of our families don’t know how to deal with this. From the bottom of my heart, I sympathize with (Demetriou’s wife) Nat and the girls. »

Demetriou also spoke about the challenges the Rabbitohs faced following the 2022 season, in which he led them to a preliminary final in his first year in charge.

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Bennett left a year early, leaving the club after going down against the Panthers in the 2021 grand final.

“History shows that it’s not easy to succeed Wayne and I know a lot of people have spoken since the decision was made against me about the challenge of being the successor coach after Wayne,” he said. declared Demetriou.

“That first season we not only lost Wayne, but also Adam Reynolds, Dane Gagai and Jaydn Su’a, but we were strong enough to build throughout our season and reach a preliminary final.

“I’m proud of that and equally proud of the group of players that year.”

Demetriou also sent his best wishes to Hornby, saying: “All I take away from this are proud and fond memories of the lifelong bonds I have made with so many people and I wish them all the best.”