South Sydney Rabbitohs confirm Wayne Bennett interest after sacking Jason Demetriou

“I think he’s made that pretty clear in his time here, and since then, about his affection for the club, the ownership, board, the management team, so we will certainly be speaking to Wayne because he left the place in very good shape when he left, and he was great while he was here.”

Demetriou took Rabbitohs training on Tuesday morning before a second South Sydney board meeting – for which chairman Nick Pappas dialled in from London – sealed his fate later that night.

After weeks of speculation about the coach’s future, Solly said the board felt they had no other option given the Rabbitohs’ horror form.

“In our view, we just felt that the style of play and probably Jason’s management of the players needed to change,” Solly said.

Asked whether the Rabbitohs had treated Demetriou poorly in the drawn-out process, Solly said: “I don’t agree.

“I think that Jason spent three years here as an assistant coach, was appointed to succeed Wayne very early on in his tenure as an assistant, the club gave Jason every single opportunity to have success, but results over the last 12 months haven’t been good enough for a club of our stature.

“And whilst it’s no criticism of Jason and how hard he works, the last 20 games speak for themselves, and for his agent to say that he’s been treated shabbily in the context of a year’s worth of patience and support, I think is unfair.

“And I’m not sure that Jason would share that view.”

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Demetriou’s assistant Ben Hornby will take over for South Sydney’s clash with Penrith on Thursday night.

When he arrived at South Sydney’s Heffron Park headquarters shortly after 7am on Wednesday morning, Hornby said: “I’m looking forward to the match.”

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