See the very surprising four-word message Russell Crowe sent Jason Demetriou just hours before he was sacked by Souths
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 sacked with immediate effect on Tuesday evening after the Bunnies fell to the bottom of the table amid a shocking run of form dating back to the middle of last season.
His resignation followed two board meetings – one on Tuesday morning, the other starting around 5pm – and Crowe contacted him that day to say, “I’ve got your back,” shortly before the ax fell. Sydney Morning Herald reported.
Demetriou was backed to the hilt by Russell Crowe (pictured at a Souths match with Chris Hemsworth and Jeff Goldblum) on the day he was sacked
Demetriou (pictured leaving Souths training on Wednesday) had his fate sealed as the Bunnies fell 54-20 to the Melbourne Storm last Thursday
The board voted unanimously to let Demetriou go, a sign that the Hollywood star’s co-owner is not even close to having the final say on major decisions at the club.
CEO Blake Solly met with Demetriou on Sunday and told him he had lost confidence in him and that last Thursday’s 54-20 defeat to the Storm would be his last game in charge, the publication reported.
Demetriou responded by writing a lengthy report outlining why he deserved to have another eight weeks to turn the team around – but it had no effect when shared with board members.
A club statement pointed to an ‘unsatisfactory run of results’ over the past two seasons as the reason for the termination. Demetriou was also in charge as the side crashed out of the finals in 2023 and suffered a shocking run of poor form in the final half of the season after topping the ladder in round 11.
“The board and management believe now is the time to make a change in the leadership of our football program as it relates to the head coaching role,” said CEO Blake Solly.
“There is no doubt about Jason’s work ethic or his drive for success, but unfortunately that success has not materialized over the last 12 months.”
Despite the shock end to his time at Souths, the coach (pictured with Bunnies star Jack Wighton on Tuesday) 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 be in charge of Thursday’s match against reigning premiers Penrith and for the remainder of the season.
Demetriou had survived swirling rumors about his job security by leading the Rabbitohs to a gritty 34-22 loss to high-flying Cronulla in their final match before the bye in round seven.
But Souths hit a new low in round eight, conceding the most points in any match of Demetriou’s tenure as they were defeated 54-20 by Melbourne.
On Wednesday morning, Solly confirmed the club will approach former Bunnies coach Wayne Bennett to take over before 2025.
Crowe’s unequivocal support (pictured during a Souths match in 2008) did little to help Demetriou in a sure sign that the co-owner’s influence at the club is not what it used to be.
“Unfortunately, we didn’t think Jason’s coaching style could create the change we needed, or the improvement we needed,” Solly said.
‘Given that we are now seventeenth on the table and our for and against are fifty points worse than sixteenth, I think now is the time to make a change.
“We tried to support the coach and give him as much support as we could, but I think everyone realized this weekend that change was needed and unfortunately that change had to be Jason.”
Despite the crushing nature of the end of his time at South Sydney, Demetriou had the class to send a heartfelt message to his players after the ax fell, telling them ‘blessings to you and your beautiful families’ before he left the club’s Maroubra headquarters to go to the club. what seems to be the last time.