- Former South Sydney coach Jason Demetriou has stepped into a new role
- The football boss will continue his role with the PNG national team
- He was sacked by Souths in May amid the Rabbitohs’ poor form
After being sacked by South Sydney Rabbitohs in May, Jason Demetriou has stepped into a new role.
After taking over from Wayne Bennett in 2022, the 48-year-old would remain at the club for a season and a half, with the club falling to the bottom of the NRL ladder this season before he was sacked.
While he is expected to continue his role at PNG, Bennett has taken up a head coaching position at Westfields Sports High School’s rugby league program, according to the Courier Mail.
The school, based in Fairfield West, Sydney, has a rich sporting history and has produced some of the country’s greatest athletes.
These names include Australian cricket greats Michael Clarke and Usman Khawaja.
Former Premier League football star Harry Kewell was also enrolled in the educational institute.
Former Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou will take on a new role in addition to his position as PNG head coach
He will now become head coach of Westfields Sports High School in Sydney’s west
Demetriou will bring a wealth of experience to help emerging league talents grow their skills at the school, with Westfields set to unveil the announcement on social media.
“We are pleased to announce that Jason Demetriou will lead the coaching staff of the Westfields Sports High School Rugby League programme,” the school wrote.
“With his wealth of experience and proven track record in the NRL, Jason brings invaluable expertise to our players and will help shape the next generation of rugby league talent.
“Jason’s leadership and commitment to player development will be a huge asset as we continue to build on the legacy of excellence at Westfields Sports.
“We look forward to seeing the positive impact he will have on our program and student-athletes.”
Since taking over as PNG boss, Demetriou has had a successful year with the national team. He won two matches against Fiji and the Cook Islands, but suffered one defeat against New Zealand.
While he harbors no ill feelings towards the Sydney hierarchy, Demetriou claimed in May that his experiences with the Souths will have made him a much better coach.
“In fact, I know I will be a better coach after experiencing this challenge,” he said.
Demetriou was sacked by Souths earlier in May but says he harbors no ill feelings towards the club
‘Over the past few days I have been able to reflect on so many things that I am proud of as a coach, and the other side of that is that there are so many lessons that I take with me from the difficult times.
‘What I’m not going to do is sit still, I’m going to keep learning.
‘I will watch every match and analyze the trends both technically and tactically.
“I’m sure when the next opportunity presents itself, I’ll be ready to hit the ground running.”