Footy legend Darren Lockyer says Sam Burgess could return to coach struggling Souths after his bitter split with Jason Demetriou

NRL legend Darren Lockyer believes Sam Burgess could replace under-siege Rabbitohs coach Jason Demetriou if Souths’ horror start to the 2024 season continues.

Winless through their first three games and ahead of a potentially season-defining game against Canterbury, the Rabbitohs are feeling the heat following a humiliating 48-6 loss to the Sydney Roosters last Friday night.

The trio of defeats to begin 2024 came after the Rabbitohs lost seven of their final 10 games last year and crashed out of finals contention despite leading the premiership through 11 rounds.

Rabbitohs legend Burgess left the club under a dark cloud last year amid an alleged dispute over the purported favourable treatment of star players Latrell Mitchell and Cody Walker, with Demetriou siding with his fullback and five-eighth.

And to rub salt into the wounds, Burgess is loving life on the other side of the world.

The footy great took his first top-flight coaching job over the off-season with Super League side Warrington Wolves and already has the side sitting pretty on top of the ladder.

Lockyer believes rumours of Burgess returning to take the reins at Redfern will not go away soon.

‘Sam was obviously a hero when he played there and he was on the coaching staff [last year],’ Lockyer told Nine’s Today show on Monday.

‘He’s gone over to England and he’s performing well there at Warrington.

‘Those rumours won’t go away while the Bunnies are struggling.’

Club co-owner Russell Crowe, who is also good friends with Burgess, has put his support behind Demetriou for the time being, but the coach is facing immense scrutiny over the coming weeks.

‘Without a doubt [he is under pressure] and Jason knows that,’ said Lockyer.

‘He dropped his halfback, Jack Wighton came back and they still got convincingly beat last week by the Roosters. 

‘There’s a few glaring issues there at the Bunnies, particularly in defence – they are letting in too many points.

‘I think for JD, he’s got to get them back to playing for each other.’

With their season on life support, Demetriou limited the involvement of lock Cameron Murray and centre Wighton at the club’s Maroubra training base on Monday.

Murray is nursing a bursa issue in his knee, while Wighton had a heavily strapped thigh.

Souths have no concerns that the duo will be available to face the Bulldogs, who are fresh off a 32-0 hammering of the Titans.

Murray did not complete the full session but has still made his impact felt as they bid to relieve the pressure on Demetriou.

‘I think the skipper summed it up at the start of training,’ said Bunnies winger Alex Johnston.

‘We’re only going to get through this together, stick with each other and fight for every play when we’re out there and things will start sticking.’

Demetriou said the Roosters defeat was the ‘lowest point’ of his NRL coaching career, but Johnston has been here before.

He was part of the side 10 years ago which got off to a sluggish start but finished the season with a premiership ring.

‘I think it got brought up by Tommy Burgess who has been around as long as me, if not longer,’ Johnston said.

‘He said that in 2014, after our first four games, we’d only won one and we’re in a similar position.

‘We need to win, we want to win and that’s what we’ve got to aim for this week.

‘That was a pretty good year for us so it would be nice to replicate that.’