Following the news today that South Sydney Rabbitohs have sacked head coach Jason Demetriou, there are a number of Super League names that could be candidates for the role.
South Sydney have had a horror start to the season, currently standing rock-bottom of the NRL table, with just four points (two of which they earned through their bye week) and -136 points difference.
In a club statement, the club said: “Following a meeting of the Football Club Board, in conjunction with club management, it has been decided that the Club needs to go in a new direction with its coaching following a less-than-satisfactory series of results over the 2023 and 2024 seasons.”
Here are five names, well-known by followers of Super League, that we think could be in contention for the role.
Who should South Sydney try to hire?
Adrian Lam
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Legendary commentator Andrew Voss suggested Lam’s name on his SEN Breakfast radio show.
He said: “I’m crystal-balling a little bit here and trying to put the pieces together.
“With Lewis Dodd of St Helens coming to Australia, and Mark Ellison, the South Sydney football manager, flying over to England, it makes me think: ‘you’re not flying over for one signature’.
“I can’t help but think that Adrian Lam is in the mix to come back to Australia and if I’m joining the dots, those dots lead straight to South Sydney.
“If you’re going over to England, then you’re not just coming home with a player whose signature you’ve already got a verbal agreement anyway.”
“I think it’s for a new coach and I’ll take a punt. If I’m walking to a casino and I’m playing the chocolate wheel then I’m saying I’ll have $10 on Adrian Lam please.”
It’s a long way to fly from Australia to England, and with so much negotiation happening online nowadays, it wasn’t totally necessary.
Lam has done a very good job with the Leopards, and although this year hasn’t got off to a perfect start, the signs are that they’re again heading in the right direction.
After growing up in Australia, it’s likely that a move back home is something he’s always planned on doing eventually.
Willie Peters
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The Hull KR head coach has done an unbelievable job with the Robins, and after a victory over Wigan Warriors at the weekend, his side are seen by many as potential title candidates just seven years after being in the Championship.
Last year, KR made it to the Challenge Cup final and finished fourth in Super League, losing in the semi-finals.
After his time in Hull, it’s easy to forget his time in his native Australia, but in that time, he spent two spells with the Bunnies as a player operating in the halves and making 38 appearances overall.
He was also, after retiring, assistant to Wayne Bennett at the club, after leaving Manly Sea Eagles due to controversy away from the game.
On his time with them, he told Sky Sports in 2023: “I went into sponsorship with the Rabbitohs.
“Shane Richardson, who got me to Gateshead, was the CEO and he offered me the role, which was awesome for me because I got to understand the other side of the business of rugby league.
“It was rewarding and no doubt it helped me get to where I wanted to get to in coaching.”
The Sydney-born coach has done a great job with Hull KR in Super League, and it seems that Peters would be happy to stay there for a long time.
However, South Sydney might just be the one club he’d consider.
Sam Burgess
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Sam Burgess has, if reports are true, been a leading candidate for a while now.
Earlier this month, Sky Sports presenter Jenna Brooks asked: “If the opportunity was to come up for a potential move back to the NRL, could anything at this point in time make you move back?”
However, Burgess replied: “No, none whatsoever. It’s a two-year contract here and I will honour that.”
However, Paul Kent, of Fox League, said that Burgess could be on his way back to the South Sydney Rabbitohs as assistant to the Dolphins’ Wayne Bennett.
Kent said: “Sam comes back as an assistant to Wayne and goes through the same process. Wayne comes back as a head coach, gives Sam two years working under him like he’s doing with Woolf now, like he did with Demetriou before.”
“Then that’s your whole succession plan there, done.”
Burgess previously left as Rabbitohs’ assistant after a clash with Jason Demitriou surrounding treatment of Latrell Mitchell.
It’s hard to imagine Burgess leaving for a lesser-role, especially when he’s doing so well, and when he’s early on in his time at the club, but if he was offered the role of head coach, he could be lured away from Cheshire.
Wayne Bennett
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The man that Willie Peters worked with at South Sydney a few years ago, Bennett is currently at the Dolphins.
As previously mentioned, Fox League suggested a Bennett-Burgess coaching team for next year.
While Sam Burgess dropping down to an assistant coaching role seems unlikely, Wayne Bennett being Rabbitohs head coach is certainly a possibility.
He won 53 of his 77 games coaching the Souths from 2019 to 2021, with his 69% winning percentage the best of his career.
The former England boss has won seven major Premierships in Australia, as well as most games coached and most wins in NRL history.
He’s one of the best coaches in history, and although he’s only in his second season with the Dolphins, he is set to leave and the Rabbitohs are a huge club.
They’re in desperate need of a statement signing in their head coach role, and Wayne Bennett would no doubt fit the bill.
Justin Holbrook
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After his successful stint with St Helens, the Australian went on to coach the Gold Coast Titans until 2023.
In 2019, Holbrook’s Saints won the Super League League Leaders’ Shield and beat Salford Red Devils 23-6 in the Grand Final at Old Trafford.
His time with the Titans also, largely, went well, guiding them into the finals for the first time in five years in 2021, losing narrowly to Sydney Roosters.
Holbrook was unhappy after leaving the club, saying that he didn’t see his time there being terminated at all.
He’s currently the assistant coach at the Rabbitohs’ city rivals, the Sydney Roosters, but he’s a hugely successful head coach, and will surely want to take another role soon: crossing the city to take over at South Sydney could be the perfect opportunity.
